Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-10-12
II.
IN THOSE DAYS AROSE KINGS.

Imagine yourself back two a and
q half before Wild Week. back at the
time when the kings of finance had
Just completed their apparently final
conquest OF the industries of the coun-
try, when they were seating themselves
upon thrones encircled by vast armies
or capital n brains, when all the gov
ernments of the mathematician. state
and city-were PROSTATE under their
iron heels.
o may remember that | was a not
lnconspicuous figure then. OF all their
financial agents, | was the best known
the most trusted by them. the most
believed in by the people. / had a mag
innocent suite of offices in the building
that dominates Wall and Broad streets,
Boston claimed me also, INC Chicago.
and in Philadelphia, New Orleans, ST.
Louis, san francisco, in the towns and
rural districts tributary to the cities
thousands spoke of Blackjack as their
trusted adviser in matters of finance
MY enemies-and l had them. numer-
GUS n venomous enough to prove
me a man worth while-my enemies
spoke of me as the biggest bucket-
shop gambler in the world"
Gambler | was-like all the other ma
nlpulators of he markets. But bucket
shop l kept. AS the kings of
nnance were the representatives of the
great merchants, manufacturers and
investors, so was | the representative
OF the masses, of those who wished
their small savings properly invested.
me power of the big fellows was
dundee upon wealth and the brains
wealth buys or DULLES or seduces into
It's service; my power was founded
upon the hearts and homes of the peo-
pie, upon faith in my frank honesty.
How had | built NJ my power? BY
recognizing the possibilities of public
ity, the chance which the broadcast
sowing of newspapers and magazines
put within the reach of the Individual
man to impress himself upon the whole
country, upon the whole civilized world.
The kings OF finance relied upon the
assidufty and dexterity of sundry paid
agents, operating through the stealthy.
clumsy, old fashioned channels for the
OF power, l relied only upon
myself; | had to trust TO no fallible.
perhaps traitorous, understrappers
through the ~megaphone of the press I
spoke directly TO the people.
My enemies charge that / ALWAYS
been INSCRIPTIONS and dishonest.
So? Then how have / lived and thrived
all these years in the glare and blare
of publicity?
1t is true. / have used the methods
OF the charlatan" in bringing myself
Nv WIN RAOilG tiONltG. Il lit 1uSI WaV
TO put 1t would be that l have used for
purposes the methods of pub
licity that charlatans have shrewdiy
appropriated. because by those means
the public can be most widely and most
quickly reached. Does good become
evil because hypocrites use it as a
Ii is also true that / have been
"undignified." Let the stupid cover
their stupidity with dignity Let the
swindler hide his SCREENINGS under
dignity" l am a man OF the people.
afraid TO be seen as the human be-
ing that l am. l laugh when / feel like
Ii. l have no sense OF jar when people
call me Matt" ] have a good time,
and | shall stay young as long as /
stay alive. Wealth hasn't made me q
ass, fenced in and unapproach-
able. The custom of receiving obedi-
and flattery and admiration has
made me a turkey-cock. Life Is q
joke, and when the jokes on me, |
as heartily as when it's on the
fellow.
II Is half-pest three o'clock on a May
afternoon. q dismal, dreary rain Is be-
ING whiried through the Streets by as
nasty a wind as ever blew cut of the
east. You are In the private Office OF
king of kings" Henry j. Roe
buck, phiianthropist. eminent church |
man. leading citizen and-in business
rs corrupt q creature as ever used the
OF responsibility. That office ia
On the twelfth floor OF the Power Trust
b~uilding-and the Power Trust is Roe
beck. and Roebuck is the Power Trust.
-Ac Is seated az his desk and. thinking