The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-12-03

THURSDAY, DEC
of the opinion that this was due, in
part at least, to the fact that the aver
a re man walks in beaten paths; even
the strongest, mentally and morally,
uhconsciousIy follow their leaders like
sheep until they come to stile too
high for their leaping, or turn that is
too obviously in the wrong direction.
When this occurs what wonder that
many of the weak and unthinking,
rather than break away from long time
companions, should continue IN the
path after the suspicion that all is not
right has become certainty that ev-
erything is wrong?
In olden times the race of robber
barons erected castles on the heights
of the Rhine and other convenient To-
caities, exacting tribute from travel
ers. On the threshold of the twentieth
century they maintain their strong
holds in the heart of every large city
and compel toll from all humanity,
laying up treasures which will not rust
and, incidently, raising issues for the
worlds debating societies. Heretofore
in considering these issues it has been
difficult to lay hold of one single, def
mite, solid fact, despite which there
seems to have prevailed an impression
that the leading, and, in the light of
recent revelations, more notorious op-
orators have been on the square with
the public. It does not seem so.
And the striking feature of these
revelations is this, that at last, in the
midst of recrimination and dramatic
attack to which regulations have been
subjected, there is exposed in detail,
and under oath, the methods of the So
called captains of Industry" than
whom the pirates. of old were not more
rapacious, and compared with whose
operations highway robbery is as mis-
demeanor and larceny a practical joke.
To my mind, the disclosure of the
fact that persons who were admittedly
prime movers in the notorious 500 per
cent Franklin Syndicate also acted as
incorporators of the United Shipbuild-
ing Co. is quite sufficient to characterize
the whole transaction as indeed an "ar-
tistic swindle" such as it has been offici-
ally declared.
Volumes have been written upon the
history of corpor ations, but it remained
for woman to give to the world the
most pointedly illustrative treatise of
business life to 5e found in any litera-
ture of any age, and in the first INSTALL
ment of the "History of the Standard
Oil Co." the incisive pen of Miss Ida
M. Tarbell has disclosed in detail the
vicious principles actuating corpora
tion that stands as monument to the
coercive genius of John D. Rockefeller.
To the average individual the disclo-
sures in connection with the history of
Steel common stock dividends stamps
it as a.collossal confidence game, and
Mr.. James III. Bridge in his story of
"The Worlds Largest Corporation" has
exposed the methods peculiar to An
drew Carnegie and employed to render
that confidence gane possible. In his
review of the Bridge book in the Cos
naopoziton Magazine, the veteran editor
John Brisbin Walker, reflects the ten
dency of modern times when he directs
attention to the fact that the work will
find place in the library of every as
tute man of business, and prove espe-
cialy valuable as reference book for
ambitious organizers of the future.
Mark you-the inclination is, not to
strive for any elimination of question
able methods, but rather to refine them
in the crucible of practical experience,
and retain for future use.
The recent furry in Steel stocks
caused not little apprehension among
trustees of institutions endowed by
Andrew Carnegie, but that individual
hastened to reassure them. "There is
absolutely no cause for uneasiness,' .
said this goth century egotist, "the
Steel common and preferred is held by
outside parties; my fortune is based on
Steel bonds first mortgage bonds"
1t is utterly wrong to make such
men as Carnegie and Rockefeller ma
tional ideals, or to receive gifts from
their hands, when there is an abundance
Of material evidence to prove that the
money rendering the gifts possible was
consciously wrongfnlly acquired and