New-York tribune., 1901-02-23
BUSINESS INTEGRITY.
BUSINESS CONSCIENCE Is NOT
DEGENERATE

Copyrighted reo Times Company
The Sunday School Times" for February eS
contains article on Integrity in the Business
World" by Robert c. ogden. Of this city. From
advance proofs this article The Tribune is per-
mitted 20 make the following extract:
Current talk is overcharged with hypercriteal
Eeneraiities concerning corrupt. unfair and often
meRt Of BUSINESS ar ine TSa aeoapaSoe of tSis
WIDESPREAD gossip truth compels the belief that
s4.-sor~, merdacious executives handlers Of false
counts fars and measures. oppr5 ssors OF labor.
ana others equally uis-rGP uous constitute the bulk
OF our business communities. There is enough Of
hypocrisy and dishonesty IN The business world TO
Indicate the distance OF the millennium from pres
ent conditions, but to admit the almost universal
eebauchery OF the business conscience is TO accept
error for truth.
The American business conscience is not as
the cOmmonest intelligence 10 argue this pToposi-
uon :oc any man active in the business world
Knows the facts. and can prove the truth OF the
The American, hopeful for HIS country, knows
perfectly that truth alone supplies the fuel for the
fusion q! society. II Is well worn witticsm that
or r6b b s an aims ever f,Ib SetTen5 n1 men ~ anS
saps the foundation OF business possibilities. Truth
Is The companion OF progress; falsehood OF reac-
The statement that enduring success. any
methods than such as have Impressed upon every
detail the broad ana deep stamp Of integrity Is
t2lse and eHe-, man OF sense and experience knows
Look orer any community and pick out the rich
tiouahle retho6s-thev are not numerous. You say
thai some one OF them las great wealth. But the
answer comes sharp and clear that by some fraud
market manipulation. deceit he has the money that
ne has compelled others lose that ne might
I.o4lL ~ the charges are true. what honest pride
or satisfaction can such have in his fOrtuneP
ana with the irony OF fate IL often happens-in-
Gced, would seem 10 he the rue-that the means
OF accumulation come 10 be the forces Of disinegra-
uon Wealth 50 gathered seldom ab;des for long.
An incidental but important witness 10 the pres
ttc or integrity m American business life appears
N me Characters OF the majority Of men owning
nslds onle fortunes The short list OF the wealthy
VINO h"e for the shallow JOYS OF ostentation in
TO- Tfa-,E- ard
comes the longer list Of noble names rich in this
OF wealth 49, 9Nf>
The aft-oat 20 American business fntelligence in
vowed = the proposition that the mass OF our
Neoha4 business life Is corrupt can be successfully
Chsiishseo by every capable business man OF large
alic i9is experience with testimony drawn from
PERSONAL observation and knowledge. Illustrative
instances OF business integrity IN which ethical
.oeats nave been maintained severe loss 70 ma
.t-lat interests are neither sporadic nor eNcep-
uonal: they stand for great class OF men a5g
loL sreat groups ~ actions
but Mr. Ifsslnist viii ssv that tho illustrations
1-oitd h'I"ln mark purely exceptional cases and
- TOY 4" he considered in any Nav reGre=-r7-
t155lNt 10 which the answer is made that they are
tlir IA lfal product OF the conditions assumed
MS atloe 10 exist. The appeal is 10 the in
NeIlISeflce ana consciousness Of business rner The,
M' hloM' anu can testify. II the foregoing asSunlp-
i'hs concerning business INTEGRITY, ars corrs-t -
h,,,ls "l.l III! u,dt common error upon the subject
should give place honest and Intelligent oririo,
aIS especially that public teachers should have
tions 'e SAiN'" '"'''s 'sset-