Evening journal., 1914-06-16
TUESDAY JUNE I6, 1914
HONEsT BUSINESS.

vh1 have received from David Wayne, OF this city
w Of valued readers, the following let
ter
To the Editor of THE EVENING JOURNAL
Sir-Beng Interested in your editorials read the
address Of r. A. Vanderp, on business and Politics"
Mr. Vanderlp says.
"We have permitted a picture Of business practice
and methods TO be held up TO the voters until many of
them honestly believe that in business is at
tanned by roguery"
editorial this address speaks of honest BUSH
ness men, The high cost of living has made me be-
heve that in business is attained by roguery
Kindly define honest business Respectfully,
wilmington, DEL June H. 1914.
We think Mr.. Wayne will admit that the social COM
mercial and industrial fundaments of American com
munities much the same. He may so from
Wilmington to Portland Me-; to Tacoma WASH; to
Detroit Mich, or to Galveston, Tex and find existing
there the general social commercial and indus
trial features life that exist in our own
city. He will ind good and bad men, good women
and bad women and honest business men and dishon-
est business In fact the fundamental conditions
viii be so similar to those which exist here that he
soon will feel perfectly at home in his new environ
ment, matter where it may be or what notifications
may have resulted from peculiar local conditions in
social and commercial life In other words he will be
convinced of the element truth embodied in the rte
saying that human nature is much the the world
over
II what havesaid above with respect to American
communal life be true 1t useless for us to wander
Lar eted or, for that matter, pass beyond the COR
porate limits of our own city to discuss the points
raised by Mr. Wayne. We have here good men and
bad men, good women and bad women and honest
business men and dishonest business men, We do not
hesitate to suggest that Mr.. Wayne will admit that
there are many more good than bad men, that
there are many more good than bad women
and that there many more honest business men
than dishonest business If he win admit that we
will venture the assertion hc what is true of he city
Of Wilmington in those respects is equally true of any
representative American community no matter where
it is situated.
Mr.. Wayne lives in Wilmington. He knows our
community. That he read with painstakng care those
portions of the vanderlip address which we embodied
In our editorial shows that wishes to keep informed
upon the drift Of public thought We have in our
city many successful business men, While IL NAV
be true that some Of them have won success by
roguery we feel confident that Mr. Wayne Is too broad
minded and too airminded follow that frank adms-
sion part with the assertion that all spccessfl
merchants and manufacturers in our CITY owe their
success to roguery and rascali Nor do we think that
after mature thought his fairness of mind viii permit
nm TO say that most of them their success to in
aulsenee IN those qualities Were he So it would
oe poor commentary, indeed upon our local
and industrial life we think he would exneriencs
hnculty in producing proof in support of the asser-
on Nor do we think he could substantiate bv nroot
similar suggestion with respect to any other Amer.
can community that is as representative as our own
'''U b'u"iu lAot we read mucn IN the public
and hear much upon the public tongue about the ras
,aly business men and read little and hear little abou
he honest business men, just as we read much an,
hear much about women who walk the primrose natl
and read little and hear little about the millions
good and virtuous women who grace American homes
II would be as unfair to judge American business man
hood by the business crooks who are exposed as
would be to judge American womanhood by the record
Of the divorce courts and the night courts
business honesty were TO receive in the public print
and upon the public tongue the relative amount G
comment that is accorded to business rascality tn
world would be able to form a more rational esti
mate Of the conditions which really prevail and quickl
concede that we have in country to a remarkabl
degree that fairness Of dealing between man and mai
That creates and maintains what is known as homes
business In fact if it not for an overwhelmin
public belief in the honesty Of American business mel
the great commercial and industrial fabric that ha
been reared here would fall to pieces and only wreck
age would remain.