The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-28
A BAD INFLUENCE.

The New York Journal Of Commerce
has the following philosophical com
ment. evidently melted at the articles
on the recent death Of Henry II.
Rogers:
It is somewhat common to attribute
extraordinary foresight exceptional
organizing capacity and remarkable
ability to men who accumulate vast
fortunes in a few years by welding
the power Of incorporated capital; but
those qualities are more common than
the fortunes. It is questionable
whether the greatest wealth is gained
by those Of largest ability rather than
by those of least scruple. The oppor-
tunities afforded, especially in this
country, for conducting business on a
large scale, and the advantage given
by the corporate organization of capt.
tai furnished by thousands of share
holders and entrusteu 90 boards of
directors, enable men of high capacity
to accomplish results never attained
before. but to do this within ligiti-
mate limits and without destroying the
wholesome operation or competition
at all rare. When these opportunities
and advantages are employed ruth
lessly to crush out rivalry and es-
tablish approximate monopoly. with
the result of heaping up colossal
wealth in a few hands, IL is not su-
perior ability that does II, but a lack
Of those scruples in method which
deter honorable men from graspins all
places within their reacn.
For instance, If group of men who
occupy an advantageous position at
the beginning of the deveIvpment of
an industry like that of mineral oil,
requiring a great deal of transporta-
rfon of the raw material and the
finished product. which involves a
controlling element Of cost. are able
and willing to make bargains with
railroad companies whereby they Sc
cure much lower rates than others.
and even have part OF the rates col
lected from their rivals. paid over to
them to add to therr profits, is it
superior ability that they display or
inferior moral scruple? Might there
not be- many, men Of equal ability who
would scorn to seek success in the
business by such methods, but who
could do it If they would? There
were plenty Of men who saw the pos
sibilities Of the oil business after the
discovery Of great deposits Of crude
petroleum and started in to avail
themselves of these. With a whole
some and honorable rivalry the indus
try would have been as successfully
developed, with all the benefits of i'm
t-NVSr n@L @LrI
ton an effective distribution. and
with the added benefit of. many gen
erous and comfortable fortunes where
there was disaster and disappointment,
instead of one huge concentration of
wealth and capitalistic power.
When the corrupt bargains for a
crushing advantage in transportation
had resulted in the control OF vast
capital, many sources of supply and
a great system of plants" and facili-
ties, the task became comparatively
easy, provided there was still no
scruple in the way of ruthless use
Of the power thus acquired. 1t was
far easier for this original group of
men to reach out for new fields, es-
tablish pipe lines, enlarge refineries,
secure facilities for trade, than for any
new combination, even If the latter
was no more scrupulous: and by the
use of its power without scruple this
group could readily prevent the growth
of competition unless some higher
power intervened for ITS protection,
and even then the advantage of es-
tablished position and power of capital
and organization could not be taken
away. Is this kind of success a token
of superior ability In business, of
achievement OF which other men are
incapable because they lack capacity