The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-10
DISHONESTY IN HIGH PLACES
An Address Before Maryland Bankers
Association.
BY NEW YORK BANK PRESIDENT
All the Best Influences are Bewailing
the Universal Carnival OF Dishon-
esty-Bankers Called ON to Remedy
the Condition OF Afairs-A Rene
dial Process Has Probably Begun.

Annapolis. Md. October 5.-Dishon-
esty in high places in the state, illeg-
al conduct of the judiciary and great
financial institutions and corporations
and p~alliation Of such acts by rne
masses gravely threatening the future
of the country. were the views ex-
pressed today by ]. Edward SimmoEs.
president of the Fourth National Bank
of New York. in an address before
the Maryland Bankers Association
He pointed to The lessons taught by
the fall Of the ancient Roman repub-
lie. the reign Of terror in France, and
the disasters which befell Russian
arms in the recent conflict in the Far
East, all of which. he said. were due
to Dalliated dishonesty.
Il hear voices from the east and
voices from the west" said he, I'll
boding voices. voices from the pulpit
and the divine voices from the COL
lege and the educator and voices from
the bench and the bar. voices from
the press and it's sages, the voice OF
III L 1CSIuCht t1iIoCIl uC1ouIAt1hS III
ringing tones and deploring the uni
versal sDread OF selfishness in he
meanest and repulsive-the form o.
dishonesty. They bewail one univer-
sal carnival of dishonesty, Alas, these
voices are not uncOnfirmed." He de-
plored the conditions which have ed
men to tolerate the terms graft" and
"grafters" and said he feared the Ve-y
NC ~f +In xr-onI~ roc M Indication of
mems tolerance OF a thief and his
trade. He called upon the members
of the association to give their assais-
lance in remeLying a condition which
makes it possible "for men who pose
as the salt of the earth and who con-
denim, without reserve. those who
steal fifty dollars o. forge a check for
a hundred dollars. or accept a brioc,
to themselves make millions by lying,
by Misrepresentation, by fraud and by
bribery" without receiving punish
ment or even criticism. while the man
who steals the paltry sum is sent to
Jail. He denounced the man of stain
less private life who. Gin the interest
of corporations. of the trust, of the
gas company. of the railroad company,
of the insurance company, nave re-
COuISC W cScly NllIldIJ udhlICu LII ehS
Decalogue: who does the deed Of a
highwavman with the air of a saint
Mr.. Simmons said that the workings
and dangers of great corporations and
multi-millionaire enterprises have not
peer and are not IS fully understood
as their advantages. He believed that
their dark side should be Investigate
ed and set out rs lucidly and forciosy
as the bright side. He referred to
the growth OF the socialist movement
as shown by the last Presidential cleo
tons as due largely to the fact, he
| said, that the masses see great for
| tunes accumulated by dishonest means
and when SO accumulated combined
to smother Individual enterprise. he
believed. however. that the situation
was not without hope, as the yer;
fact that the country has awakened
to the conditions. and that fearless
and able men are organizing and lead
ing a campaign against dishonesty
are grounds for hope that a far-reach
ing remedial process has already be-
! gun.