The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-26
Standard Oil Officer Tells
Church Class Crooked
Business Can't Succeed
QUOTATIONS ARE
GIVEN FROM BIBLE
Believes President Wilson Has Changed
His Position Since War Started
Rules FOR Young Men to Cultivate in
Winning Success.

MEN YORK, Feb. 2G.-Members OF
the Rttou class for men in the Madison
Avenue Baptist church smiled when 4
G. bedford, chairman of the board OF
directors of the Standard Oil company
.. New Jersey, quoted the Proverb to
1ow Gle that loveth treasure shall be-
poor man, and he that loveth wine
and oil shall not bo rich - Tho die.
'unguished oil man provoked this ripple
IN The course of notable address, ON
Business Ethics" in which he insisted
that the keynotes of success were cbar.
actcr and developed talent.
Tho speaker cautioned the vouno men
to cultivate honor, honesty and respect
for the law, with sympathy, mercy and
Justice as essential attributes to the
winning of one y way. &c..
Mr.. Bedford said that the temptation
was great, now that there are three or
four customers for every article. to get
the highest possible prices for goods.
but he insisted that this policy was by
NO means the attitude of the mass of
the business men of the country
The great body of business men of
this country, said Alr Bedford, ''are
not only honest but they are patriotic
a. well. They are doing business in
the spirit of the times, which is not
only honest but intensely patriotic.
Get out Of your minds that business
- dishonest, especially big business.
Unless business * conducted in a fair
and honorable manner II will lose in the
long run. When men do business with
a firm or corporation for 10, 90 and
even 80 years it is fair to assume that
they would not do 80 unless they cx
Pcctcd aud received fair treatment.
~ seems 10 have been the popular
opinion not W long ago in this country
that the standard Of business morality
was low. O. widely circulated miscon, .
ccPtion of mercantile morals is dissent,
mated b. the press. Modern Journalism
concerns itself with the exploitation of
the exceptional. The managing editor
realizes that plain history has few
readers while romance makes an immc.
date appeal to a million.
College presidents have lent their
sanction ~ a popular created impress.
SION, and even one now high in author.
ttv, no less than the president himself.
M an interview once said. The cor
poration problem resembles a society of
burglars legally organized to plundcr.
80 think the events Of the last foy
months probably have changed his
mind. / am sure the indiscrminate con-
domination Of business can i'm no wise
be justified by the facts.
- would urge a young man going
into business to cultivate three things
First, o fine sentiment of honor
Ihat Is, a principle of action in con.
tormity with the highest standards of
duty and obligation set by the social
sentiment of any time and place. But
remember conditions permissible 20
wears ago would bc condemned today.
This - due to the advancement of NOR.
al Thought and a generally better con
ccptiou of the higher ideals.
second, the practice of the prin-
ciples Of honesty. That is, the conduct
OF business transactions in conformity
with the conventional standards of
duty and obligation set b. the social
sentiment of any given time and place.
Third, strict observance of the
law. That is, a rule of action cstab.
llshcd h. recognized authority to en-.
force justice and to direct duty.
90 would also urge a man in bust
ness To exercise sympathy, mercy and
Justice. all of which should be factors
in competition. And competition is
business. Sympathy, mercy and Justice
are beginning to shape public opinion
and even to find expression in law.
The three touchstones of success
arc character, developed talent and
wealth, and the greatest of these is
character Character is often q bet
ter asset than dividend paying stocks
Character cannot be possessed by those