CHAPTER XXII
THE RESPONSIBILITY FASTENED
Life's alternatives are seldom labelled. Right is not always white, nor wrong, black. The parting of the ways is oftentimes to the eye no more than the forking of main-travelled roads, and good intentions are no sure guide to the straight path. This, however, was one of those rare crossings at which Fate's red light swung full in view, and in its warning glow I seemed to read the sign:
"Settle Right or Forever Regret."
Well it was for me and for those thousands who were victimized and robbed later that I heeded the monition, for if in the interests of peace I had allowed myself to be overwhelmed by the imperious will of Henry H. Rogers, I should to-day be as helpless as those others who, coming forward to accuse, are met with "Standard Oil's" crushing rejoinder, "It's a lie—you can't prove it." I have wondered since if the master of "Standard Oil" also saw the red signal or interpreted its prophetic message. His eyes still met mine in the same deadly, intense stare, but the anger had passed out. Then in an instant the battle was mine. Henry H. Rogers came out of the clouds and with a gesture of his hand waved away all that had passed, and said:
"D—n it, Lawson, you are a most impractical man to do business with, but I suppose you must have your way. Now just tell me—and put it in few and plain words—what is it you intend to do to get this affair through, for we must carry it to a finish at once, although it does seem hard that I must do things I don't want to and which may put me in a bad hole; but let us hope the future will only show that all these precautions were a waste of energies. Bear in mind, though, that whatever is done, must be so arranged that no one but me will know the real condition, for though I have given way, William Rockefeller and Stillman, to say nothing of the others, would throw up the whole affair rather than incur the danger of future litigation and trouble."
At that moment Mr. Rogers had, I believe, made up his mind to play so fair with the public that there should never arise dissatisfaction with the course of Amalgamated, that is, he had determined to be content with a half brick of gold without retribution or restitution in place of the whole fraught with penalties of exposure and reprobation. At that period his cupidity had not flared into the towers of fire it afterward became, in the smoke and flame of which all undefined dangers were obscured.
"As you will, Mr. Rogers," I assented; "that part is not my hunt. I should prefer that our associates knew things as we do, but as it seems that is impossible, I must be satisfied with knowing that you thoroughly understand the conditions I am going ahead on. Here they are: First, all public notices must bear the names not only of the Amalgamated Company and the City Bank, but of the individuals, Rockefeller, Rogers, and Stillman. As the real story is to be told by me alone, these names will prevent any suspicion the public, particularly Wall Street, would have that there was any lukewarmness or dodging. This means that you and Mr. Rockefeller must be known as officers of the company as well as directors."
"Now, Lawson, right there, that is impossible—absolutely out of the question. William Rockefeller will under no circumstances take on additional duties of this kind, and whatever the consequences, I cannot persuade him to."
I saw he meant this, and that we must get around it.
"Let us begin at the beginning, then—the president. You should be president—over the flotation, at least."
"That is impossible, too, for you know it is settled that Marcus Daly is president. I promised the position to him as a part of the trade. It would be ridiculous for me, who it is known am not a copper expert, to be president of a new copper company in which Marcus Daly is a large owner and is supposed to have a prominent hand. Besides, in certain parts of the country his name will stand much better than mine, and it means much to all miners the world over."
"All right for president," I answered. "That settles, then, where you would naturally come in—vice-president; and as vice-president it will be proper to print your name in the advertisement below that of the president."
He demurred at first, but finally acquiesced, for he had now made up his mind to play out the string. For treasurer and secretary he suggested a brother of Governor Flower's, but I knew that this was now the only place left where the magic name of Rockefeller could be used and I drew his attention to the fact.
"How can we do it, Lawson, when I have told you it is impossible?"
"William Rockefeller has a son, William G. Rockefeller. He's our man for treasurer and secretary. Not one in ten thousand but will think William G. is the senior Rockefeller, so the name is as good for the country as his father's, and in State and Wall streets it is better, for among financiers it is known that William Rockefeller would hesitate longer about putting his son out in the open in an enterprise he did not approve than about getting in himself. So William G. Rockefeller it must be."
