The Detroit times., 1916-09-16
Toward Organization
ev DR.. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Crane)

We like to fight, to curse, to hate and
to struggle, not because these things are
wicked, but because they are the only
sort OF sport we understand. We are i'm
perfectly developed, half brute, and claw
and bite because we only know enough to
WORK oil our energy in that crude way.
We have the vision, but do not know
how to realize it. The vision is the per-
feet organization of tie world. That
would mean every man doing his part
OIL the worlds work and receiving his due
pay.
We are coming to this slowly, with dis
tressing cosmc slowness, by infinite ex-
perlments. 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 it is sporadcally,
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 to do this ourselves: some
organizing genius comes along and does
know how he accomplshes what we
want: but as 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 accrlIinQ
mostly 10 the people an unduly 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 it.
So we curse him for a capitalist, a
thief and a robber He probably is. Only
as such did we make il possible for him
TO work. With no motive but the money
motive he naturally gets all out Of it he
can.
But there Is no reason why a man
should not build up or manage rail
way, or factory. or bank. as high-mind-
edlv as the president administers the
affairs of a nation He could, if he
could do il as a public official; as it is,
he can only do ii as a public enemy.
Petroleum is a general necessity. The
people want il and use il. They didn't
have foresight and shrewdness enough
10 build up the petroleum industry.
John u. Rockefeller and his co-workers
they did il To get rich and now enjoy
the envy, adulation, and hatred Of the
commons If Mr.. Rockefeller could have
done this as the governor Of Pennsyl-
vana he would have been much happier
and we all much better off But we are
ut The present stage Of progress too stu
/ pid tradition bound. and mutton Drained
either ~ develop the coal oil business our
selves or TO recognize and properly honor
a Rockefeller TO do il for us.
Trusts are merely doing what the peo-
pie ought TO 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 bust
ness can never be made until all co-work.
Then they are enormous.
The cattlemen ought TO have combined
and selected their agent to attend to the
meat packing They didn't know enough.
They were too busy fighting each other.
Then came p. u. 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 arc 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
modern philosopher, progress weeps.