Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-01-27
THE ISOLATION OF THE RICH.


Several years ago the late ]. p
Morgan in Berlin was engaged in con.
versation by an eminent statesman
of the German Empire, who, assum.
ing that the banker was familiar with
political thought in the United States,
endeavored to gather some information
Apropos OF the large representation
Of the Social party in the Reichstag
and the adoption of the Socialistic
principles in municipal administration
in the Kaiser's realm, the German
asked Mr.. Morgan If Socialism was
exerting any influence on the internal
policies OF the United States.
According to an authenticated &C.
count of the incident, the American
banker raised his eyes in surprise and
answered, Socialism? Why, ! don't
know anything about it. have never
heard 1t discussed in America"
This story was published in time,
not to show Mr.. Morgans ignorance,
but as an illustration Of the literal
isolation of a wealthy and powerful
man whose sources of information
| should be so abundant that OF neces.
sity he must be familiar with the sa.
lient features and effect of any politi.
cal movement in his country, even II
1t were only incipient.
Mr.. Morgan never had heard So
cialism discussed because he never
came in contact with men who were
competent to talk about it. and be.
cause his associates were as ignorant
OF many vital movements as he was.
Most of the information which came
to J. Pierpont Morgan was hand.
/ picked y selected by subordinates with
the intention of communicating only
that which would please and not an.
noy the chief, or by companions whose
avenues OF information were as mar.
row as his own. Mr.. Morgan. like
most rich man, associated only with
his own kind.
Although, according to Charles s.
Mellen. Mr.. Morgan dictated the policy
, OF the New York, New Haven & Hart.
ford Railroad during its recent years
OF expansion, he never had an oopor.
tunity OF coming in touch by direct
contact with the public sentiment of
New England. He never could get
close enough to realize how people
served by the railroad thought about
that corporation.
Not more than three years ago at
a meeting of the United States Steel
corporation, Boston stakeholder
asked that the directors be instructed
to investigate conditions among the
workmen in the company's plants. He
onered as a reason for this action the
report Of an unofficial inquiry which
mad been published under the title.
odd at Forty" and which had been
widely read and discussed.
The directors of the company. all
wealthy men, were amazed that such
revelations could have been so exten.
sively known and yet escaped their
knowledge. The inquiry which the
Boston stakeholder instituted happily
enlightened them.
Isolation appears to be one of the
penalties of great riches. The rich
man, although he may refuse to be.
lieve it, is never an intimate, moving
part of the great emotional and in.
spring world about him.
This is a philanthropic age, and
some valuable settlement work may
be accomplished by a society which
undertook the public duty of enlight-
ening rich men and bringing them
into more intimate relation with the
live, progressive thought of the Ma.