The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-06

tegrity. inherent or pacticed as policy.
no man can gain permanent sueeess-I
am talking ancient doctrine but IL still
holds good. It was so fifty years ago and
is so now, Coming together in groups
as is the custom in these days-to do
big things, men must keep their word and
and deal fairly with one another"
THAT may be- / ans wered, and still
they could be in league 10 cheat the
public"
Public Much Richer.
Il have heard a good deal about the
poor and suffering public" Mr. Griscom
answered with energy. But the Ameri-
can public is richer to-day, and there
fore more independent and comfortable,
than any other nation of human beings
since the dawn of history. Americans
own homes. farms. and shares and bonds.
Besides. they have billions OF dollars on
deposit in savings banks.
The whole state Of things disproves
that people are being robbed. Look at
our cities and towns. filled with prosper
Gus men and women and with we'll
dressed children going to school; ana
look. at our farms, improved with good
buildings and yielding bountiful crops
and you viii find denial OF the SANDER
that the business men of the United
States are liars and cheats, and that pow
erty threatens the republic
ION one hand we see men trying 10
build up the country" Mr. Griscom went
on to say, and on the ether hand we
see men trying 10 pull II down, that they
might get political honors and offices
and prosper personally. A lawyer is am
bilious to shine in his profession. A
physician desires 10 become eminent
among his brethren and useful 10 his
community. A business man expects 20
make money, of course, but all the same
he takes pride In his work and is graft
fed if he attains to leadership in his line.
There is a feeling of satisfaction in the
breast of the shoemaker who can do the
best job in the shop. The same feeling Is
in the heart of the banker or railroad
manager. To progress is the impulse of
human nature.
Il have often reflected upon the con-
trary attitudes of Europe and this coun-
try toward men of business. Rockefeller
and Flagler, young and poor, carried
their luncheons in baskets and worked
at their desks until long after dark. They
saw many ramshackle refineries and that
the oil business, though new, was I'M
profitable and demoralized An idea
came to them that the refineries could be
brought together and the production of
oil be put on systematized and sensi-
BILE basis. The idea was carried out to
the immense advantage OF the public.
More wells were dug. modern refneries
We're built, thousands of men were given
steady and remunerative employment.
and oil kept going down in price to the
consumer as the business expanded.
Industrial Captains.
Sin my opinion, Rockefeller and Flag
Ter achieved the greatest commercial and
industrial victory in all the records OF
business. They are unmatched here or
elsewhere, now or In the past. Had they
lived in Great Britain or Germany they
would have been made princes or dukes
The government would have honored
them. The newspapers would not have
described them as being raseals and -ex-
tortioners.
Brewers and publishers in England.
useful men from the British point of
view. are knighted for their services 10
mankind. Sir Thomas Upton, with one
little grocery store in Glasgow. initiating
Rockefeller and Flagler. multiplied his
stores throughout Great Britain, and
pushed his business into India. Germany.
and the United States. / fancy a bad
character would have been given to him.
had he been an American and had the
politicians discovered that attacks on his
integrity made them popular with the
electorate.
In Germany the name of Alfred
Krupp is honored throughout the empire.
He began with forge and three men at