The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-02-23


share none Of his misgivngs. The ap-
pearance of the two multimillionaires
before the Commission on the same
day naturally interested the New York
news editors, who further noted like
ness in the sentiments expressed by
the two men as remarkable as the diff
ference in their appearance and man
ner When the chuckliDg and ire
pressible Steel King was asked his
business, he replied, MY business is
| to do as much good as | can" When
the colder and more reticent founder
of the Standard Oil Company was ques-
toned about the motives and principles
underlying the various Foundations he
| has endowed, he answered, "The sole
motive underlying the various Foun-
dations which / have established has
been the desire to devote a portion of
my fortune TO the service of my fellow
man" In reply to questions, the two
capitalists added to their assertions
of pure motives their confidence that
no harm could possibly result from
their great Foundations, which are un-
der the guidance Of trustees of ability
and integrity, both former large en-
ployers of labor expressed approval
of profit-sharing as a solution Of diff
ficult industrial problems, and freely
conceded laboring mems right to or
ganiZe.
That these men who are working
overtime to get rid of their millions
and, in a way to benefit the public"
should be subjected to grilling' just as
if they were conducting their philan-
thropic enterprises with vicious or
other than good motives" seems to the
Birmingham Age-Herald to be UNJUST
In New York The Times and The
World take up the cudgels for the dis
tingushed witnesses and come to the
defense of the Rockefeller. Carnegie
and Sage Foundations. And The indie
pendent in carefully considered lead
ing article points out that "the history
of the great American benefactions
| ow under investigation has been one
| If UNPRECEDENTED care to fix the es-
possibility and to lodge ultimate res
possibility as to both purpose and
administration in no less an authority
than the duly constituted Government
of the United States. Subject to this
| limitation, the trustees are, indeed.
given great power, but the activities
which they are charged to further are
of such a nature that the light of pub
licity and the restraining force of pub
! lie opinion must at all times fall re-
morselessly upon them. Thus dis
posing of the more general and super
fetal objections raised against the
great Foundations the Independent
goes, on to- call attention to their real
worth So far, the largest eXpendi-
ture has been made to promote educa
ton and scientific search. OF the lat
service, it is asserted that mo such
systematic prosecution of promising
has been made by the Carnegie and
Rockefeller Institutes" And on the
educational side "a new spirit of ear
nestness, efficiency, businesslike atten-
ton has been put into American coll
leses and universities by the General
Education Board But there is even
more said. For, under existing circum-
stances,
The best things in our civilization
| depend, and must depend, upon funds
! wholly distinct in origin and i'll con-
troll from the public revenues. The
| great Foundations provide such funds
on a scale hitherto unknown and I'M
imagined. = s. If failure or perverted
use is indeed a real danger, which we
do not for Il moment believe, the orr
gin of that failure and the responsible
! ity for it will be found in the mind and
character of the American people it
self"
! Yet the conservative New York Jour-
| httt VI NOllIitECe, WHICH quite agrees
with such commentator of the great
| Foundations, does discern one peril,
namely, that an entirely worthy use
of vast fortunes, labeled with the
names of the munificent donors, may
be taken to sanctify the means by
which they were gained and gIorify
regulations which would otherwise be
deservediy beclouded"
On the same day that Mr.. Carnegie
and Mr.. Rockefeller testified, Mr., Nor
ris Hillquit, a New York lawyer and
Socialist leader, read before the In
g., dustrial Commission what the New
! York Gail (Soc.l speaks Of as "a we'll
| prepared, clean-cut and carefully
thought out criticism Of the Rookie
Teller Foundation and other philan-
/ ut No