The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-06-19
Will FIGURES Lleq

both public and private business come
from the injudicious use of figures
The campaign orator asserts the very
broadest proposition OF political econ.
omy or ethics and then exultantly de
clares. Il have the figures to prove
it.. He then rattles off a majestic
array OF figures formidable only In
their immensity and complexity Per
haps disjointed and many of them
foreign to the subject in hand and
then triumpnantly throws down his
paper, for he always reads and de-
clares to his awe-inspired listeners
that That proves my statements"
The chances are that he has proven
nothing of the kind and that he him
self could not at that moment recall
half the figures he has read and the
chances are that few il any OF his
listeners could recall any of them and
yet in this cheap oratory the state
ment is assumed to be proven and
from Il doctrines of far reaching, sig-
nifcance are deduced and applied
with a confidence that belongs to none
but the cheap stump orator
Men in business would not think OF
using this mess of unexamined and.
unproyen figures upon which to base
business ventures. If they did they
would not long remain in business.
Then again where were the figures
obtained and by whom compiled?
What method was used in compiling?
How many OF them state real exact
facts and how many are ll,re esti-
mates in other words how many of
them simply are opinions and state
ments themselves?
Even il these were the only errors
in campaign figures they might be
more reliable but not a lew are made
TO order for use in the campaign and
as unreliable as the men who com
piled them.
The mails are flooded with pam
phlets from societies with euphopeous
names which in reality are societies
supported by the funds of some great
or monopoly and the So
ciety consists of salaried secretary
and clerks, perhaps headed by a ia.
nous but self interested man as presi-
lent.
These then constitute the great
mass of so-called arguments that
make up a misnamed campaign OF ed
ication.
Again figures viii prove only ques-
ions OF quantity and do not reach the
ieeper social problems that underlie
he whole fabric of organized society
,r government They are not of much
Use when problems of liberty justice
md morality are to be dealt with. A
million dollars bears no relation SO
ar as worth Is concerned TO single
.uman life, The Golfers of a nation
an not compensate for a failure or
give justice TO it's humblest citizen.
A neglect to give that justice win
ultimately demand no less a price
han the lie OF the nation that re-
uses it,
A late example of one OF these so
'ieties Tor The purpose of popular ed
lcation is furnished by the export as.
'ociation where Gen. Wood. war gov
srnor of Cuba, out OF the Cuban treas
lry donated a part about $4,000. and
Mr.. Hayemeyer, president Of the SUI
gar trust. made a donation OF $4,000
AZ one time to maintain bureau to
conduct campaign of education In
behalf of reciprocity for Cuba What
species OF reliability may be attached
10 these expert figures cunningly ar
ranged not with a view 10 promulgate'
he truth but 10 maintain the grip OF
he sugar trust on Cuban sugar.
The conclusion does not follow that
an figures must be discarded in form.
Ing judgments on political questions
but merely that they must be carefully
scrntinized as 10 their origin. reliabil-
Ity and application to the subject un-
der consideration.
A man must think for himself or
be a fool and pay the penalty assessed
In that homely old maxim "A fool and
bis money are soon parted"
The people are catching the thought
very rapidly and the coming campaign