The Bismarck tribune., 1929-02-06
THE NEW SAUL

Those who recall the SILENT contemptuous and
ruthless John D. Rockefeller r of the old days derive
good deal Of amazement out Of the attitude the
sanity gentleman who battles for purity in big
business. It Is like pursuing his own shadow with a
sword Of vengeance when he enlists in the drive his
making to oust Col Robert W. Stewart from the chair
manship Of the Standard Oil company OF Indiana.
Colonel Stewart has not played hob with the affairs
of the Indiana Standard is the elder Rockefeller
an investor In this branch of the oil octopus. The
colones offense has been that he held the senate in
contempt in his appearance in the Teapot Dome in
vestigaton very much John d. Sr used to do when
summoned to the bar to explain his machiavean oper-
atoms in oil in the old days before the Standard was
broken up into units by Judge Lands. Only John D.
was more canny. He could give many without
saying anything IN particular He was armorclad in
mantle of adrotness and mpassvity Stewart availed
himself of Of this raper craft. He senate
and the courts as with mental quarerstaff. And he
apparently in the vernacular, "got away with it."
Business codes. however, have undergone q revision
since the day of Commodore Vanderbits sneer as to
what the constitution between friends as we'll as
those later days when John D. Rockefeller was able to
fend off all the barbed prying OF a Philadelphia
lawyer into his corporate operations practices The
fight Stewart is the outcome these new standards
The corporations now seek to win public approval
They have found to their annoyance sorrow that it
doesn't pay to bait those whom the corporate pros
perity of the country depends some instances maybe
not always like the woman, they have to pay. Maybe
they may find it embarrassment In asking favors
they do not observe the punctos of new business
ethics Maybe the penalty reaches them in another way
No one has faced about repentanty to give al
eeance to the tenets of business ronor than has
the once willy king of OIL It is though voice had
come from heaven to Saul There is nothing smacking
OF preense and hypocrisy about changed attitude
either. 1t seems perfectly candid and honest
The elder Rockefeller thus becomes mighty recruit
to the fight his is making Colonel Stewart
from the craftsmanship of the Indiana of the Stand
ard. Tho 2h he hes stock in the company his pro-
nouncement that he indorses the younger John d.
purpc-: carries mighty walop to the hopes Stewart
to retain his grip on the company.
But the pronounce ent far beyond the be-.
tie to houSe-clean the Indiana oil concern It carries
with 1t an Endorsement Of the ethical code bus
ness that trade and industry subject to the ce
laws Of morality and honor that the individual is There
time in the murk of the old days when Theodore
Roosevelt crusadng against practices worthy of bu
only his cynciSm, if actually opposing the new
evangelism of corporation purity when the spectacle of
such day and such role that Of the elder Rookie
Teller afforded only dream of mockery
But 1t has come and has been accept. The great
political and business episodes OF the last eight years
have proved its need and have been forceul its
tablishmen The next four years may carry the new
policy to still further development. For the present it
will be interesting to watch and what potency it will
have in the battle the Rockefellers conducting
against corporation head who does not subscribe to
the new ethics.