Mr. Rogers did not take kindly to the idea, and I could see it would be quite a task for him to arrange the matter. However, it was necessary, and he undertook the contract. I went on:
"That covers the company. Second, we will print three advertisements—a plain notice of the City Bank, which must be signed not only with the usual 'National City Bank,' but 'James Stillman, President.' This will immediately follow the company's advertisement, which I shall so word that the enormous properties composing the consolidation will be set forth, yet without details of the extent of our holdings in any of them. In its own advertisement offering the stock the City Bank will refer to the advertisement of the Amalgamated as though all particulars had there been given, and I will see that it reads openly and frankly and yet contains nothing that need scare Stillman. Then there will be a third advertisement, signed by myself, in which, in the plainest and strongest terms at my command, I shall tell just what the company is and what it proposes to do."
"So far all right," assented Mr. Rogers.
"There is one more thing," I went on. "It cannot openly be put forward that I am the authorized agent of the Amalgamated Company and the City Bank—well, I must have the equivalent of this. It must be shown by inference. If I insert these three advertisements in the papers and pay for them, and the company pays me for them, it will be proof positive for all time that I acted as the authorized agent of not only the company and the City Bank, but of Marcus Daly, yourself, William Rockefeller's son, and James Stillman, and therefore that whatever my advertisement says is binding upon them. Remember, though, it will be your affair whether you tell them of it or not."
"You persist, Lawson, that this is necessary?" Mr. Rogers interrogated. "You seem to lose sight of the position I shall be in should anything happen later to reveal to these men with whom I am so closely associated in business that they were binding themselves without their knowledge, and that I was fully aware of the fact."
"Absolutely necessary, Mr. Rogers," I returned without an instant's hesitation. "Now let us run over the situation finally, for I want to relieve your mind of the idea that I am doing anything selfish in insisting on these conditions. When the public subscription is offered, there must be a story of facts to go with it. Some one must make it. The men who should, will not, although they are prepared to reap all the benefits of what the man who will, says. It seems I am that man, and what I say must be what I understand is the exact truth about the enterprise. Well and good. It is essential for the one who assumes this responsibility to do it in such a way that he can for all time show that the men who benefited and upon whose say-so he acted were in every way responsible for what he did. All this is undeniable. There are only two possible considerations that enter into the problem: first, that the facts I am to state are not true; second, that it devolves on me to accept a risk those associated with me will not take. If the first can be maintained, farewell to our enterprise, and get ready for the worst financial scandal Wall Street ever faced. If it's the last—Mr. Rogers, the 'Standard Oil' people are all very strong, but I don't believe any of them would have the nerve to ask me to accept a risk they dared not themselves undertake."
There was no escaping my conclusion, and unwelcome as the fact was, he saw no further talk would avail, so he snapped:
"Draw up the advertisements you think proper. Have them ready in an hour, and I will in the meantime see William Rockefeller and Stillman and do what is necessary."
I noted the set of Henry H. Rogers' jaw and the down slant of his eyelid as he uttered these words, and I had no doubt of the compliance of James Stillman and William Rockefeller with whatever demands he chose to propose that day. "Cyclones and thunderbolts! Heaven help these or any others who venture to resist him in this mood," I inwardly commented, "especially if they are of those with whom he has travelled the 'Standard Oil' blood-trail." My imagination showed me a picture of 26 Broadway and the National City Bank swaying and shaking like full-blown hollyhocks in a gale.
I had my advertisements ready and was waiting when he returned.
"Lawson," said he peremptorily, "if your work will pass me you may go ahead with it."
"You mean you have obtained all the consents necessary?"
"I mean that we will waste no more words on this matter. The advertisements you can convince me are right you may have inserted in the papers, and no one will say a word publicly or otherwise. Neither William Rockefeller, his son, Stillman, the Bank nor any officer or director of the Amalgamated Company will talk until after the subscriptions have been closed and the allotments made; not oneword but what you say or print will be uttered. Can you ask anything more than that?"
"Not a thing more."
I then laid out the rough copies of what afterward appeared in the papers throughout the country (reproduced on pages 336 and 338).