The Cairo bulletin., 1904-12-07
MESSAGE
STRONG DOCUMENT
Concluded from First page.)

step by step, without halt and withou
hurry, in eliminating or at least II
minimizing whatever of mischief o
Of evil there is to interstate com
merce i'm the conduct of great cor
porations. They are acting in n,
spirit OF hostility to wealth, eithe
individual or corporate They are no
against the rich man any more thai
against the poor man. On the con
trary. they are friendly alike towarI
rich man and toward poor man. pro
ylded only that each acts in a spirit OF
justice and deeency toward his fel
lows. Great corporations are neces
sary, and only men of great and sin
gular mental power can manage such
corporations successfully, and such
men mus. have great rewards. But
these corporations should be lnan
aged with due regard to the interest
of the public as whole. Where this
can be done under the present laws
il must be done. Where these laws
come short others should be enacted
to supplement them.
Yet we must never forget the de
termining factor in every kind of
work, of head or hand, must be the
mans own good sense, courage. and
kindliness, More important than any
81 legislation is the gradual growth of
a feeling of responsibility and for.
bearance among capitalists and wage.
workers alike: feeling of respect on
the part of each man for the rights
of others; a feeling of broad commun
E ity Of interest. not merely of capital
lists among themselves, and Of wage
s workers among themselves, but of
\ capitalists and wagc-workers In their
+ relations to each other. and of both
+ in their relations to their fellows who
4 with them make up the body polite.
There are many captains Of industry,
many labor leaders, who realize this.
4 A recent speech by the president of
one of great railroad systems to the
employees of that system contains
sound common sense. 1t runs in part
as follows;
1T is my belief we can better serve
each other. better understand the
man as well as his business. when
meeting face TO face, exchanging
views. and realizing from personal
contact We serve but one interest,
that of our mutual prosperity.
Serious mIsunderstandings can
not occur where personal good will
exists and opportunity for personal
explanation Is present
I'm my earlier business life ] had
experience with men of affairs of a
character to make me desire to avoid
creating a like feeling of resentmen.
TO myself and the interests in my
charge, should fortune ever place me
in authority, and ] am solicitious OF
measure of confidence on the part
of the public and our employees that
! shall hope may be warranted by the
fairness and good fellowship ! intend
shall prevail in our relationship
but do not feel am disposed to
grant unreasonable requests, spend
the money of our company unneces-
sarily or without value received. nor
expect the days of mistakes are dis
appearing, or that cause for com
plant will not continually occur
simply 20 correct such abuses as may
be discovered, to better conditions as
fast as reasonably may be expected,
constantly striving. with varying sue
cess, for that Improvement we all de
sire. to convince you there is force
at work in the RICH. direction, all
the time making progress--is the dis
position with which have come
among you, asking your good will and
encouragement.
THE day has gone when a corpor-
alton can be handled successfully in
defiance of the pubic WILL even
though that will be unreasonable and
wrong. public may he led, but not
driven, and prefer TO go with T.
and shape or modify, in measure,
It's opinion, rather than be swept from
my bearings, with loss to myself and
the interests in my charge.
"Violent prejudice exists Upwards |
corporate activity and capital today. |
much of 1t founded in reason, more
in apprehension, and a large meas
ure is due to the personal traits of
arbitrary, unreasonable, incompetent,
and offensive men in positions of au-
thority. The accomplishment of re-
suits by indIrection. The endoavor TOT
thwart the intention, if not the ex-
pressed letter of the law (the will
Of the people,, a disregard of the
rights of Others. a disposition to with
hold what is due. to force by main
strength or inactivity a result not
justified. depending upon the weak
ness of the claimant and his indispo- |
sition to become involved in litiga.
lion, has created a sentiment harmful
in the extreme and disposition TO
consider anything fair that gives gain
to the individual at the expense of the
company
IF corporations are TO continue To
do the worlds work. as they are best
fitted to. these qualities in their rep
resentatives that have resulted in the
present prejudice against them must
be reiega.ed to the background The
corporations must come out into the
open and see and be seen. They
must take the public into their conf
dence and ask for what they want