Evening star., 1923-10-21
American Public Is Learning
ALI Wealth Is Not Criminal

! themselves in the Henry Ford class
! in America If they were less secre-
! tive about their business enterprises
] 1t is important that men be separate
and distinct in the minds of the pub
! lie. The business of the country is
/ dependent upon the good character
: of those engaged in 1t. Business has
! been so long under attack that its
success hereafter may depend upon
its willingness to let the public know
what 1T is doing, how 1t Is doing It,
and what 1T is making out of it.
The worst thing about swollen for
: tunes is the danger of their falling
! into the hands of men with swollen
heads A sudden accession of wealth
! is DANGEROUS There is natural in
clination to build a better home, buy
a finer machine. move in more ex-
elusive circle, and, worst of all, to for
get and ignore those who knew him
when. Newly rich men forget that
very common trait Of humankind
which Is an utter inability to under
stand how one who we believe to be
our inferior could have succeeded so
disproportionately to his merits.
great war and observed the Capital
city's fine spirit Of patriotism. devo-
tion and self-sacriflce during those
! trying months. 1t was as fine as the
spirit anywhere else in the entire re-
public, and I speak advisedly because
was pretty well over America dur
ing those seventeen months, coming
and going People had to eat. There
was no reason why they should not
eat together rather than alone. 1t
did not help the boy in the dugout
10 Inn IN IL hnt txrtn ofA
Zens of Washington were eating in
sixteen different places rather than
eating together, the point being that
the sixteen eating together were COM
plying as honestly with the food reg
ulationS of their government as
/ though they were eating alone. Yet
many times and in many places in
America my attention was called to
the riotous living going on in Wash
fngton. / could not take the time
to explain that the facts on which
they based their erroneous impress
sions were items of the society editor
who seems to think she must give
details of the most simple things of
life. / have great regard and SYM
pathy for society editors. They must
satisfy the hostesses and keep the
public abundantly informed. / refer
to Washington's wartime experience
as a sort of warning to those who
by honest means have accumulated
large fortunes. They we'll may be
careful what sort of display they
make Of the good luck which has
come to them. Modesty becomes any
man or woman but it measures up
to trait of character in those who
might. but do not, lord it over their
fellow men.
X X r. X
So manifest are the distinctions in
favor of this country over those that
rule In the life of Russia, that he
would be bold and unthinking man
who would say that the schools, COL
leges. libraries, churches, hospitals
OF this land would be kept up to
their present state of efficiency il
all the mobile and fixed wealth of
the land were divided equally among
all its citizens. Some politicians who
are now worrying about conditions
in America would have less than the
little they now have; some agitators.
who are working on large salaries
would. like Othello. find themselves
with an occupation gone, and full
many an uplifter would be compelled
to reduce his prices per lift or go
out OF business. Business and society
in America are not what they ought
to be. They never have been and
never will be until a seraphic gem
tleman by the name of Gabriel takes
charge of affairs. But business and
society in America are better than
they are anywhere else in the world
and by agitation, argument, persua-
sion, they are growing better each
year.
Copyright, 1923. by 21st Century Press)