The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-30

IL fnconeesvabie that such rn@n wosaas
submit nnsskiy 10 ILLEGAL and harsh
or injurious treatment and coufsnt
I themselves with anonymous com
plants 20 newapapers-
1 cannot imagine that thsy emulate
The more violent and reckless Social p
istH and labor aRitators BY claiming
that they cannot trust the courts end
% laws 70 protect their rights and
give Them justice Certainly arm noF
a Car u-fth power 70 disregard the
law and the national bankers are not
'serfs debarred from invoking the
laws protection
cannot present p single require
ment without authority under ne
statutes enacted by Congress can
10 nothing 7 am not commanded 20 40
hv law or expected 10 do under my
Darn of ONCE and By consideration FOR
the welfare OF the banks and OF their
stockholders and depositors and the
general public. II Is no pleasure 10
proveec anger and bitter crit an M
responsible citizens, and no sane man
viii 60 out az his wav without reason
TO invite ma3edictlons
A Few Words From tho Record.
Permit me 20 udI lust q few words
qpart from the record and direct re-
olv understand clearly that ! am
rens7ired severely and continually BY
men whose good opinion I would en-
TOW personally and oflcially. Also.
having an individual sense OF humor'
I get some UNOFFICIAL amusement from
complaints against the administration
AVID denominations Of the Comptrcller's
ONCE ba Sod on strange sunderland
inrs and misstaten1 ents and eNa ggera-
Sons. 7 am comfortably certain that
when the banking community OF the
United States realizes the facts as they
are and becomes used to the new con-
ditions. x will accommodate itself TO
these conditions and concede that
strict enforcement or the law is best
for everybody The order against
overdrarts is ar illustration OF why
am optimistic Many bankers COM
planned against Il bitterly Now most
Of them und erstand that the overdrafS
business was dangerous and a grow
ing menace. Some OF them write, or
come to thank me for playing goat
and allowing them TO point their
customers 10 the ruling and orders or
INV Office as unanswera bile excuse for
declining 10 indulge them.
Probably many honest bankers had
fallen Into the haht OF using their
own discretion as TO when tho law
should be twisted evaded or shaved
q littla for their own convenience or
that OF their customers Conscious OF
thor own good intentions tney are
impatient Of restraint and rigid regu-
lations and enforcement of the law
The obvious danger is that II men
Of prudence and characte are per
mtted to stretch or ignore any part
OF the law, men who are tmprudenT
and OF less character will do likewise,
with results injurious to everybody. AS
the law itself may not discriminate,
go officers OF the law are forbidden to
discriminate when they undertake
10 be strict here and lax there they
hetray their trusts and take serious
chances Of doing vast harm. It IS like
sanitary regulations in a city, They
are useless unless applied universally.
A best citizen permitted TO Disregard
Il and intending no harm, may infect
his entire neiEhborhood and COM
munity.
AS an instance OF what I have said
OF misunderstanding and nlisstate-
ments and exaggerations, I invite the
attention Of the Wall Street journal
and It's readers TO its new articles Of
| April ara editorial of April 8. al
ready cited. and to the contrasts be-
| tween the statements and deduct ons
| contained IN those articles and ths
I facts as shown by thu records.
Respectfully
! JNO SKELETON WILLIAMS,
/ Comptroiler OF the Currency.