The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-10
MORALS IN BUSINESS
Judge Lands Holds Corpora
tiOns Guilty as individuals.
EFFECT ON EMPLOYEES BAD
Is IL Not, lie Asks, an Even Greater
Crime to Make Thieves of Others
Than Ia BE Thief GneseIf:-Frae-
ture of Commerce Laws Equiva-
lent to RObbing Mails, He Thinks.

Judge Kenesaw Mountain Lands. who
sprang from little more than local prom
inence into national fame in a few weeks
as the result Of his presiding al the IA
nous trial Of the Standard Oil Companv
growing out Of the Alton rebates. Al the
! CONCLUSION Of which be fined the "octo-
pus' S29,2Do00, is following the example
Iot some other present-day Americans OF
Importance and invading the periodicals..
In the American Business Man FOR No
vember he discusses the subject Of cor
poration dishonesty. The following ex-
cerDt is taken from his article.
/ a corporation OF a business house 50
Tar as the law Is concerned. is no different
I from an individual. II The individual is
honest, he has the respect OF his friends
and the public with which he comes Ia
contact. He need have no fear Of the
law IL he is dishonest, II he steals and
defrauds. TIE law is there to see that no
stops his evil practices and that he IS
punished II is the same with honest and
dishonest corporations and business
houses
On Par with individuals.
"A guilty corporation arraIgned before
the court is on the same footing as
the guilty individual Both belong 70 the
criminal classes. Law has been violated
and that violation has to be punished. II
laws were made and then permitted 20
De broken, the state Of affairs resulting
would be anarchy. This Is obvious 10 any
one II, then, at the outset IL is borne
clearly in mind thar dishonesty by a cor
poration is the same as dishonesty by
an individual that the firm which violates
for instance. and interstate commerce
statute. IS on the same footing before
the court as the man who c0unterfeits
the coin or steals from the malls. the ne
cessity OF honesty in business VIII not De-
difficult for the men Of business 10 IN
d5rstand.
So much for the strictly legal aspect Of
the case. The moral aspect deepens. il
anything. the onense OF the CORPORATION.
An individual violates law. and the con-
taminati0n ends with that individual The
carrier who steals from the mails is not.
by that theft, making fellow criminals Of
other carriers. But me business house
which adopts a commercial policy Of dis
honesty Is paving the road 10 moral de-
struCtiOn for a score OF perhaps a hun
dred Of its employees.
Ruins Employee Morals.
As a mere routine Of business, n the
ordinary discharge Of their duties as en-
ployes. these men are made 10 violate
laws. There is no, malicious intent in
what they do. II conscience pricks il IS
sO0thed with the reasoning that the fault
IS higher up, that it is their fundamen-
tai duty as loyal employees 70 do as told.
that it would be rank PRESUMPTION in
deed for them 20 argue the right and
wrong OF their employers policies. Yet.
despite This, these men are outlaws; they
commit acts which statutes specifically
say they shall not commit and ignorance
of the law. as is well understood. is no
defense. This is the saddest feature Of
dishonesty in business.
In a recent prosecution II was shown
that corporation had accepted a lower
rate from railroad over which il shipped
than was granted 10 its competitors
This was a violation Of law What steps
We're taken 20 hide Il from public sight?
II was all brought out A railroad clerk.
d subordinate in a big business concern
and a bright clean-cut young fellow be
looked. tOo-admitted in court that he
had made this violation. or al least the
covering OF il. possible.
One Case in Point.
This cIean-cut young fellow. working
for a salary and with no design in his
head other than 70 render good, capable.
fruitful service 10 his employers. had
made out fraudulent bills OF ISding- He
had juggled with hgures-and made them
lie Perhaps IL didn't appeal 10 him that
way, but that young man had ceased %
be honest A dishonest commercial policy
by his employers had called for and re-
ceived the sacrifice Of his Individual
honor
1T is conceivabIe that men in judging.
or a court. might take this moral aspect
into consideration. II is a crime against
society 70 steal: may it not be a greater
crime 20 make thieves Of othersg'