Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-09-07
Dig Up the Upas Tree.

Miss Tarbell's character sketch
of John D. Rockefeller, which has
appeared in the July and August
numbers of McClure's Magazine, is a
valuable contribution to recent
literature, more on account of the
subject dealt with than any in
trinsic merit of its own, although
that is not small.
Under Miss Tarbell's skillful pen
we see Mr.. Rockefeller unfolding
from a quiet, self-contained, un-
assuming young man into some
thing like the monster that stalks
through the pages of an allegory;
cunning, greedy, without human
passions or sympathy, and wholly
without mercy. Mr.. Rockefeller
is not the whole of the monster,
only the brain of it. In its de-
velopment we see his intellect
narrowed and perverted exactly as
the feet Of the Chinese maiden OF
high caste are deformed by being
bandaged from infancy to ma
turity. We feel sorry for the maid
who never skipped the rope or felt
the Joy of a scamper at a picnic.
We have nothing but pity for the
young man who never slipped the
wine of his youth; who when life
Was new within him deliberately
placed steel bands about his heart,
by which every boyish aspiration,
every generous impulse, every
youthful fancy was crushed out or
made the slave of his greed.
In reading the story of his boy
hood we are as shocked as if in
walking through a shady grove we
were to come upon dead child at
the foot of an ancient oak; but for
the creation of which Mr.. Rookie
feller is the soul we have nothing
but adherence and detestation. In
it every repellant thing is found
from which human beings shrink.
1t devours the widow, the orphan,
the little child and the strong man
alike. 1t is without body, without
soul, without remorse or sense OF
shame. It has no country, no
pride, no patriotism, no domestic
ties-nothing in common with I
man kind. Without conscieng II
has no moral notions and h--1s
neither right nor wrong. In it's be-
ing it is as intangible as electricity.
and in it's visible effects it is as
strong. Its seeds we're planted
when our government was found
ed. Alexander Hamilton waited
upon it in it's infancy, and now il
has entered into and possessed
John D. Rockefeller and the men
of this age as the devil entered into
the man among the tombs by the
sea of Galilee, and they have be.
come vastly more dangerous thar
was ever the poor fellow who rent
his chains from him and bruised
himself among the rocks by the
sea shore.
What is this thing that has made
Rockefeller, Rodgers and men like
them a danger to their kind and
menace to the nation? It is the
corporation. This brings us face
to face with the question: is the
corporation good or bad thing
from the standpoint of morals, OF
is it neither good nor bad? Does
it make men better or worse? Il
it's effect upon the human mine
beneficial or hurtfulp Let us try
to examine impartially.
The sole reason for the existence
of the corporation is money. l
was called into being to secure
dividends and for no other pur
pose. For it there is never any
right or wrong, no good or bad
neither sympathy nor mercy, no
hate or fear. It's course can neve
be changed from any considera
ton that excites the good or bat
emotions of human beings. I
must be made to pay or it will
cease to exist. In the busines
conducted by the individual it i
permeated by his individuality
It responds to his whims; hi
fancies and peculiarities peep from
it's every crevice. He may anus
himself by taking a course whicl
will not bring him the best re
turns; he may pass a dividend t.
satisfy a grudge; but the corpora
ton cannot do this. Its stock
holders look for dividends. If ,
fight takes place between the man
ager Of a corporation and his con
science, that is his affair; he mus
see to it that he takes no cours
that will curtail dividends. Hi
conscience is not the affair Of tn
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