Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-04
A fRA..K STATEMENT
Public Sentiment Regarding
Corporations Analysed.
NOT HOSTILE TO CAPITAL
Antagonist Directed to Wrong
Methods of Operation.
VIEW OF HEAD OF STEEL TRUST
Droll Letters Of Hawthorne-Amus-
ing Rhymes on Domestic and
Neighborhood Events.
VIEW OF HEAD OF STEEL TRUST
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Cores nondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

Special Cores nondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW YORK, November 2, 1907
If the crusade which President Roose-
Welt has been leading against the corpora
tons has done nothing more, it has, at
least. served to awaken the consciances Of
many men who control great Industries
and financial interests, and it will certain
ly elevate the standard Of business morals
in this city and the country at large.
Most of the men who manage the
corporations have a high sense of pro-
priety and the desire and intention to do
right Everybody who knows them per-
sonally Is convinced of that fact, and If
you can get close enough to them to gain
their confidence they will themselves
frankly admit that the habits and Gus
IONS of Wall street and lower Broadway
are not exactly what they ought to be.
IN the struggle for wealth and power in
the rivalry of the rich and great, these
captains of industry have done many
Things that they would consider repre-
hensib!e in others, and that they would
not want their sons and daughters to
know about Although there are excep-
lions which need not be individually d,
the mass of the money mad throng in this
modern Babylon are much better men
than they have the credit for being, and
the good they do is much greater than the
evil.
Consciences Awakened
AS proof of the assertion that the cruz
SADIE Of the President has awakened the
consciences of the corporations. I submit
letter which has accid .ntally fallen into
my hands, written by the president Of the
United States Steel Corporation. the great
est trust In the world. to one OF his sub
ordinates, the general manager of an affii-
lated corporation which rep. esentS a capt.
al of more than SlO0,O0U,U 900, employs an
army of nearly $1,000 men and has an OUT
put of nearly S+0.O00Gj0 worth of manu-
fdCtured merchandise every year. This let
ter should be read and committed to mem1
DRY by every business man in the coun-
try:
MY Dear Mr. Blank: Large corpora
tons are passing through a crucial time
in their business experience. The public
are more critical, and this fee Ing Is
shared by the President and his admins
tration. Amongst honest and thoughtful
people there is no feeling Of hostility to
capital or corporations. Antagonlsm IS
directed to the conduct of corporations
which is believed to be wrong. / think
your effort should be to ascertain whether
the business OF your company of every
kind, and in all places. is conduc ed
properly. honestly and with due regard to
the rights of ali others II in any respect
you are wrong you should get right and
keep right. Your methods of doing bust
ness in every locality should be above
reproach. If the pubAc officials are con-
vinced that your company is following
the standard of justice there will be no
serious trouble.
"Of course. / write as an individual,
stakeholder and without authority, but tie
principal owners of the corporation are
men of high character who have never
been guilty of. nor had any desire to do
anything that was wrong Therefore. l
believe they will fully approve the senti-
ments above expressed.
1t is time for business men of veal h
and influence who occupy positions of re-
sponsibil.ty to unite in raising somewhat
the standard Of business propriety.
These suggestions are not called for by
any facts / have in mind and they are
not at all necessary, but the ideas think
are worthy Of consideration by all of us.
Sincerely yours, E. H. GARY"