The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-19
AN ANTIPODEAN VIEW
American Business Morals and Methods
Discussed In Australia.

HoA yCdlo WOIlu Has Ueeu amazed
at the riot of wealth in America, at
the spectacle of hundreds Of predatory
millionaires Selling their vast riches
without one modicum of public serv-
ice rendered, and would-be million
aires by the hundred thousand max
ing their raids wherever capital could
be captured by the tricks of the pro-
fessional Spectator. The marvel was
that so much unscrupulous roguery
could be carried on with so little con-
fiict with the law and so few public
scandals. Recent events begin to
throw lurid light on the cause of
this immunity of wealthy rascaldom
from disgraceful exposure. The bold
est OF these plunderers made it their
first business in any enterprise to
get the law under their control. The
agents specializing in this form OF
criminality having become large pro-
fessional body. growing greedier every
year. the situation has now been reach
ed when the blackmail they exact is
equal to the whole possible profit of
any nefarious deal for which their SER
vices are engaged. Such a position
could not exist indefinitely. A rupture
was bound to come. just as it must
between payer and payee of hush
money. The man who has once sue
cessfully drawn hush money from a
victim is never twice satisfied with
the same sum; he always sucks a
bigger gorge of blood at each return
till his prey is dry. Such a rupture
between millionaires and their par
asites has been taking place pretty
freely in America, thus precipitating
rush of those scandals which were
avoided as long as both classes of
rogues could agree in their division of
the spoils.
The revelations now made cores
pond exactly with what was expected
from the symptoms. The aggressive
luxuriousness of wealthy Americans
in a resort like Newport is possible
only among people who acquire money
| by hard ferocity. Americans them
selves describe the magnificence of
Newport in the season as barbaric; it
is barbaric with an element of dia-
bolical added, because the display is
organized with the ruthless keenness
of intellect misapplied to self-adver-
| tisement. Such flamboyant eXtravag-
| ance once ruled in Babylon and Tyre;
| it is impossible to match it in modern
| life outside of America. 1t Is one out
| come of idolizing the dollar not wisely
| but too we'll. Probably never before in
any country have so many wealthy men
| at one time been under examination
by courts and legislative committees
for felonious practices.
Perhaps the worst symptom of all
is that brought out by the investiga-
lions at New York into the huge IN
surance companies. Such corporal
tons, dealing with so virtuous bust
ness as that of making provision for
the widow and fatherless according to
the careful unbiased calculations of
the actuary, would be expected to be
on the highest plane. Yet the Ameri
can insurance inquiries have revealed
all forms of commercial immortality
at their putrefactive work among the
| directorates of leading insurance COM
panies in the American continent. It
is impossible to give an idea of the
numerous individual exposures of rich
men with which the American papers
have been overlooking unless by con-
sfdering In detail a typical instance.
Under cross-examination Mr.. Jordan.
the Comptroller of the Equitable. ad-
mitted that his society kept perman-
ent STAFF of lobbyists at Albany. with
| large building as central Office and
clubhouse. where opposition Of support
for proposed legislation was organized.
according as 1t seemed likely to threat
en- or to favor the interests of the
society or the ring Of capitalists with
which 1t was in league. This lobby
gang had orders to kill at sight any
bills for taxing real property, banks
or trust companies, and to give no
quarter to laws proposed In the in
terest of labor. OF course the bullets
for killing had to be made of gold.
A certain type Of American politician
has not been slow to recognize this
fact. SO they make a profession Of
initiating legislation hostile to the
rings, only for the purpose of drop
ping It when they have received
enough Doodle for doing 30. In this
way Americancapital has grown upon
itself two sets of parasites-the lobby
gang that bleeds It In friendly way.
and the Doodle squad that sucks like
q vampire.
In New York State the insurance
ring made its control of the legislature
complete by admitting Governor Odell
to the charmed circle. Il made the
mistake Of putting him into the ship-
building combine, which collapsed,
yielding the worthy governor . loss
instead Of q profit. So he got q friend
to bring In q little bill for repeating
the charter of the Mercantile Trust
company, which was at the hack Of the
shipbuilding concern and useful to the
ring. The insurance lobby gang un-
] derstood this gentle hint perfectly, and