The record-union., 1891-10-19

N
If corporation subscribes to benev-
olent object, there is always some single
individual who made the motion in the
Board Of Directors, or who advocated it, or
there is President or q General Manager
or single Director who becomes the al
moner Of the corporation. The incident
is taken as an evidence of the generous
impulses of this individual, but if solic-
itation in this regard is refused, the re-
fusal is attributed to the proverbial soul
lessness of corporations. If railroad
accords the courtesy of free transporta-
ton, the personality of the officer issuing
that transportation stands between the
corporation and the recipient. Assuming
that the officer is high-minded enough to
assure the recipient that the courtesy he
receives is at the hands of the corporation
itself, and that it is not a personal favor
extended by himself, which may in some
rare and remote cases sometimes happen,
it is impossible for the recipient of the IA
vor to understand that such representa-
ton is in any sense true. If his petition
for the courtesy had been refused how
ever, he could understand readily how
unfeehng and unappreciative 1.-The cor
poration' can be.
This Inconsistency of PERCEPTION that
in the one case the act proceeds from
corporation and that in the other it pro-
ceeds from an individual, extends all
pany manifests liberality toward those
having claims for damages for loss of
life or property, an individual accu-
| mulates all the reputation for liber-
| ality manifested. If railroad company
acquires a reputation for parsimony, all
individuals connected with its manage
ment escape behind the impersonality of
that soulless thing called corporation.
The transcendant genius Of Dickens
| illustrated this situation fully in the re-
| lation between the partners composing
the firm of ''Spenlow & Jorkens." Spen-
| low, the active member of the firm,
charged upon the silent and invisible
Jorkens all the hardships the conduct of
the business imposed and all the unjust
| advantages taken Of its customers. The
individuals controlling corporate prop
erty usually play the role Of Spenlow,
and the poor, impersonal, invisible. in
corporeal corporation Jorkens is made the
| scapegoat for all their sins. Thus since
the public never contemplate corpora
ton as other than a repulsive ogre, the
very name becomes hateful, and yet the
name is simply a designation of a con-
venient method for the partnership rela-
ton of individuals conducting business
| together.
The underlying truth is that while
there is no such thing as personality in
a corporation, yet when corporate money
or patronage is dispensed the personal
characteristics manifested by the method
/ OF the use are corporate whether blame
worthy or pralseworthy. Whatever of
| benevolent direction is manifested by the
use of corporate money proceeds from
| the benevolent intention Of the corpora
ton just as much as contrary policy
manifests its greed or its soullessness.
1t would perhaps be expecting too much
of human nature to ask that the managers
Of corporate money or patronage reform
the abuse of taking unto themselves all
the credit for their benevolence, or all the
generosity, either in business methods
or any direct philanthropy, but corpora
tions will remain unpopular just as long
as their managers, agents and officers
suffer this species of deception to act as
shield when the exigencies of business
wear the appearance of exactions.
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