The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-19

there Is similar tendency towards
concentration in big enterprises. cor
porations and trusts. The really dan
gerous factor in these enterprises Is
not the size of them, but the elimi-
nation of the element of personal re-
sponsibilty. When dishonorable meth
DDS and unfair actions are brought to
light, the directors hide behind the
bulking shadow of the corporation.
They personally have not done these
things they say"
DIR. Calisch endorsed the statement
of a distinguished jurist that guilt Is
personal" declaring that it is 80 be-
cause responsibility Is personal. be-
cause the moral law speaks to every
individual human heart, saying thou
shalt" and thou shalt not"
That the expulsion from Eden was
not Adams downfall. but his uplifting.
was one of the speakers statement.
ut meant that he had learned to
know the duty and meaning of life.
and he was henceforth responsible.
because he know. Thus each child.
generation after generation. passes out
of the Eden of ignorance, when once
il tastes of the fruit of moral knowl-
edge. For with knowledge comes
power and the stewardship Of power.
I'm no generation before the pres
ent have the possibilities Of the ac-
qLisition of knowledge been so wide
spread. And yet, strange paradox, in
no age has the sense of personal moral
responsibility become so weak as in
! this No one has the right to
contribute to the continuance or the
aggravation of fragrant moral corrup-
/ ton by participation or connivance.
nor even to permit it through apathy
and indifference.
Mans Duty to Society.
Continuing along this line and
/ speaking of the duty each man owes
to society, the rabbi said In part:
The higher the position a man
has, the greater his field of activity
and the range of his influence, the
profounder his obligations. Men elect
ed to office of any character, wheth-
| er commercial, political, economic.
social or phiianthropic. men placed
/ in any position of honor, trust or lead
ership, have a duty to society stron-
ger and deeper than even their duty
! to the particular organization In
which they hold office. The presi-
I dent of railway or steamship COM
! pany is placed there to further the
| interests of his company. to secure
! earnings for the company and divf-
dends for the stockh elders. But be--
t,fore his duty to the Company comes
his duty to society. TO the great pub.
| lie whom his company serves. The
safety of the public comes before the
| dividends on the stock. When 1t does
! not then the man. or the COMMITTEES.
or the board of directors. who have
/ the control and management of the
| company are responsible. not behind
the shadow of legally incorpor-
ated but actually incorporeal body.
| but personally and individually In
their own several persons for what
ever may happen"
Cause of Accidents.
After enumerating instances OF
great accidents or modern times on
/ railways in factories and on the sea,
| due primarily to the fact that s the
managing directors of the company
| had not realized their individual moral
responsibility to society. DIR. Calfsch
asked. why do these things occur?'
| and answered his own question thus
ly:
Because society as whole toler-
| ates them, and this because the sense
of moral responsibility of the indi-
vidual members OF society is not suf-
ficientiy keen. Furthermore. evils
/ that we know are evils, crying 10
heaven because of their f1agrancy.
are permitted to continue for that
same lack of the sense of individual
obligation The great civic wrongs
that afflict our modern body polite.
the injustices that permeate ouE COM
/ mercial life. the problems with which
we have to contend in every direction,
such as child-labor. Industrial oppres-
sion. congested housing. the social evil,
the white slave traffic, the divorce
problem, all these are matters OF per-
sona1 interest and concern, though.
they are not so regarded by the null
titude There is civic corruption Sim
ply because there is public apathy.
Lesson From Judah.
In conclusion Dr. Calisch said:
would that every man in our
broad land would feel, in civic mat
ters, as Judah did. that the safety OF
the State is thing of his personal
concern and that even where others
may stand about idle and helpless. he
must come forward and give his time
and effort as surety that the state will
be safe. Similarly in the activities OF
business and professional life. every
man should feel that the public con-
| Germ Is his concern and the general
welfare his personal responsibility
ENGINEERS ARE TO