The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-04-16
THE GREAT LESSON

R. Goodwin Rhett, president of the Chamber
Of Commerce of the United States, made a tremen-
dous,. mighty good declaration, in opening the
chambers sixth annual meeting at Chicago 1t is
declaration that should be pasted in every CAPT.
talist and labor hat in the country.
!. President Rhett warned the business world
against Bolshevikism in America and revolution.
Industrial unrest, he declared, must be reckoned
with and adjusted, if industry and commerce are
to go on under private initiation and private lead
ership and he added these pointed words
~, what is not for the common good is
not for the good of business. = When we
have all learned that lesson, suspicion be-
tween employer and employee will disappear,
conflict between capital and labor will cease,
thoughts of coercion will change to CO.
operation, the spirit of greed will be trans
formed into service
Mr.. Rhett and the U. S. Chamber of Commerce
are representative of what economists have, un-
democraticaly, got into the habit of calling
"class"-the capitalistic class, as distinguished
from the labor class.
Is it true that capitalism is learning that what
is not for the common good is not for the good
of business? There are the strongest evidences
of it, in our war measures and purposes. The Hun
autocracy strikes at the right of labor to enjoy
freedom, justice and the opportunity to pursue
happiness in it's way, but it strikes not less at
the enterprise, facilities and markets, or oppor-
fearful common danger. It is as if the world were
under a great deluge, and the tiger and the deer
sought refuge on an island, their former relations
suspended.
In this exigency of war, as never before, are
,acn, especially American men, putting their diff
ferences and conflicts into the crucbe. Into this
crucible is going the dross of suspicion conflict,
coercion and nordinate greed, and when from be-
meath it are drawn the hot fires Of common sacri-
flee and common patriotism, we shall have the
most precious metal-a stronger national purpose
and service for the common good.
Oh! why may we not, all OF US, have faith that
such is the Almighty's purpose, such His "mys-
ferrous way! That, out Of the struggling, suf-
fering sacrificing shall come to all of u.s. capitalist
and laboring man, rich and poor, idler and over
worked, the lesson that what is not for the COM
mon good is not for the good of any Of US! He
gave us those heroes who starved and froze at
Valley Forge for common nation and the COM
mon good. He gave us those armies of martyrs to
the cause of the common good above whose beds
the spring flowers are beginning to bloom at Ar
lington, Vicksburg and Chattanooga He gave US
a country Of unlimited good in field and forest
river, lake and NINE With both hands He show
cred upon us possibilities for the common good
How have we used all this? Have we fore
sworn suspicion? Have we avoided conflict :?
Have we refused to coerce? Have we suppressed
the spirit Of greed? Have we so used our mani
fest and manifold blessings as to ward off Boil
shevikism and revolution? Or, have we pro-
duced and promoted Glass" with what that means
of suspicion, conflict, greed, hate and coercion
President Rhett, high priest of capitalism, has
said 9 tremendous thing. We will learn the great
lesson in this war. Praise be to God !s'we may
come out Of it immovably convinced--all Of. us
that what is not for the common good is no good
ct al!
German autocrats express their sincere regrets
It having killed the counselor Of the Swiss in Paris
while fvas in church. The neutE natiou "a
sincers fasref - ~ X