Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-11-21
By FREDE RICK uPHAm
Copyright 1903, by Frederick Upham Adams

go down in history as the greatest man
Of his century or Of his age.'
"You surely are not serious" ex-
claimed Judge Sawyer. do you mean
to assert that posterity will rank Mr.
Rockefeller with our great inventors,
or even with Mr.. Carnegie, who is de-
voting his vast fortune to SO splendid
a purpose?'
81 do" declared Colonel Monroe.
Edison. Tesla, Marconi and others:
have performed wonders, but all that
they have accomplished is as nothing
compared with the demonstrated dis
covery made by Mr.. Rockefeller. Years
ago radical social philosopher enunci-
ated the untruth, Private property Is
robbery.'s 1t has remained for Mr.
Rockefeller to make good the prophecy
of an opposing economic school and to
practically demonstrate the aphorism,
Private property for use in production
and distribution is an impossibility.'
To those who claimed that competition
was the life of trade and the keystone
Of the arch of industry he replied by
annihilating competition with the weap~
ons Of competition. To those who held
that the tendency of great fortunes
was to dissipate themselves he respond
ed by amassing in less than one gen
Grafton a fortune greater than the COM
bined wealth Of all of the thirteen COL
onies when they formed the United
States Of America. Single handed, he
has overturned the traditions and
Knocked the wise sayings which had
been handed down through the centu.
ries"
"But how about Mr.. Carnegie?" ask.
ed Judge Sawyer: HE was in posi-.
ton where he could have amassed
billion, but he preferred to retire and
to devote his money to the pleasure
and education Of the people" ~
"When Mr.. Carnegie realized that
human being could pile up billion Of
dollars he ceased, and thereby missed
greatness" returned Colonel Monroe.
:"The sense of humor is strongly de-
veloped in Mr.. Carnegie and is almost
/ lacking in Mr.. Rockefeller. Having
with comparative ease reached point
where billion was In, sight, Mr.: Car
negie decided to apply himself to the
more difficult and equally original task
Of intelligently giving it away The
income on what remains amounts to
more than $15,00Q,000, annually, a
mere trife. Of course. compared to the
hundred million or more which repre-
sents Mr.. Rockefeller's earnings But
the latter has the courage and the con-
s1stency to play the system to a finish.
have sometimes thought that he is
inspired with desire to expose the gu
preme folly Of a state Of society which
has made his success possible. He
takes every advantage which those
who would supplant him take. He
claims as much and yields as little as
the enforcement Of the laws will per-
NIT. He is the highest living type Of
business, financiering and organizing
genius. He gives the usual percentage
OF his income to charities or to endow-
ments. If millionaire can afford a
gift of $4,000 Mr.. Rockefeller can
equally we'll afford to give $4,000, OO0
That is the exact difference between
the possibilities of a millionaire and a
Millionaire.
1T requires a high degree of courage
to stand in the place taken by Mr..
Rockefeller" continued Colonel Mon
roe. He is the target for abuse from
those who strove with might and main
to drag him down that they could rule
in his stead. He is denounced by those
! who unsuccessfully initiate him and
| who see nothing wrong in the condi-
| tons that created his absurd fortune
If industrial and social institutions
| are right. Mr.. Rockefeller fs right. II
the interests of the mass Of the people
! are best conserved by the massing Of
| wealth in the hands of few, Mr..
Rockefeller is the greatest benefactor
| of his time. If it be a good thing that
| million men should have nothing, or
practically nothing. and that one man
| should have million, it is better
thing that one man should have. a bill
lion. He can do more with it, and the
million propertyless ones certainly are
no worse off than they were before he
| amassed his billion. with or without
their aid, as the case may be. But hon
estly, Judge. think that billion Of
dollars in the keeping Of one person is
the most laughable thing in the world."
II think should be inclined to
laugh If had it," said the judge. with
quiet smile. His face grew thought
full as he added: whenever think of
these monumental fortunes I tremble
! for the future of our country and Of
society. A, billion Of dollars! One per-
son thousand times a millionaire! 1t
is not laughable; it is appalling"
"Say, but that's an awful lot of mon
ey," interrupted Jenkins. -
"You were talking about saving mon
ey, Jenkins" said Colonel Monroe.
"Your salary as postmaster is $1,000 a
year. You told me once that you were
saving about $500 year. Did you ever
reckon how long it will take you to
save million? 1t would take you 1000
years to save million and 100000
years to save billion, and at that
| you would be saving more annually