New-York tribune., 1912-01-16
POINTS OUT TRADE ILLS
Darwin P. Kingsley Says Main
Trouble Now Is Fear.
SPEAKS TO CITY BANKERS
Declares Attempt to Compel Re
turn to "Barbarism of Com
petition" Will Fail.

Taking as his text two maxims NJ Thomas
Jefferson, Darwin p Kingsley president Of
the New York Life Insurance Company
anayzed the business and political situa-
ton as he saw II, at the dinner Of the New
| York state Bankers Association, Group
at the Waldorf last night, and proposed
as the remedy. "thc efficiency OF business
| in politics and in business something Of
| the Golden Rule and full recognition or
Jeffersons maxim. that all are entitled to
life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "
The chief trouble In business, he said.
was fear General business was now i'm an
unusually sound condition. but 1t was dis
turbed Though asserting that the Sher-
man law had no real terror for the general
honest business man, he criticised sar-
castically the Attorney General who tried
| to enforce IT,
when general business comes TO realize,
as II will after a little, that the Sherman
| law means no more TO II than the law
! against larceny means to the average up
/ right citizen--thst will be A remedy" said
| Mr. Kingsley. speaking of the remedies for
| the disturbed condition of the business
world but moment later he went on to
| say:
"A campaign for the REORGANIZATION Of
highly organized business is no remedy a
return TO ruthless competition is no remedy.
| The attempt of the President and the At
torney General to compel men who have
adopted the law OF cooperation to abandon
II and return to the barbarsm of competi-
tion will be futile"
In a broader vein, Mr. Kingsley laid tho
political troubles Of business at the doors Of
business men. who he said, had withdrawn
so utterly from statecraft into business that
they had neglected entirely even the duties
Of their citizenship.
"If the average politician Is contemplate.
who made him so?" he asked. Opportunity
makes the thief. and no fathless treasurer,
innocent Of theft himself who has left his
vaults open and his books unchecked was
ever morally more guilty than is the aver
age business man who. in the eager pursuit
Of success. has abandoned his civic obliga-
tions and turned the conduct Of government
over to men whom he holds in contempt
Whatever new legislation may be needed
or enacted at the present time" he con-
tinued. we shall never reach our ideal Of
a self-governed peoIae CARRYING on great
ln0uStrldl cnteIpIlseS WIN justice anu ihiI-
ness unit. both politicians and business
men cease to work for their own pockets
all the time.
In addition TO the imposing list OF bank
ers railroad men and hnanCiers who were
in Mr.. kingsley 5 audience. there were few
local politicians, among whom were Charles
f. Murphy, boss of Tammany Hall: James
F. Gaffney and Robert r. Moore. the pres
cnt City Chamberlain, who was the Tam
many nominee for Controller AT the last
city election.
Group s, OF the New York State Bank
ers Association takes in all the banks In
the Borough OF Manhattan. Albert II.
Wiggln. president Of the Chase National
Bank is president OF Group and acted
as POSTMASTER last night
Robert Luce, Lieutenant Governor or
Massa chusetts. and Colonel Norris G.. Os-
born editor Of The New Haven Regis
ter" were the other speakers, and among
those al the guest table and about the hall
were A. Barton Hepburn. Charles T.. Han
ma. George r. Baker, william q. MCAdoo,
Lee McClunE. J. r. Morgan, jr., Jacob II
Schih William A. Nash George T.. Rob
erts. George {. an Tuyl. Robert S Low
EFT. Edwin Hawlcy II. \. Haugan, W. II.
Truesdaic, Henry Evans. Joseph p. Day.
Daniel G. Reid and julius Kruttschnitt.