The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-07-16
AN OPEN LETTER TO ROCKEFELLER


gave me great pleasure. The
motive, that you are to do it in the
hope that it will prove sugges tive
TO those who are struggling to get
rich, deserves Communications
There IS not a subject that is of
greater Importance than the ques
ton of making money. And there
Is not a man who is more fit to
speak on this question than Won
are. Go ahead and we will listen
win reverent respect to what
ever advice you will give us.
1t was also reported that you
are going to dwell on the mysteri
Gus career of your father, Mr..
William A. Rockefeller. Please
don't waste amy time on him, as
we are too inpatient to listen to
your tips Oh success. Besides,
of what I know of him, he is
altogether undeserving of our at
tention. In McClure's of July,
1905, read that s'he was a man
in whom the JOY in life unfettered
by education or the love for
decency ran riot-that three of his
pals were sent to state prison in
1880 for horse stealing, and that
this fact, coupled with his bad
reputation, made many of his
nelghbors fix the crime equally on
nm. The same article also
states ''that there was an indict-
ment against William A. Rookie.
fellow more serious than horse
stealing" That he was, 1 quote
again, F." cancer docter, quack
and a gambler, lawless and loose.
tounged rake.''
This being SO you will admit
that whatever can be said about
hlm will make unpleasant reading.
Nor is this all. You see there are
so many points Of similarity be-
betwe him and you that while
reading the lives of both we are
forced to attribute a great deal of
your success to the, characteristics
you have inherited from him.
Now, our parents have not trans
m1tted to US any such traits, and
while suffering the throes of
failure we may conceive resent.
ment that may lead to parental
disrespect.
Cut him out! and come down to
the point. Time is hard and
necessity is pressing, and you can
n't give us your Suggestions auy
too soon. If you read the daily
papers you know how badly we
are in need of help. We are so
poor that we cannot feed our
children. We are thrown out of
our dwellings because we connot
pay the rent. Our wives try to
help us. and it is pity to see
them die with exhaustion or with
lack OF nourlshment. Six million
OF us are idle. The charitable
institutions cannot cope with the
situation. We are reduced to
pauperism; some are forced to sui
clde but many more resort to
crime,
And here it is where we make
mess of it. Those who make
crime the means of livelihood do
not know how to battle with
the police and they are worsted.
Here is where we need YOUR
superior wisdom. Your wide
range of experience in such mat
tiers Will be of great value.
l am pretty clever fellow NV
self, and l have ideas that would
prove successful were it not for
the law. Take this plan for in
stan ,e. 1 was going to organize
the Standard Holdup Company,
corporation consisting of about a
half dozen husky fellows. We
were to place ourselves near banks
at time when money is with
drawn, say Saturday morning. and
hold up people, forcing them to
surrender the large bills in ex
change for small bills. This trans.
action would not be altogether
void of mercy, as we would give
them some money in return. and
1T would certainly make the
Standard Holdup Company
rich. But-the police! This is
the only point that needs your
valuable advice.
Now you have overcome this
difficulty and you made success
OF just such an operation. In the
same number of McClure's / read
that certain Mr.. Corrigan.
friend of your boyhood, had %
900 shares of the Standard Oil
Company with your on trust.
W hen he needed money and want
ed his shares YOU refused to o,ira