Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-09
ADVISES RICH TO DEAL
FAIRLY WITH PUBLIC
DR.. TALMAeE SPEAKS ON PRES
CENT PROSPERITY PANIC"
Says Al Corporations Should Open
Their Books, as People Want
More Light on Public
Utilities

Doctor Talmadge last night preached
upon "The Lessons of the Present Pros
perity Panic" at the First Presbyterian
church. In part he said:
"The trend of this address has two sig
nificances The first is that every mar.
no matter whether he is dressed in broad
cloth or in overalls, must be honest.
''There is not .one economic law for the
rich and another for the poor. There Is
not one law for the man who sells pota-
toes in the corner grocery and another
law for the man who Is at the head of a
great sugar refinery trust. Both the ricn
and the poor must stand upon the same
level And we rich men of America, If ye
want to help stop this prosperity panic
and all future panics like 1t, prove to the
world you are honest.
"Open the books of your banks and
railroads and insurance companies. Oper
them so wide that every man can read
them. The great trouble with the rich
corporations is they have had their meet
ings behind closed doors. The common
people do not know what they are doing.
Not All Wealthy Are Dishonest
"And thus, because some of the rich
men have been proven dishonest. the
common people have leaped to the false
conclusion that all rich men are dishonest.
Aye, today, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, we want the slogan taken up:
More light, more light!
I'VE want more light upon all the pub
lie utilities. We want to know how our
telegraph companies are run, and our
street railways are run, and our banking
businesses are run, and our oil businesses
are run, and our insurance companies are
run.
"As people, we want to know who arc
the black sheep among the rich men.
And just as sure as the world moves
those books of the public utilities will be
opened, and the sooner the better.
"Supposing / had machine in my
home to counterfeit the government coins
do you suppose would leave 1t in a.
exposed place where the officers of the
law could see it? The one fact that l arr
afraid to let the city authorities look into
my gas business is the one fact above al
facts which proves that l am running
that business in crooked way.
Only Thieves Fear Light
"And so, today, at the time of this
governmental crisis, 1 beg and plead with
all honest rich men who are officers in
banks, or trust companies or businesses
of public utilities, to open the books of
their corporations and show the worl'l
they are honest
This is the first great move that ought
to be taken to allay the public unrest.
And, rich men, whether honest or dis
honest, l want to tell you that, willingly
or unwllingly, you will have to opan
those books The people of the United
States are demanding it. And the peo-
rle have right to demand It, The man
who fears the light is at heart thief
And the sooner you open your books tho
sooner will the great public unrest cease
II want to make prophecy. The best
year in the history Of our country is to
be the next year There is going to pc
more work, more business. more comforts
and more happy homes than ever before
There is going to be more faith in
God and more faith in our fellow men,
And above all there is going to be more
of the helpful nature when man is will"
ing to aid his fellow men. God grant that
this prophecy may come true. And may
these months of temporal and spiritual
joys be started in all our hearts at this
present moment.
Then will the wise be leading the
WISE"