This little table (exhibiting a square table with four legs) illustrates my conception of a corporation; and there are several points in regard to the table to which I want to call your attention.
First, you see that it would not be complete unless it had all four sides. Each side is necessary; each side has its own part to play.
Now, if you imagine this table cut into quarters, and each quarter separated from the others, what would happen? All of them would fall down, for no one could stand alone, and you would have no table. But when you put the four sides together, you have a useful piece of furniture; you have a table.
Then, secondly, I call your attention to the fact that these four sides are all perfectly joined together; that is why we have a perfect table. Likewise, if the parties interested in a corporation are not perfectly joined together, harmoniously working together, you have a discordant and unsuccessful corporation.
Again, you will notice that this table is square. And every corporation to be successful must be on the square—absolutely a square deal for every one of the four parties, and for every man in each of the four parties.
I call your attention to one more thing—the table is level. Each part supported by its leg is holding up its own side, hence you have a level table. So, equal responsibility rests on each one of the four parties united in a corporation.
When you have a level table, or a corporation that is on the level, you can pile up earnings on it (piling coins on the table). Now, who gets the first crack at the earnings? You know that we in New York don’t.
Here come along the employees, and first of all they get their wages (removing some of the coins), every two weeks like clockwork, just what has been agreed on; they get the first chance at the pile.
You men come ahead of the president, the officers, the stockholders and directors. You are the first to put a hand into the pile and take out what is agreed shall belong to you.