Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-08-15

John .. Rockefeller, in discussing
he recent speech of Judge Grosscup,
which the latter declared that the
Jealth Of the country was so widely
attributed that it was really in the
ands of the morally well to do class,
.egterday said:
They can hardly accuse Judge
rrosacup Of partially to corporations
r railroads, be has shown very well
indeed how widespread is the damage
esuldng from the persecution through
'rejudiCe, Of the cOuntrys transpOrta-
ion lines The same applies to
hOughuess attacks on other lines of
Industry 1t is worse than thought
ess to say off hand that the wealth
md the industries Of the country are
n the hands Of a few rich men, who
alone will suffer There is a direct
loss to the thousands of people who
Lave 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
lerial 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
il that / figure as an investor and
stakeholder rather than as a proprie-
tor. But any depression is likely to
be felt in loss of values to me- The
grocery man may not feel it if the
coal BUSINESS is bad, or the wheat
grove suffer if the railroads lose, but
the man with the wider interests feels
every phase of depression. l do not
mean that I am in the grocery, or coal
or wheat business, but [ am using this
illustration. 1t is a fact that hardly
any sort of business can experience
dull times without loss to me. 1t
should be plain, then, that l have the
best right to be anxious for good
times all around. Would I permit,
then, any harm to come to any line of
business if could help it?"
81 am harnessed to a cart in which
the people ride" continued Mr.. Rookie
teller Whether I like it or not
must work for the rest. l cannot
evade this responsibility If l would.
But I do not complain of this. 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 |
tor results At every step forward the |
load was heavier. The wOrkingmen |
numbered a few score first, then
few hundreds, then thousands. There
was a similar increase in the number
of investors who could call me to &C
count While | worked for myself,
had 70 work for them, whether or not |
Today, retired from active business, |
retired, that is, from business for my
self, the capital invested makes work !
tor thousands and opens opportunities |
for thousands of others to place their
savings prOitably. No man with !
money can escape this responsibility
or loosen this yoke from his neck.
We 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 a fortune to |
dress very well indeed, or to provide |
real luxury 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
ment for the keen delight in creating
where nothing was. and some time be
lieve. the people will be convinced
that they are toiling for love of coun,
try as we'll"
When 1t comes to attacks upon him
and his associates, Mr.. Rockefeller
shows himself the philosopher He
does not pretend to like the assaults,
nor does he pretend TO naughty indif-
ference and he is not affectedly flip
pant in his comments. But he is not
bitter toward those who assail him. He
saws IT is a misunderstanding that
will right Itself in time. He frankly