The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-03-17
.Clews Defends Corporate
Wealth Before Bridgeport
Manufacturers Association

| lent in individual and corporate hands
| has accompanied the most marvellous
national growth and prosperity in all
| history.
New conditions have arisen, and
| new methods have had to be en-
ployed, while new men, equipped with
| new ideas, have not been found want
| ing to meet all requirements and to
keep step with the march Of progress
on both land and sea. Unlike the
| where, as in Russia, they distrust their
government, Americans do not hoard
their wealth. They employ it. They
| have nothing to hoard it for. Thei!
| quickly acquired fortunes are general
| ly 1avishly disbursed, both in their
style of living and their investments.
| With much of the money they put into
circulation railroads are built and eX-
| tended, mammoth factories are con-
structed, labor is employed on larger
| scale than before, more farms are cul-
t,vated and more crops are moved and
exported. Through all the arteries of
| trade and commerce the wealth thus
| employed flows and adds to the
growth and prosperity Of the country.
Although history will never reveal just
| how important a part this method Of
! keeping our wealth in use has played
| in helping to bring about and preserve
| the generally excellent and prosper
Gus condition of things, as they now
tXlSI, we CcII dlely Say CIldC us meas
ure in that regard is at least great
enough to preclude CHASING great in
dividual wealth as a danger to the
| country.
GAS it is. there is evidence enough
| to refute much that has been said
to show that the hostile attitude of a
| portion of the press towards them
should cease to be popular.
GAS matter of fact, the assistance
which Americans of great wealth have
given the nation in the founding and
preservation of institutions for the
public benefit, and in other ways, has
never been sufficiently appreciated or
acknowledged. So they have never re-
cived the just and fair credit to which
they were entitled.
GAS we look back through the dim
vista Of the past, and the dawn Of
American freedom is unveiled to our
eager eyes, shall we ever forget how
we'll and periodically the wealthy
Americans of Colonial times did their
part in the War of the Revolution
that made us what we are to-day?
Adams Capitalist.
1.-THE great John Adams, whose
name and memory are held in love
and reverence by the citizens of this
country to which he lent such lustre,
was large capitalist for his time. He,
the great defender of the Declaration
of Independence, was rich in money
as well as patriotism
THE first signature on that sacred
document is that of John Hancock, one
of the richest men of his time. Thomas
Jefferson, the author of that great bill
Of human rights, was rich man, as
was also that great scholar and states
man, James Madison, known as Mr..
Jefferson's other self. Robert Morris,
treasurer of the colonial government,
was capitalist, and sacrificed his
Washington, the Father of his Coun-
Try, was also one of it's wealthiest men.
I'm that glorious struggle for free
dom, these wealth patriots performed
leading and arduous part and aided
largely in effecting that grand result
the establishment of the great re-
public, the United States of America,
under the best and freest constitution
in the world.
Passing onward from that memo
rable time, we come to that of the
Rebellion, when secession reared it's
aggressive head and the very life of
our institutions was in extreme jeop-
ardy. In the early part of the great
Civil war-when the government,
friendless abroad, knew not which way
to turn for the financial aid it SO
sorely needed to- defend itself and
prosecute the war,-history will recall
| that the great wealth of private in
dividuals proved not menace, but a
These served their country well by
coming forward with their wealth,
and buying United States bonds in
| large amounts. By so doing they rem
dered patriotic public service that
should make even the socialists hest
tate before condemning great individ-
ua wealth as dangerous to the ma
tional welfare.
| 1--WE all know of the great wealth
Of one individual, namely, Senator
Leland Stanford of California, that
was generously and mumifcently be-
slowed in establishing the great STAN
ford university, where, in sight of the
Golden Gate, thousands of the youth
of the Pacific coast can obtain q COL
lege education of the highest class,
| not.
Rockefeller.
| We know, too, how millions of the
great wealth Of John D. Rockefeller
were freely dedicated to that grand
seat of learning, the Chicago univer-
| his wealth continues to flow, with the
worthy object of developing American
| brain and character. In connection
with Mr.. Rockefeller I will tell you a
good story. Two Irishmen were en-
gagged in a talk about the Standard
Oil Co. One said to the other, Mike,
| Go you think John D. Rockefeller's
money is tainted?' Yes, L do, Pat; it
has two taints on it-'taint yourn and
| 'taint mine l might mention other
instances, almost without number,
where, from Maine to Texas. under
the beneficent rays of great gifts of
the wealthy, the seeds of education
| have been sown broadcast and have
grown into grand and telling factors
/ in shaping the character of the rising
generation of American manhood, and
| the destiny of this great country.
Standing out as the brightest star in
| the galaxy of them all, will shine the
| name Of Andrew Carnegie a man
quite as notable for his philanthropies
as for his financial acumen; and those
/ hundreds of Carnegie libraries, erect
ed at the cost of many millions, will
ever stand as lasting monuments to
| his memory, and be a living refuta-
aggregated wealth.
"ft was indeed we'll for the people
OF this country that these great for
tunes were in the possession of these
! individuals, for otherwise our institu-
tons Of learning, culture and charity
would not have been blessed with
these manifold benefactions. This
wealth, held together in this way, en-
| abled the single mind of the owner to
| direct its distribution into the par
| ticular channels where he desired il
| to do good.
! "A great amount of wealth in the
| hands of one person enables him to
direct 1t to the eStablishm emit of ex-
! tensive productive industries and
c Their large schemes requiring much
capital. These are important because
| they aid in developing the country