Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-20
ExuBERANCE AND PASSION.


The Dubuque Telegraph observes
evidences of returning sanity among
the American people in what 1t as
sumes to be the trend of public opinion
against Andrew Carnegie. The Tele-
graph apparently assumes that because
the rush for libraries has passed and
the discussion of MIR. Carnegie pro and
con has died away that the public has
turned against Mr.. Carnegie. 1t was
the remarkability of 4 man setting
himself to the giving away Of millions
that he might die poor which, the Teie-
graph thinks. drew the attention of the
"exuberant and passionate" American
people. Carnegie attracted the atten-
ton accorded any freak in a side show
end our toadies worshipped at his
shrine of gold and our sensible men
and women forgot their right judg-
ment and sung his praises.
Carnegie is, of course" asserts the
Telegraph, nothing more or less than
Al consummate egOtist who satiates Gu
riosity and disgusts thelover of the right
life. He has money and he is giving II
away in a spectacular manner, much
as the street faiar distributes dollars
among the crowd. How he got that
money is a part of history and our eX-
uberance might be stayed if we looked
back into history and considered the
means employed to build his fortune.
There is the memory of The Homestead
strikers whom he denied a decent wage
and left 10 starve until they would bow
at his fat. He had the protection OF
the robber tariff and In protiting from
unfair laws he built the fortune he is
irving TO give away. 1t is not that
Carnegie is generous tina! he is beneii-
cent. 1t is because his conscience Is
bothering him and it has made him a
coward. His money bears the brand of
i,l-gotten gain and his name, engraved
in stone in libraries, is an enduring in
suit to the best principles of American
l!fe."
Ii the Telegraph wishes to make sem
timent for Mr.. Carnegie il Is going the
right way about 1t. lis attack upon
the man is so completely ungenerous,
so utterly 'exuberant and passionate
and so largely unjust that the public
will repudiate the whole thing. There
is somewhat that may be said properly
against Carnegie. Most men IN the
nublic eve are open to adverse criticism
more or less serious. Mr.. Carnegie is
egotistic, but his chief crime in the
Telegra ph's eyes seems to be that he
grew rich first and gave away much
money afterward.
The Telegraph is voicing a sentiment
grown too common among certain
class who find cause for personal preju-
dice against wealthy man purely OF
account of his wealth. There are those
who will not vote for a banker, simply
because he is a banker. The gift of :
millionaire is cheapened as a bid fo
one thing or another, prefeament o
adulation. This seems to be about tn
,csition of the Telegraph toward Car
reggie. What does the Telegraph want
Mr.. Carnegie as a miser or Mr.. Car
pie as a glver of gifts?
AR. Carnegie is not a freak. No mat
I aow egotistical he may be he is no
raak. but highly successful manu-
~ and financier. Not only this
rairly close student of men an
waose generosity must be I'm
nd. having been thorough
"a. He is an exception anon
lie multi millionaires and howeve
spectacular his methods of giving ma
seem TO the Telegraph the fact that h
gives and gives greatly is sufficient t
defend him against its charge of lack G