The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-10
Great Magnate's Point
 of View.
DOES NOT WORK FOR MONEY
Has Plenty. He Admits, to Live in
 Luxury.
Pride of Achievement He Declares Keeps Him in Rusiness and Love Of Home Keeps Him In
 America.


 Plaindealer. Cleveland, O.. August D. John D. Rockefeller. discussing the recent speech of Grosscup in which the latter declared that the wealth of the country Is so widely distributed that 1t is really in the hands of the moderately we'll to do today said:
 They can hardly accuse Judge Grosscup of partiality to corporations or railroads. He has shown very well indeed how widespread Is the damage resulting from the prosecution through prejudice of the country's transporta- ton lines. The same applies to thoughtless attacks on other lines of industry. It Is worse than thought less to say offhand that the wealth and the industries of the country are in the hands of a few rich men who alone will suffer. There is a direct loss to thousands of frugal people who have invested small savings in these enterprises and the indirect effect reaches still other thousands who de- pend in one way or another upon the success of every industry. The busL- ness of the country Is interwoven until it is something like the circu- latton of the blood in the body. An injury of an operation at one point shocks and weakens the whole"
 Referring to the financial situation MT. Rockefeller said:
 Not sHn One Basket.
 Who Is more interested in the ma- terfal prosperity of this country than I am?
 My eggs are not all in one basket by any means.
 "A great deal of nonsense is printed every now and then about my having control of all raIlroads of the coun- try or of having monopolized this or that.
 'HThe truth is that I figure as an investor and stockholder rather than as a proprietor. But any depression is likely to mean a loss of values to me. The groceryman may not feel It If the coal business Is bad 0r the wheat grower suffer if the railroads lose, but the man with varied inter ests feels every phase of depression. It Is a fact that hardly any sort of business can experience dull times without loss to me. It should be plain that have the best right to judge good times.
 T am harnessed to car in which the people ride. Whether like or not, must work for the rest I cannot avoid this responsibility if l would. But do not complain of this. lam willing to draw by share of the load as long as l am able.
 The first step l took meant oblig- ating myself to working men whS aenceforward looked to me despite in- Vestors who are employing their money and looked to me for results. At ev- ary step forward the load was heavier. The workingmen numbered a few HRuf fho.1 karu Faaa ArAA o.a.N then thousands.
 Decrease in Investors.
 There was a similar increase in tlfe number of investors wno could hold me to account. While I worked for myself I had to work for them also, Today, retired from active business.. retired that is from business for my self. the capital I have invested makes work for thousands and opens oppor- tunities for thousands of others to place their savings prontably.
 No man with money can escape this responsibility or loosen this yoke from his neck.
 We are servants and not masters; we who are. or have been, engaged in large business affairs. It Is to our vital interest that the country prosper; that the people prosper. They can de- stroy us and our business or at least destroy our power of serving them. We would probably suffer the least. The richest man can eat bat three meals a day and 1t does not require a fortune to dress we'll or provide real luxury fin living. The men who have acquir- cd the largest fortunes have not pur- sued wealth but business success.
 Had they desired money for the enjoyment of money, they would havA stopped far short of spending their lives as they have in a struggle that ensueA The natural ambition of ov- cry man to make good provision for his family can be satisfied far short of the point reached by the big men of the industrial world of today. But they continue to toll at theif desks because they love achievement. for the keen delight In creating where nothing was and some time I believe people will be convinced that they are toiling for love of country as well.
 Proud of HumOr.
 We are very proud of our natural sense of good humor" he remarked. If we must have little family jars among ourselves why should we let the outside world laugh? Why should we waste the enrgy we need to build up the country in tearing each other to pieces? If evils have crept in dur ing the marvellous development since the civil war and 1t is not impossible that some few have crept in, can we not do away with them without de- stroyIng the whole fabric? Admitting for the sake of argument that the business world Is a patient that needs treatment must 1t be said of the re- suit that the operation was successful but the patient died?"
 MT Rockefeller was asked why he did not run away from the hue and cry. He laughed. Perhaps because my favorite music is Yankee Doodle" Then more gravely:
 'I suppose I might have converted my interests into gold at one time and have taken my money to England or some pleasant part of Europe where life is organized to make things com fortable for the man with money. Rut do you know that way of escape from the responsibilities that wealth brings to an American never occurred to me The United States cannot develop enough drawbacks to make me lose the feeling that there Is no place like home and trat this home is in what firmly believe the greatest country of the world"