The Washington herald., 1915-04-13

s3329 r. ocean tides"
kf1lsizEkz1 They began to protest In
different phrases the rich obliged to hear
that competition was the life of trade. He could
hardly restrain his impatence. He let the talk
run on for while. Then he said. in an impress
sivc whisper, Bending forward with both hands on
the desk that his head might be close to their
heads: Competition is mere superstition
He looked around suspiciously, as if afraid the
clerks in the outer office might hear
After making that clerks were listen
ing the rich man went on, addressing himself to
that circle OF excited heads: "Compctition can be
destroyed. We can destroy it. We can buy up
all the materials of production. all the things that
people must have or think they must have which
is exactly the same thing. Then we can regulate
the prices to suit ourselves. The people will be
at our mercy. II will be life death with then"
Cant VIC begin right away said one
"Ics" he replied pleasantly. But of course
we must proceed with care. One thing at time.
One thing at a timc!" he concluded, with his de-
lightful good humor.
1T seems to me-" said little man, "if we can
only carry this thing through we can get every
thing"
The rich man pattcd him the back.
well leave them enough to live on he said
after all, it is by living that they will keep
going If they were all to die the joke would be
on us"
They all laughed and rubbed their hands They
were fine pleasant fellows when mingng with
their kind,
At first the rich man had an amusing expert
cnce. The worlds cagerness in selling out to him
appealed to his sense OF humor. And he
chantcd with the applause OF the world. The very
people who contributing to his magnificent
enterprise and to their undoing were giving
him and more humor.
The few that objected to selling he quickly
threatened. Those that resisted he crushed.
He became known as the Napoleon OF Or
ganizers.
And the things that he organized were living
creatures called Great Enterprises.
The work went on quietly. rapidly The time
came when it was decided there must be results.
So prices raised. slightly that the
change was hardly noticed.
Soon they were raised again, and again and
again.
1t was wonderful the way it was done. APP
parently nothing changed. The sun rose and set
There marriages, births deaths, divorces, all
the trials and joys making human life.
The sharpcSt observer drifting along the street
would have perceived no difference
few say bTweIer They edSsf their rG'ee
that the world mcnaccd with strange and ter
rblc presenccs. These Great Enterprises were
really Ogres. See" they said. "thcy arc sur
the world.
The people looked up and they saw, standing
on the edge OF the world, huge monsters Supcrbly
dressed with nScrutabe features and faces coldly
smiling.
Many OF the people admired the monsters.
A few declared the monsters were beautiful
Meanwhile. millions starving; millions
more were terrified.
1t looked as il lie might become too expensive
a luxury to be sustained except by the few.
And the prices increased myStcrIously, steadily.
The Napoleon OF Organizers and his friends
sat back in supreme content.
The time came when the people grew nervous
about the presence OF the Ogres There they stood,
ehostlikc unapproachablc, with cold and pitilcss
eyes.
In dsmay the people said to ono another.
what shall We do with these monsters?
Some of them cried: Let us restrain them
And they made feeble efforts
The world laughed.
Even the monsters seemed amused.
And ono great went about dcnounc1ng the
Dcrcs and winning great credit for courage.
The Ogrcs kept smiling inscrutably.
One hopeful little went so far as to mi
Dose a huge fine the largest of the OgrcS.
The Ogre said nothing. He waited
The fine rcmttcd, 1t was as if it had
never been.
D. IL