Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-09-20
BUSINESS MAxlMs
Mr.. Rockefeller Isives Insight
into Early Struggles

u Mr.. Jonn ". h0ckoteller, in 81
r. interview published in the SUI
J yesterday. related an incident o
: the early years Of his life which 4
worth re-telling. IL was an Ia
|, cident which points q moral o.
r the nost obvious kind. Before b,
was Is years old the Oil King had
J, realized that sit takes infinite
B patience and courage to compel
men to have confidence in you
r His first real test came when he
J was making out bills of lading for
canal and lake boats in Cleveland
Here the opportunity was present
ed to him to take the wrong course.
"Often, +" says Mr.. Rockefeller, "a
captain would want me to put
down the wrong figures, assuring
me that 1t would never be known. !"
But the young man who was
destined to become Oil King put
the tempter behind him. He knew
what was right and could not be
swefved from the path of rectitude.
Mr.. Rockefeller leads those who
read his views to believe that all
his transactions in business have
been based upon the principle
which he asserted go nobly when
the conscienceless captains of lake
fand canal boats tempted him at
Cleveland many years ago. 1t is
glorious record-One which ought
to te held up to the youth of the
country forevermore.
1t Is deplorable that the exam. |
pie which Mr.. Rockefeller has fur
nished for more than a generation
has not been emulated by every
captain of industry and finance.
1t is known of all Ten that some
Americans who have amassed
enormous riches employed methods
which will not stand close scruti.
ny. There is, for instance, a cor.
poration which gained the supre-
mscy in the oil business by dc.
stroying competition in ways
which have been condemned for
their ruthlessness-which acquir-
ed The mastery by reasons of its
rebate arrangements with rail- {
reads. Its procedure was utterly i
to the spirit of our laws, {
even il it was not possible TO I
prove that the corporation acted
In defiance of the letter of the O
statutes. In view of the insight Y
which Mr.. Rockefeller gives the {
world Into his character, it is easy I
70 imagine him wringing his hands q
n grief at the pernicious methods v
~ which certain of his fellow III
nultimillionaires have become e
'pulent. Why did not these men
10 az Mr.. Rockefeller did in his a.
'oyhocd, when the captains of K
urged hIm $50 put d
own the wrong figures"2 Why v
idn't they say, as Mr.. Rockefeller Il
aid, Get thee behind me, temp on
er"2 Then the wicked spirit ci
[ rebate would have been exorcis- is
d, and, although they would
ave been forced to content them n
olives with moderate wealth, such =.
8 Mr.. Rockefeller possesses, they -
ould have had clear consciences, o. d,
1t is apparently no fault of Mr.. -
ockefeIler that a greedy aud de- a.
'itfCl world has not followed the r.
aths of righteousness in its pur- az
lit OF riches. He sounded the -
'te of warning when he was only ~
years old, when he asserted
lat patience, courage and hcnes. Nj
are the foundations of business. Sr'
ut tits a strange world. A pro- uc
let is rot without honor save in giss
9 own country. Even those who sol ~,
sre most intimately associated Us
til Mr.. Rockefeller did not al. ~
lys accept his admonItions-- did gu
t always say nay, nay, to the '''
plains of railroads when rebates
ire offered. But, whatever ma
cksliding there may have been inn
:. Rockefeller cannot be blamed. gan
cannot be held responsible for del
3 shortcomings of his practical ver
rtners. If they did not see fit boo
do business on the basis of PR
raj mexims, so much the worse the
them. Mr., Rockefeller's nav
rts are clear, fer we have his ina
u word as q guarantee that be mel
ieves In patience, courage ard aao
lesty in transactions between the
n and man. met
lives Of great men often remind /
that it lie rarely their good for. Wa
e to be understood by their of q
temporaries. Mr.. Rockefeller 9, OK
howing his usual Weldon by re- the
ling his Utmost heart to the pen
Grafton of which he is part, airy
hat there may be no mystery 600
Misunderstanding after he goes the
ce and is no mora seen. Il is 205.
reliable for his sake, as well allo'
or that of mankind, that he welt
not begin earlier to explain 1901
It manner of man he is and 65,6
always been, thus removing some
prejudices which may exist resif
result of vague suspicion and
rsay. But bet ate than
er. If Mr.. b!ler con- Ma
es TO take the into his slant