The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-17
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

The recent addition Of the sugar trust
TO the ranks Of those big industrial cor
porations which are letting the light
shine In on their internal affairs is an
/ evidence Of one OF the most complete
revolutions Of business policy that the
/ United States has ever seen. Il seems
as but yesterday that the public be-
damned spirit was topmost IN the world
/ OF large business affairs In the Two
years Of undertaking that have so re-
Gently passed there was about as much
said by the muck-rakeTs that wasn't true
as was said that was true. There was
all sorts Of exaggeration as 10 the evil
/ that men and corporations were doing
Yet withal it served good purpose and
did arouse the public conscience against
] grave abuses.
/ IL has taught corporations that the pub
lie viii no longer submit TO being
damned. " and. after having learned that
public opinion IS "A dangerous thing to
ignore. this has led 10 a policy OF re-
3 spect for public opinion. Corporations
/ have learned that the people want the
/ tru5h and that the only way for them 10
! prosper Is 20 deal frankly with the pub
/ lic to keep their actions so clean that
they would stand the searching rays Of
publicity. and then 10 turn the light on
Of their own y0liti0u. Many OF them
are doing this one of the pioneers in
3 the movement was the steel trust. Is
doings are about as public these days
as the meetings Of a city council or
mass meeting.
! The Pennsylvania Railroad is another
/ corporation which maintains a high
! salaried press bureau Of the newer order
/ For a long time that road was repre-
scented by the publicity firm Of Parker &
/ Lee. The senior member Of this firm
has been the head Of the literary bureau
Of the Democratic national committee
Not long ago the Pennsylvania concluded
that IL wanted a publicity bureau Of its
own, and il secured the services Of Ivy
Lee. the junior member OF the firm OF
/ Parker & Lee The partnership was dis
solved. and Lee IS now in the exclusive
/ employ OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
/ The Baltimore and Onto has q press
agent who never overlooks an oppOrtun-
I ity to tell Of the good things the Balti-
more and Ohio does. though he. Ike the
I rest Of a EN-, has found that L IS use
Jess 10 try 10 defend OF explain away the
bad things the road does Nearly all
the leading railroads are now maintain
Ing press bureau OF their own, but
the matter that Is sent out By them Is
Of a different character and pitched in
/ "A different key from that which was dis
wr-fHn I'D Ca
/ The Standard OIL Company maintains
perhaps the most elaborate press bureau
I in the Industrial world. Il is said that
the head Of this bureau draws $1,000 a
year Tor his efforts 20 assuage the hos
tile sentiment toward Standard Oil At
the same time there is a large force OF
assistants 10 be paid. and what cannot
be gotten into the newspaper as news
goes there as advert sements and the
country newspaper that is too remote 10
be reached by an advertisement fin de-
Tense OF Standard Oil is in the backwoods
indeed. No one has claimed 70 be able
20 tell what It's publicity campaign is
now costing The Standard on. though an
advertiser states that in his opinion IL is
not less than 500 900 a year.
President Roosevelt is the first Presi-
dent who ever sent message TO Congress
in which adverse publicity was comment
ed on. Il is said that he sees in the liter
allure OF to-day evidences or the working
Of that mysterious 10000 conspiracy of
which so much was heard last summer
Inquiry seems 10 develop. however. that
the literature being circulated against the
Roosevelt administration to-day IS the
product of Individual effort rather than
N.N
heads the list among those who are using
printers ink against the President.
A prominent member 81 the United
States Senate. noted FOR his love Of and
reverence for the Constitution. remarked
the other day that he considered the. pub
Lefty being given 20 various movements
I 10 amend the Constitution Of the United
States 20 be about the worst sign Of the
times. He called attention 10 the fac,
that there are about half dozen different
amendments being proposed 20 the or
ganic law Of the country. document
pronounced by Gladstone. England's fore
most premier, the grandeSt organic law
Of any age or any time. Each OF these
propositions 10 amend the Constitution
represents propaganda Of publicity
throughout the United States He said
that while each was working for its owl
end. all tended 10 lessen the respect OF
the people for the fundamental law OF
the land and 20 hasten the DAY wher
public sentiment would not only tolerate
amendments. bUt would first Of all amend
il by making the machinery Of amend
ment less intricate and less difficult OF
successful operation. His idea was thai
those who respect the Constitution in It's
present form and who believe there arJ
/ breakers ahead when amendments ar,
. made easy Of accomplishment ought {,
carry on ccunter-campaign agains
amending that instrument.
Allied 10 the class OF publicity that j.
/. intended 20 allay the feeling OF hostility
toward corporations is the sort Of pubIci
, " which the people are demanding thai
, political parties shall give TO their re
ccipts and expenditures during cam
paigns. The demand had its birth after
the 1896 campaign. when money confessed
y flowed as freely as water. and IL has
been growing in proportions until to-day
il looms large as a question on the polit-
zeal horizon. The leaders Of both parties
that is. the ones who organize and con-
= duct campaigns-do not look with favor
p on the idea that campaign contributions
and expenses shall all be made public.
They point out that II costs money &c
conduct a campaign-far more than tht
lay mind has any idea Of There are
headquarters 10 rent. help 20 hire. speak
erS 10 pay. literature 10 have printed and
circulated. and a thousand and one legiu
mate expenses 20. meet All OF these vii
cost. even in a Congressional campaign