Correspondence

Letter: R.F. Pettigrew to H.L. Loucks, March 31, 1915

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MA 23 | B01-F07-I02

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Correspondence

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  • 1915 March 31 (Creation)

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2 pages

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R.F. Pettigrew discusses with H.L. Loucks the desire to get at least one newspaper in Sioux Falls for their needs as well having a stock of Pearson's Magazines featuring Charles Edward Russell's article on Grain Trust ready to be distributed. Pettigrew argues the necessity of changing the current society from 'egotistic to altruistic.'

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TRANSCRIPT

Cable Address:
“Auditorium.”
Auditorium Hotel
Michigan Boulevard and Congress Street
J. J. Calvey Acting Manager
Chicago, March 31, 1915.

Mr. H. L. Loucks,

Watertown, S. D.

My dear Loucks :-

I am going home tomorrow. Will be in Sioux Falls Friday morning. I have read your very interesting letter of March 27, which came Sunday morning, and I agree with what you state. I am going to write some articles calling attention to the record made in the last legislature by the Minnehaha County representatives. I am going to scheme some way to get a paper at Sioux Falls. I have 100 copies of Pearson’s Magazine for April, which contains Charles Edward Russell’s article on the Grain Trust, and I will send you a lot of them for distribution as soon as I get home.

The farmers and the country merchants ought to act together politically, without any reference to political parties. That is what they did in New Zealand and they got control of the Government. A country merchant should have no interest except what is also the interest of the farming community, and a country merchant who will not act politically with the farmers ought not to have the farmers’ trade. I know, of course, a merchant is a crook, as a rule, but perhaps he is as good as anybody else.

Under our system, to be without money is the worst of crimes; and to keep all you get and get all you can is the first, and the last, and the whole duty of man; and I don’t look for any real reform or honesty in either business or politics until our whole social system is absolutely overturned, and one established in its place which will offer some other prize for the efforts of life than the mere acquisition of money. In other words, we have got to change from the egotistic to the altruistic; from pure unadulterated selfishness to the general welfare, before any real progress will be made toward better things.

Yours truly,

R. F. Pettigrew

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Item Identifier

MA 23 H.L. Loucks Correspondence with R.F. Pettigrew Box 1 Folder 7 Item 2

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