The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-07-17
M. E.TracySay

TOHN D. ROCKEFELLER Justly may be re-
~ garded as IMPLYING an era. The ninety
four years he has lived virtually compass the
rise and development of American big business
There were millionaires for him to study and
emulate in his youth-men who had become
dominant in certain lines of trade and had won
great fortunes-but the corporation, holding
company, and organized raid to gain control in
some particular field remained to be perfected
Inventors, lawyers, and promoters combined
to create a new philosophy while Mr.. Rockefeller
was growing up, and he elected to join them
They were a strong, imaginative, acquisitive set
of men, and the very liberty by which this gov
eminent sought to protect the weak gave them
a great advantage.
They schemed, combined and built without
much interference. Borrowing corporated priv
leges from individual rights, they developed such
a system of financial and industrial hegemonies
as the world never knew.
The people still were too interested in pre-
venting centralized political power to appreciate
the threat of centralized economic power. The
hangover of revolutionary concepts gave mid
Victorian bankers and eXploiters free reign.
Fourth OF July orators accomplished nothing SO
well as to divert attention from what was taking
place in trade and finance.
A S a matter of fact, America was proud of
"A her big enterprises and the big men at
IAiSA 1lSdO, pIOQQ Ol CI6lT OOlQn6SS ana care
devil spirit. She applauded as they drove the
railroad westward, opened new territory, bet
their money on innovations, and gambled glori-
ously with the fate of whole communities.
Besides, there was philanthropy to console
the doubters. Endowed colleges, hospitals and
museums sprang up on every hand. 1t became
the fashion to give back part Of the profit,
though not too big a part. and generally not
until death or old age made it convenient.
1t was a grand display of human capacity,
and we shall miss it, if those who think it has
come to an end are right.
Possibly it has not come to an end, though
it is obviously due for a %Stricter sort Of super
vision. Possibly the blues of depression have
led us to assume too much.
We are adopting some rather drastic mea-
Sures, but whether to meet an emergency or
for basic changes in our system of govern
ment remains to be seen.
1t is to be admitted that industrialism a la
Rockefeller, Ford, Morgan has its drawbacks,
but what theory has not?
NTHEN you get right down to brass tacks,
w have the Stains, Mussolinis or Hitlers
shown any greater ability to meet, or avoid, de-
preston than the rest of us?
England and the United States have suffered
terribly from unemployment, as well as other
economic losses, but they have succeeded in
preventing widespread illness and death.
Disciplined action has kept most people at
work in such countries as Italy and Russia, but
when translated into terms of bread, meat and
recreation for the masses, has the system shown
better results than our OWN?
At least we have preserved freedom of speech
a free press and our political rights, which they
have not, and We still can preserve them, in spite
OF such notifications as may be necessary in our
industrial structure. by following the lead Of
President Roosevelt