The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-31

RAISING THE STANDARDS
K FEW days more, and mighty
~ figures covering year Of
business activity unexcelled,
will begin to appear. We shall find In
them the evidence Of great achievement.
The commercial history Of our country
will fail to show their equal in any like
period The year 1905 came in with
conditions favorable, and closes with the
outlook equally good. It has been q
period Of genuine prosperity, shared in
alike by the people of every class
Z On this, the last day of the old year,
one may look back with satisfaction, not
alone upon what we have done in a ma
terial way, but upon ethical results. as
well, and our profit from the rousing up
Of our dormant spirit of commercial
righteousness. We have witnessed the
drawing anew and with greater distinct
ness Of the line Of demarcation be-
tween right and wrong, and the estab-
lishment of a higher standard Of COM
mercial honor. It may be difficult at.
first to think Of period marked by In
stances of wrong doing more numerous
and more serious perhaps than anything
known before, as fruitful Of good re-
suits, vet such Is the showing in the final
working out.
There has been scandal IN high places,
crookedness in politics, graft in Off
cial position, dishonesty in finance. Little
wonder that with very shocking disclos-
ures following one upon another thru a
time Of investigation both private and
governmental, there should have grown
upon the public mind feeling very
close to pessimisn, and that the fear
that men were turning away from the
old truths should have spread. Yet
as the year closes the good results are
found greatly to outweigh the bad.
It is true the stain of corruption was
found in every walk Of life, but it had
not gone to the bottom; the great mass
of the honest, sober, intelligent people
remained untouched. Men in high
places misused their wealth and power
and abused their trusteeships, but they
did not escape. No wealth or position
could save them from public scorn and
obloouy. Names l. once high have
been lowered to the dust. Public and
official life has been purged, and finance
as well, and men have been thrown out
Of decent politics, and out of positions
of trust at the head Of great corpora
lions, and out Of the United States sen
| ate. -,'> 'L'.'~:' .... E
We did more business last year II
our country than ever : before. Gu!
farmers turned out "a, greater total il
new wealth, the railroads transported
more freight and passengers, and rail
road and corporate earnings generally
ran millions in excess Of former higl
I figures. Building operations went for
ward upon an enormous scale, men were
more steadily employed at a better gen
eral average Of wages, and everything
was prosperity. Our bankers, merchant
and rnanufa ct1arers had =h1ea svh ole q
year Of profit, and tie business dom
finds expression in a total of bank clear
ings the greatest ever recorded.
Yet we might dismiss all this as rela
lively inconsequential, in the search TO
the great achievement Of the year. W.
ment Of commercial honor, in the stir
ring up Of the business world to tn
n point Of open expression. Concerned al
}, most wholly with the, practical affairs O
their daily lives, business men had Civ
en- little thought to the ethics Of com
merce, nor had. the people as Who'll
thought much about fairness in the BIZ
things as against discrimination or Of tn
; necessity for the maintainance Of tn
highest standard of integrity. Blu
when once the evidences Of corruptio!
in high places began to appear, the.
were not slow to speak: Our courts wer
not slow to act, nor did the people hest
tate to use the power in their hands
: the ballot-in as far as it was applicabl
!! to the situation. Doubt gave way t
hope when it was seen that the peopl
would not always stand for iniquitou
politics, and that the line between hon
esty and dishonesty, tho it may hav
been blurred to the vision of many i
official life, was as plain and straigh
4 DeIOFe Cne people as IL was IN Lne Gay
, of their forefa5hers. The grafters an
boodlers in politics had a hard year 0
it in 1908. y
It was the same In commerce. ]
: needed but the evidence of wrong doin
8 to start the business men to thinking
l And from what has followed no possibl
!, doubt can exist that in our country tt
: day the standard Of honor In commerce
i and finance is higher than it was
= year, ago. t@.