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NOVEMBER 10, 1905
The Commoner.
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"IF YOU HAVE STOLEN A SHEEP
YOU NOTHING TO GIVE THE
Frank P. Blair of Chicago has writton for tho
Chicago Record-Herald an interesting article
wherein he views the Rockefellers from what ho"
calls "the standpoint of absolute ethics." Mr.
Blair says:
The position occupied by Mr. Rockefeller
and those of his ilk has not been discussed, so
far as I have seen, from the standpoint of ab
solute ethics. Judged, from that standpoint, is
the verdict now pronounced against them and
their business methods by the jury of the people
a just verdict? Will it be sustained or set aside
by posterity?
I venture the opinion that the verdict is
just, fully warranted by the uncontradicted evi
dence before the public, and that as civilization
advances such methods will be execrated so
long as the memory of them shall survive. From
the standpoint of absolute ethics right thinking
men of all creeds, of all religions and of no re
ligion, must equally reprobate such practices as
immoral, whether illegal or not.
The primary law of all life, brute and human,
is that each adult -individual shall receive
reward in proportion to merit and shall
suffer pains for all shortcomings. The swiftest
wins tho race, the strongest gets the food, the
"fittest survive." In no other way can a species
improve. Were it otherwise did the weaker suc
ceed, the slothful prosper then, by the inexor
able law of heredity, the species would deterio
rate. But nature is "red in tooth and claw," the
swiftest and the strongest prevail, their progeny
supplants the unfit, and the species improves.
When, however, animals become gregarious,
this law receives a qualification namely, that
each individual, in pursuit of food and shelter,
must not so act as seriously to impede others
of the aggregate in their like pursuit; otherwise,
of necessity, the herd would disintegrate, and
the benefits of their association be lost. The in
herited instinct of gregarious animals enforces
tliis second rule, as e. g., whqn the "rogue" ele
phant is driven from the herdjMvhen an offending
crow is killed by its mates
DUTY TO FELLOW MEN
This second law of life becomes more and
more obligatory as civilization advances, and
now with us is a part of the law of the land, em
bodied in the maxim: "So use your own as not
to Injure another." Of course in all highly war
like societies the individual is sacrificed to the
safety or to the predatory policy of the state;
as in ancient Sparta, where his person was taken
in custody by the government; as in France,
where army service is compulsory; as in Daho
mey, where all property is owned by the king.
But as societies cease to be militant and pass
into the industrial stage, more and more are the
rights of person, of property and of locomotion
safeguarded, and more and more is each required
not to infringe those rights in others.
But a society organized strictly and solely
in -accordance with these two lawfe would still
fall far short of that ideal state toward which the
race.- Is now manifestly progressing. Multitudi
nous services are even now rendered gratuitous
ly, the sick and infirm are cared for, and social
intercourse rendered agreeable by numerous at
tentions given with no expect"tIon of reward.
The sentiment of sympathy, which has its root
in parental action and which finds its larger
expression in benevolence, is a growing sentiment,
and no life wherein it lacks free scope and play
can be considered complete. Thus the totality
of happiness is increased and "the tide of life
raised. This altruistic sentime- is slowly de
veloping in human nature, and In the future will
cause more and greater satisfactions than any
purely selfish gratification can evoke. Then, in
deed, will be realized the precept of Christ that
it is more blessed to give tlian to receive.
All students of the philosophy of Herbert
Spencer will "at once perceive the source of the
foregoing generalizations.
METHODS OF THE "SYSTEM"
With" thJ3 introduction come W3 now to the
facts known or admitted in the cases of many
of our "captains of industry." These may be
grouped under two heads.
1. "Unfair Competition," Mr. Rockefeller can
not deny, and it would not avail him to deny that
he has secretly. received railroad rebates and that
these rebateso constituted a large factor in the
accumulation of his wealth.
Tested by the second law of life, this practice
is immoral. If A, by a secret contract with a
transportation agency secures an advantago in
freight rates over B in tho same lino of busi.
ness, whereby B's profits are diminished or his
trade ruined, then A manifestly hinders and- im
pqdes B in the exorcise of his (B's) equal rights.
Moreover, A violates the first law In that ho re
ceives something to which his merit or his labor
has not entitled him.
2. "Oppressive Competition." I do not under
stand it to be denied that many of theso "cap
tains" in order to suppress competition, have re
sorted to the device of selling for a time certain
commodities at prices below tho cost of produc
tion until the obnoxious rival is ruined or driven
out of business.
Here tho violation of the second law is plain.
There is, too, an added offense against society at
large, for, where competition is killed, the price
of the commodity is advanced beyond legitimate
bounds, thus impeding also the -liberty of the
many.
Other infractions of tho laws of life have
been committed by the Standard Oil Company,
by the "beef trust" and by other so-called trusts;
but the foregoing are amply s-ifflcient for the
argument, and ' there exists the advantage as to
them that they can neither bo palliated nor
denied.
