“You are talking of something you know nothing about. The help the Government gave us was to guarantee the interest of our bonds. We accepted that help, because we knew that, as private individuals, we might not command the credit necessary to place our bonds in the market, that's all. As for the land subsidy, we will pay every cent of its price with our services. We do not ask of the Government to give us anything gratis. We will give value received for everything.”
“That is certainly a very ingenious view to take of the whole matter, and so viewing it, of course the killing of the Texas Pacific seems justifiable to you,” said Mr. Mechlin.
“Carlyle, in your place, would not view your position like that, Governor,” said Don Mariano, rising.
“Nor Herbert Spencer, either. His ideas of what you call business principles are different,” added Mr. Holman.
“Pray, what would those great thinkers say?”
“Carlyle would think you are much to blame for flinging away a magnificent chance to be great and heroic. Carlyle worships heroes, but his idea of heroism is not only applicable to warriors and conquerors, but to any one capable of rising to a high plane of thought or heroic endeavor, doing acts which require great self-denial for our fellow-beings, for humanity's sake, with no view or expectation of reward in money,” Mr. Mechlin said.
The Governor smiled, and with the least perceptible sneer he asked:
“And how does Mr. Herbert Spencer differ with my ideas of business principles?”
“He differs in this, that he thinks that commercial honor, business morality, should be based on strict rectitude, on the purest equity. That so soon as any one in the pursuit of riches knowingly and wilfully will injure any one else, that he then violates the principle upon which commerce should rest,” Mr. Holman replied.
“But that is absurd. Would he stop competition?”