The Detroit times., 1916-09-16
Toward Organization
BY Or. FRANK CRANE
Coop right, 1915. b! Frank CraneD

We like to fight, to curse, to hate and
10 struggle, not because these things are
wicked but because they are the only
sort OF sporl We understand We are inn
perfectly developed, half brute, and claw
ana bite because We only know enough to
work OIL Our energy IN tnat crude way.
We have the vlslon, but do not know
how to realize il. he vision is the per-
feet organization OF the world. That
would mean every man doing his part
oI the world work ana receiving his due
pay
We are coming TO this slowly, with dis
treSslng coSmlc SioNneSS, by infinite ex-
permcntS. costly failures vast waste.
The finale OF the human drama is a
complete, smoothly working organization.
This Is the millennium.
This is the oak toward which our acorn
age is striving.
Yet we are making mighty strides to-
ward cooperation. But il is sporadically,
here and there. by individual effort in
stead of common, unified purpose.
The people need railways, for instance.
Railways are impossible without organic
ing men into large groups. We have not
sense enough 10 do this ourselves some
organizing genius comes along and does
know how, he accomplisheS what we
want; but rs he is not our officer or
agent, as We opposed him every step Of
the way as the only motive available TO
him was the hope OF profits, the result is
that instead Of the benefits accruing
mostly 10 the people an unduy large part
Of them passes into the pockets of the
genius. And If We had not let him skim
the cream OF the enterprise he would
not have undertaken ii.
So we curse him for capitalist. a
thief and "A robher He probably is Only
as such did we make it possible for him
"a work With no motive but the money
motive he naturally gets AL out Of it he
can.
But there is no reason why n man
should not build up or manage Il rail
way or factory. or bark as high-min
edlv rs the president administers the
affairs Of nation. He could. il he
could do II rs a public official as it is,
he can only do it "a a public enemy.
Petroleum is q general necessity The
people want it and use H. They didn't
have foresight and shrcwdness enough
20 build up the petroleum industry.
John y. Rockefeller and his cO-workers
did So they benefited the public, but
they did il TO pct rich. and now enjoy
the envy, adulation. and hatred Of the
commons. If Mr. Rockefeller could have
done this as the governor Of Pennsyl-
varia he would have been much happier.
and we al much better OF. But we are
NJ the present stage Of progress too stu
pid tradition bound. and mutton Drained
either 10 develop the coal oil business our
selves or 20 recognize and properly honor
q Rockefeller 70 do IL for us.
Trusts are merely doing what the peo-
pie ought 20 do themselves.
Big business is merely democracy In
business. For the essence Of democracy
is not competition but cooperation.
The proper profits of any kind of busi-
ness can never be made until all co-work.
Then they are enormous.
The cattlemen ought to have combined
and selected their agent 30 attend TO the
meat packing. They didn't know enough.
They were too busy fighting each other
Then came p. y. Armour, who knew He
organized. Millions of undreamed Of
profits were straightway visible. But Of
course Armour had the first whack at
them.
The Socialists who are berating the
trust makers are not pushing us toward
ultimate organization more than the
trust makers who are viewing the social
lists with alarm.
Cursers and cursees both work toward
the same end
when men smile and agree says a
modern philosopher, progress weeps.