Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-21

SOhA ~ AhRAASAOAASAg IA AASNNSSAA5
the recent speech of Judge Grosscup,
in which the latter declared that the
wealth Of the country was so widely
distributed that it was really in the
hands of the morally well to do class,
yesterday said:
They can hardly accuse Judge
Grosscup of Partially to corporations
or railroads, he has shown very well
indeed how widespread is the damage
resulting from the persecution through
prejudice, of the country's transporta-
ton lines. The same applies to
thoughtless attacks on other lines of
industry, 1t is worse than thought
less to say off hand that the wealth
and the industries of the country are
in the hands of few rich men, who
alone viii suffer There is a direct
loss to the thousands of 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 bust
ness of the country is interviewer I'M
til it is something like the circulation
of the blood in the body An injury
or an operation at one point shocks
and weakens the whole"
Referring to the financial situation
Mr. Rockefeller said
Euus in MANY Baskets.
who is more interested in the ma
terial prosperity of this country than
/ am? My eggs are not all in one
basket, by any means. A good deal
of nonsense is printed every now and
then about my having captured all the
railroads of the country or. having
monopolized this or that. The truth
is that l figure as an investor and
stakeholder rather than as proprie-
tor. But any depression is likely to
be felt in loss of values to me. The
grocery man may not feel 1t if the
coal business is bad, or the wheat
growcf suffer if the railroads lose, but
the man with the wider interests feels
every phase of depression. do not
mean that l am in the grocery, or coal
or wheat business, but am using this
illustration. 1t is fact that hardly
any sort of business can experience
dull times without loss to me. 1t
should De plain, then, that 1 hava the
best right to be anxious for good
times all around. Would l permit,
then, any harm to come to any line of
business if l could help it?"
II am harnessed to a cart in which
the people ride" continued Mr. Rookie
Teller. Whether I like it or not 1
must work for the rest. cannot
evade this responsibility if l would.
But l do not complain of this. l am
willing to draw my share of the load
as long as I am able.
Bearing the Burdens of Others.
The first step I took" he said,
meant obliging myself to working
men who henceforward looked to me
for employment, and investors who
put in their money and looked to me
for results. At every step forward the
load was heavier. The workingmen
numbered a few score first, then a
few hundreds, then thousands. There
was similar increase in the number
of investors who could call me to ac-
count. While l worked for myself,
had to work for them, whether or not.
Today, retired from active business,
retired, that is, from business for my
self, the capital invested makes work
for thousands and opens opportunities
for thousands of others to place their
savings profitably. No man with
money can escape this responsibility
or loosen this yoke from his neck.
I'VE are servants, and not masters
we who have been engaged in large
business affairs. 1t is vital that the
people prosper. They can destroy us,
or our business, or at least destroy
our power of serving them. We
would probably suffer the least. The
richest man can eat but three meals a
day and it does not take fortune to
dress very we'll indeed, or to provide
real laxury in living. The men who
have acquired the largest fortunes
have not pursued wealth, but business
success. Had they desired money for
the enjoyment of money they would
have stopped far short of spending
their lives, as they have, in the strug.
gle. That is business. The natural
ambition of every man to make good
provision for his family can be salts
fed far short of the point reached by
the big men of the industrial world of
today. But they continue to toll at
their desks because they love achieve
4 ment for the keen delight in creating
where nothing was, and some time be-
bieve. the people will be convinced
Hsshat they are toiling for love OF coun.
fry as we'll"
II When 1t comes to attacks upon him
land hts associates, Mr. Rockefeller
khows himself the philosopher. He
Eoes not pretend to like the assaults,
lnor does he pretend to naughty inGh-
Terence and he Is not affectedly flip
tpant in his comments. But he Is not
k5ittar toward those who assail him. He
g5ays It is a misunderstanding that
txiH right itself IA time. He frankly