The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-10-01
ROCKEFELLER IN
DEFENSE or "OIL'
Writes "reminiscences in Which
He Defends the Upright
Corporations.

New York, Sept. 2S.--John D. Rockefeller
appears for the first time Ia the role Of an
author. in a series OF articles en- Some
Random "reminiscences OF Men and
Events" the first OF which appears to-
day in an October magazine. The articles
are accompanied by fac simile reproduc-
tions OF Mr.. Rockefeller's crampeo puf
careful handwriting.
Mr.. Rockefeller says at the outset that
on n rainy morning when golf rs wanting.
"I am tempted to become a garrulous
old man, and tell some stories OF men
and things which have happened In an
active life" He refers to the extent TO
which he has been associated with inter-
esting people, especially in the business
world. 'Tf one talks about ones expert
ences,'' he continues. there is q natural
temptation TO charge one with travelling
the easy road to egotism; II n keeps
silence, the inference of w~rongdoing is
sometimes even more difficult to meet. as
it would then be said that there - no
valid defense to be offered"
1T has not been my custom TO press my
affairs forward into public gaze: but 1
have come TO see that If my family and
friends want some record OF things which
might she light on matters that have
been somewhat discussed, II is right that
I should yield to their advice, and In this
informal way go over again some OF the
events which have made life interesting
to me-"
Mr.. Rockefeller gives as another reason
for speaking now, that 'if a tenth of the
things that have been said are true. then
dozens of able and faithful men who have
been associated with me, many OF whom
have passed away, must rave been guilty
OF grave faults. For myself, I had de-
cided to say nothing. hoping that after
my death the truth would gradually come
to the surface n posterity would do
strict Justice; but while / live and can
testify to certain things 1t seems fair that
I should refer to some points which I hope
will help to set forth several much dis
cugsed happenings In q new light. ] am
convinced that they have not been fully,
understood.
'It has been said that I forced the men
who became my partners In the oil busl-
ness to join me. I would not have been
SO shortsighted. III Il were true that 1
followed such tactics l ask would 1t ave
been possible to make of such men life
long companions: For IA years i have
been out OF business, and in eight or 10
years nave only once gone to the COM
pany's office"
Mr., Rockefeller speaks of the develop
ment of the Standard OIL company and
says that the plan OF selling direct to the
! CONSUMER dIlu III SAStPNtVAA@AAyM m "
growth OF the business bred q certain
antagontsm, which I suppose could not
have been avoided"
Corporations Not Bad.
Further on he says:
Another thing to be remembered about
the so-called octopus is that there has
been no water introduced into the capital
(perhaps we felt that oil and water would
not have mixed; MOI in all these years
has any one had to wait for money which
the Standard owed.
ut Is q common thing to hear people
say that this company has crushed out its
competitors. Only tho uniformed could
make such an assertion"
In discussing { h modern corporation,
Mr.. Rockefeller
Beyond question there is a suspicion OF
corporations. There may be reason for
such suspicion very often: for a corpora
ton may be moral or immoral. just as q
man may be moral or the reverse; but It
Is folly to condemn all corporations be-
cause some are bad. But the corporation
in form and character has come TO stay
that Is a thing that mi be depended
upon. ..s. ~ .a%A
1T Is too late to argue about advant-
ages of Industrial combinations. They are
a necessity. And IL Americans are to have
the privilege OF extending their business
in all the states OF the union and Into for
eign countries as well they are a neces-
sity on q large scale. and require the
agency OF more than one corporation"