The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-24
UNIFORM PUBLIC
OPINION NEEDED
J. II. Lewis Would Have All Dishon.
esty Judged by Same Standard
Rep. Boutell Discusses Currency.

An eloquent anu mhbtcEiy pica ioi
a uniform public opinion that viii
Judge the erring trust officer and the
erring public official by the same stan
dard. and highly illuminating re
sumo OF the financial history OF the
nation featured the twenty-hfth semi
annual banquet or the Bankers club
OF Detroit. In the Hotel Cadillac. Mon
day night Col. j. Hamilton Lewis
of Chicago. contributed the one IN
characteristic manner. while Congress
man Henry 8. Boutell. OF Illinois. In
his exhaustive treatment OF the cur
rency question, proved himself to be
keen student as well as an excellent
speaker.
From every standpoint the occasion
was most satisfying. Not a detail n
the way Of cuisine. decorations and
entertainment had been overlooked
and the post-prandial feast provided
was quito In keeping with the stan
dard OF excellence so manifest In the
dinner itself. Hamilton Dey. presi'
dent of the club, was POSTMASTER. Be
tween addresses the Orpheus club
rendered appropriate selections.
Col Lewis took for his subject
"Wanted-a public opinion" He said
In part:
"If banker shall appropriate the
funds In his keeping. or personally
pervert his trusts, his Institution Ia
dishonored, its name IL defiled and he
Is as one against whom the commun'
ity echoes 'Unclean. unclean.' Society
closes its doors against him. friend
ship withdraws her hand. and his own
associates avert their gaze wherever
he passes.
TN politics. behold the reverse. II
Is now the current opinion and the
firm conviction that a man may com
NIT any violation Of public trust and
only be censured. or visited with po-
litical displacement. Political public
opinion which condemns the betrayal
OF a public offender Kisses him in the
morning of the discovery; becomes
indifferent by the evening OF the day
of commission and rewards with new.
found honors the culprit In the cleo
ton following.
What we need most today Is uni
form public opinion that will Judge
by the same standard all oficials who
violate the trust reposed In them,
whether that trust be OF private or
a public nature"
Judge James o. Muffin, Of the
Wayne circuit bench, who followed
Col. Lewis, assured the gentleman
from Chicago that the condition 70
which he alluded did not exist, de-
claring that he could recall no In
stance In recent years where pub
lie official who had proven unworthy
had not been either kicked out OF
office or defeated at the polls. Judge
Murfin referred to the great falling
of in commercial litigation within the
past 10 years and took the bankers 10
task for their proneness to evade jury
service. t.
1T il national credit, not armies
and navies. that makes q nation Inn
pregnable."
This is the thought Congressman
Boutell left with his hearers In clos
ing his splendid address on Bank cir
culation, currency and the bonded
debt" In II, Mr.. Boutell emphasized
the fact that the United States had
always been a debt-paying nation and
expressed the hope that 1t would ever
continue TO be such. This country
today. with an Indebtedness OF $780,
900 900. of which 80 per cent is fund
ed at per cent, Is the strongest ma
ton on earth, he declared
Mr.. Boutell reviewed the history OF
the national debt from the time. hack
in 1871, when the newly-formed repub-
lie assumed the obligations OF the col
onies. amounting to about $75,00O.O00.
His talk was illumined by an interest
ing account Of the distribution OF the
surplus in the United States treasury
I'm 1887. The government. not know
ing what else to do with II, divided II
among the states according to the
population. Michigan's share. he re-
called. was $2S6,75l.49. and the same
amount was awarded to Delaware and
Arkansas. Michigan used its money
for internal improvements and II was
rsed up long ago. Maine divided the
money among its inhabitants. every
man. woman and child receiving a
portion.
The congressman told Of meeting,
recently. an aged woman from Maine
who recalled two incidents OF her
childhood very distinctly. One was
the passing OF Halley's comet In 1885
and the other was the distribution OF
the surplus in 1887. when she was a
girl OF IL. Her share, $3.50. was in
vested in a pair OF kid gloves. then a
great luxury. When the gloves were
worn out she discovered that the but
ton was made of some sort of seed.
This she planted and geranium
blossomed forth
II have often wondered" said Mr..
Boutell. III the state of Maine were
called upon to repay Its share OF the
distribution, and the government may
do so n it sees fit, Just how the off,
Gals would set out to collect from the
people who shared In IT,"
The speaker gave some figures
showing the remarkable development
OF the country In q financial way in
the past decade. At luncheon In the
Detroit club. Monday noon, Mr.. Bou.
tell defended the Payne tariff bill, de-
claring Il the best the country had
ever had The last speaker OF the
evening was the Rev. John McCarroll,
who spoke in laudatory vein OF the
bankers.
n 2 MnNACHAN Cu0cEN