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Little Journeys To the Homes of the Great, Volume 11
Little Journeys to the Homes
of Great Businessmen
by
Elbert Hubbard
Memorial Edition
New York
1916.
CONTENTS
ROBERT OWEN
JAMES OLIVER
STEPHEN GIRARD
MAYER A. ROTHSCHILD
PHILIP D. ARMOUR
JOHN J. ASTOR
PETER COOPER
ANDREW CARNEGIE
GEORGE PEABODY
A. T. STEWART
H. H. ROGERS
JAMES J. HILL
ROBERT OWEN[Pg 9]
I have always expended to the last shilling my surplus wealth inpromoting this great and good cause of industrial betterment. Theright-reverend prelate is greatly deceived when he says that I havesquandered my wealth in profligacy and luxury. I have neverexpended a pound in either; all my habits are habits of temperancein all things, and I challenge the right-reverend prelate and allhis abettors to prove the contrary, and I will give him and themthe means of following me through every stage and month of my life.
—Robert Owen, in Speech before the House of Lords
[Pg 10]
In Germany, the land of philosophy, when the savants sail into a sea ofdoubt, some one sets up the cry, "Back to Kant!"
In America, when professed democracy grows ambitious and evolves a lustfor power, men say, "Back to Jefferson!"
In business, when employer forgets employee and both forget their bettermanhood, we say, "Back to Robert Owen!"
We will not go back to Robert Owen: we will go on to Robert Owen, forhis philosophy is still in the vanguard.
Robert Owen was a businessman. His first intent was to attain apractical success. He produced the article, and sold it at a profit.
In this operation of taking raw material and manufacturing it into formsof use and beauty—from the time the seed was planted in the ground onup to the consumer who purchased the finished fabric and wove it—Owenbelieved that all should profit—all should be made happier by everytransaction.
That is to say, Robert Owen believed that a business transaction whereboth sides do not make money is immoral.
There is a legal maxim still cited in the courts—"Caveat[Pg 12] emptor"—letthe buyer beware.
For this maxim Robert Owen had no respect. He scorned the thought ofselling a man something the man did not want, or of selling an articlefor anything except exactly what it was, or