Pretermitting the Divine command, murder is
condemned by civilized nations for two other rea
sons: First, because its tendency is destructive
to society, and, second, because of the suffering
it entails on the family of tho murdered one. In
the pursuit of wealth theso "captains" have
ruined their thousands and their 'tens of thou
sands. If the heinousness of murder were meas
ured by the injury done to society at large and
the' suffering caused to individuals, how much
worse than murderers are these men who ruth
lessly use their vast powers to crush their com
petitors. BUSINESS IS NOT WAR
But it is said "business is war," and such
1 methods are proper to warfare. W x right think
ing men, with moral men, business Is not war,
and there comes a time who., competition Is im
moral. When by superior ability, Industry and
foresight, A is enabled to market his wares cheap
er than B, the code of absolute ethics requires A
to restrain his activities when his own wants and
the wants of those dependent upon him are
abundantly satisfied. To drive B into bank
ruptcy simply to pile up dollars is immoral, and
from the ethical standpoint as reprehensible as
to rob B at the muzzle of a pistol. The more is
it to be classed with robbery when such ruin is
accomplished by unfair or oppressive means. Cut
throat competition, where tho weakor is driven to
the wall, is a survival of the savue lust for con
quest inherited from countless generations of
predatory ancestors. In a really c ihzed society
it will be regarded with the same horror and
condemnation with which we now regard the com
mon crimes against person and property
Here comes in the rule that in addition to
justice ethics enjoin beneficence. No society
can be deemed approximately perfect until that
injunction Is habitually obeyed, and In the ideal
state the pleasure A will derive from abstaining
from ruining B in the case supposed will far
transcend any purely selfish gratification which A
could possibly achieve.
When the Almighty created life He impressed
these laws upon it, and thus, while they may be
called "laws of nature," they are also decrees
of God. Obedience to them is the fundamental
principle of religion, practically viewed. If this
is not taught in the church where attends tho
particular captain, then that church fails to re
veal all the divine commands.
Not only is it immoral to traverse these laws,
but in the long run it is fatal. Any society which
habitually tolerates such infractions will perish,
to be supplanted by a fitter society. Such is the
inexoraUo law.
REMEDY LIES WITH PEOPLE
What is the remedy? To a small extent, hu
man law. When legal redress shall be made
quick, cheap and efficient, so that discriminations
and secret advantages in business may be prompt
ly discovered and prevented or punished, some
thing will have- been accomplished. But laws un
less backed by public sentiment are worse than
useless. The full, adequate and complete remedy
IT WILL AVAIL
FEET TO GOD"
Is universal public roprobatlon. When men shall
come to regard theso practlcos in tholr truo moral
light; whon society shall openly sot Its soul of
condemnation upon the perpetrators; when, In tho
languago of tho 102d urtlclo of war, "It shall bo
doomed scandalous to aBoclato" 1th such "cap
tains," then and not till thou will tho practlco
cease.
With Che othical aspect of tho "tainted mon
ey" question I am not concerned; but thoro oc
curs to my mind an old Spanish provorb which
should glvo some ,or theso "captains" jmuiso.
Roughly translated it runs: "If you have stolon
a sheep, it will avail you nothing to glvo tho
feet to God."
"J
CHEAPER INSURANCE
Paul Morton, president of tho Equitable Lifo
Assurance Society, being asked If ho thought that
ono result of Insurance exposures would be tho
placing of insurance upon a cheaper basis, said:
"I hardly think so. Tho people do not want
cheaper Insurance, but thoy do want safe insur
ance. My observation has been that cheap In
surance Is never Bafo Insurance. Insurance has
become an acknowledged investment, ono In
which a man does not have to wait for death
before anybody can obtain any good from IL Be
ing a legitimate and good Investment, and being
recognized as such,- tho public has a right to de
mand that It bo safo."
Tho revelations before tho insurance com
mittee have shown that theso old lino insurance
companies could make a marked reduction In tho
cost of insurance, and at tho same time mako
tho investment entirely secure, if business pru
dence and common honesty characterized tho ad
ministration of the company's affairs.
Mr. Morton Is laboring under a wrong Impres
sion if ho imagines that tho people do not want
cheaper insurance. They not only want It, but
marked reduction in the cost of insurance is
bound to follow If practical and permanent good
Is to result from recent disclosures.
JJJ
WHAT ABOUT THE EQUITABLE7
How does it happen that the public has not
been told tho amount of" tho contributions for
republican campaign funds made by the Equitable
Life Assurance Society? Suroly that society,
t under the patriotic administration of the Hydes
,and Alexanders, was sufficiently alive to tho pub
lic welfare in 189C and in 1900 to contribute lib
erally to the republican campaign funds in order
that tho American people might bo saved from
themselves?
Can It bo possible that tno Investigation
promised by Paul Morton has not been thorough?
. Or can it be possible that Mr. Morton has no
intention of informing his policyholders as to
the society's contributions to tho campaign funds
of Mr. Morton's beloved party?
JJJ
EXPERTS
Tho St. Louis Globe-Democrat says: "It
would be well for tho republicans this time to
let the senate take the initiative in passing a rate
regulation measure. The senate's Interstate com
merce committee has given a good deal of time
this year to the study of tho questions which aro
Involved in that general policy."
Why not transfer the authority to tho railroad
managers? They have "given a good deal of
time this year to tho study of tho questions
which are involved in that general policy." That
would be almost as effective a method of "let
ting well enough alone" as an assignment of tho
duty to a body absolutely under the domination of
corporations.
JJJ
A GOOD STORY
Colonel Sidney C. Tapp of Atlanta, " Ga., Is
the author of a book entitled "The Struggle."
Thte Is a novel dealing with the trust question.
The author draws a striking picture of the oper
ations of Wall street, and those who have had tho v
privilege of reading the advance sheets say that
Colonel Tapp has written a captivating story and
one which can not fail to leave Its impression
upon the people who are suffering from the evils
which he so faithfully exposes and so vigorously
assails. "Htr;
SuAi
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