The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-14
ON BUSINESS MORALS.
NEW YORK JUDGE ADDRESSES
SSIPPI LEGISLATURE.

Speaks for Conservative Consideration OF
the Revelations in the Insurance World
Great Bulk OF Country's business
Men Honest and High Minded, He says
JACKSON, Miss, March 13.-Former Judge
Alton B. Parker OF New York, recently
Democratic Presidential candidate, to-day
addressed the Mississippi Legislators, and
as many others as could be crowded into his
presence.
He opened with a tribute to the late
Judge Lamar OF Mississippi, and spoke for
the most part on business and polltlcal
morality, saying, in part:
During the past year the country has been
listening with open, eager ear to revelations
Of the most astounding character. In this
time we have become familiar with breaches
Of trust involving the riding OF graves and
the robbery OF widows and orphans. with
combinations In which now one group OF
flnanciers. now another, has played It's part
and with pretentious business enterprises
whose securities were writ in water. me
ordinary moral obliquities. so common 10 man
kind have almost been lost sight OF, WINE
day after day and week after week this
disheartening and seemingly unendine story
has been told until at each new recital the
public has been reduced TO ask: What
H'''~
next?"
But why should there have been any cause
for wonder? When for nearly half a CEN
fury we have been binding our manufaot-
urers as apprentices to monopoly why
should we be surprised that a few OF our
fnanciers or a bare handful OF our merchants
and lawyers not only learned the trade but
bettered the instructions Of their teacher
There are perha ps fewer thieves now. In
proportion to population. than those who
preyed upon our society fifty years ago anc
though more dangerous. because found II
high places, we must confess that on tht
other hand It is easier than ever before tt
find. expose and punish them.
Besides, we must bear in mind that man'
Of the revelations are not revelations a
all. A. half dozen great offenders In thu
insurance companies have bred suspicion
of every man In the same business, a result
not al all justified because for the mos
part the men engaged In II, as in all othe
calllngs, are honest and high minded. L
some railroad officials have been caugh
in the act OF giving rebates or are guilt
Of other offences against the law there has
Or obably never been a business OF sucf
magnitude in which more men, honest a.
we'll as efficient, have been engaged. An'
ao IL ia all along the line Of our industrial
life.
Now. how are we to meet this crisis? Shal
we hesitate to punish because our criminal
wear broadcloth instead OF fustianf The
way to convict Is to convict. There are TO
day within the State OF New York a few mer
who, involved in insurance frauds. hav
themselves furnished evidence. fairly cor
roborated on the witness stand, OF their ow'
yenality.
After a long judicial experience and some
study OF this question | say to you, herr
and now, that ! do not believe it would b
possible in that great metropolitan city
to draw a Grand Jury which would not In
dict for at least two, and perhaps three. o
the most serious crimes kno wn to the law
Still further. II would not be possible b.
any change of venue for any one OF TN
men so indicted, if fairly proven guilty. t
escape conviction before a trial jury In an
one of the other sixty counties OF the gret
state OF New York. =,
In times like these. when nothing is easie
than generaliZa alton. II is quite as necessai
TO avoid the doing of injustice as II rs TO II
sist upon the melting out OF justice, lhat
few rich men have either strained the NOR
law or broken the criminal law constitute
no reason for condemning the majority, WI
bringing to the industrial WORK OF the Worl
great abilities united to lofty CHARACTER, ma
never consciously done an illegal or an In
! Above and beyond all, things. we mul
| avoid the demagoRue. like the pesttlent
which walketh in darkness. For me hr
time in our history we see reflected .upc
the screen Of the future the shadow OF tn
l baleful, sinister figure.