Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-08-18
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP COLUMN
Conducted by the New Era
Club Of the town Of Gran.
ite, Morrison County, MINI.

The Homilectic Review is one of the
Oldest and most conservative Of the
religious press. The following, com.
ing from such review, is of striking
interest:
1.-THE issues are complex, but there
are outstanding facts. One fact, In
particular, has impressed itself on the
public mind. There is an insane in.
dividualism in American life today.
Men act as If the ccumulation Of pro.
perty were the only end of existence,
and as If any means were permissible
in realizing that end. In too many
cases there is disposition on the part
Of political and social leaders to over
look entirely the sacredness Of tidu-
ciary responsibilities. Standard Oil
maenates have won power and money
by ruthlessly crushing out rivals. BY
trampling the laws. under foot, bv
claiming special privileges. T., Ohdcere
Of insurance cor porations nave be:
trayed trust funds by using them to
promote their Gown interests. In ite
fundamental. aspect: the problem il
simply one Of oldfashioned selfishness
that is, the putting of the interests
Of self before the interests of the com.
mon veal. In questions go clearly
involving ethical issues, the pulpit
can remain silent only at it's peril. II
it avoids the really vital problems ..ot
life, it abandons men when they need
it most, and will in it's turn be aban.
dcned. 1t may rightly hesitate to pro.
nounce' verdicts' or. complicated indus
trial questions, but 1t cannot re.
nounce it's moral mission. It can, and
must, insist that the ethical stand.
ards which rule private life shall
rule business life also. One of the
paradoxes of modern society is bound
up IN the fact that the collective con
science is 80 much duller than thu
private conscience. We do as nations
what we would never dream of doing
as individuals. A man who could not
he induced to kill his neighbor, what
ever the provocation, marches out II
wal" time, with clear conscience, t
kill somebody else's neighbor. A mar
who is model of the virtues in his
domestic life loses every restraining
scruple in his business dealing. Mr..
Rockefeller, when questioned recently
as to how he reconciled bis business
transactions and his moral principles.
is reported to have made the signi6:
cant reply THE Standard Oil com
pany is not philanthropy. 1t is q
business conducted -...along the lines
that are laid down in the business
world az being: those--sof today II
these words he exposed the heart Of
the whole problem. And just because
the standards of the ''busines<
world' are held to justify disreeard
for law and the rights Of others il
Is the imperative duty Of the pulpit
to indict those standards. and to us<
all its influence to supplant then
with other and. higher standards. Il
| may be that an INVESTIGATION of bust
ness conditions will lead to a realixs
ton of the fact that the dishonesty o.
our day is inherent in our competi
tive system. In that event. it will
become the duty Of tho pulpit to &C.
cept the new alternative, and to turr
mems faces toward cooperative go
cietv, which, being itself ethical
| will make it possible and practical
for each Individual to live out hi
highest ethical ideals in conformity
with the social order. -