New-York tribune., 1909-11-16
HUGHES AT YALE
Lectures on Responsibilities of
Citizenship"
fBy TeIecraph 10 rhe rribuns !


New Haven. Nov. B-In opening the an
nual Dodge lecture course at Yale tonight
Governor Charles z Hughes OF New York
termed The sensational press one Of the
greatest foes OF the Republic Dangers
from dishonest legislation. from organized
monopoly and from the tyranny OF the ma
jority were enumerated among other perils
from which the Republic must guard itself
Governor Hughes was introduced by
President Hadley. He spoke in Lampson
Hall, 70 which hundreds were unable TO
obtain admission His lecture was on The
Responsibilities OF Citizenship" He said:
To cheat the public is a game that is
constantly being played. and II anything
more dishOnorable can be thought OF IN one
VINO mas had the advantages OF the higher
institutions OF learning / do not know
what II IS Sometimes il takes gross forms
and falls within the provisions Of the penal
law. But the citizen should have = higher
notion OF public duty than simply to Keep
out or jail u Is the less obvious anI
more subtle forms OF treachery 10 the COM
mon interest against which the community
must be constantly on its guard.
An intense consciousness of public reia-
ayers Of corporations 10 defend what they
LeEeVe 70 be their interests either by pay
ing blackuail or BY ndeavoring imProp-
erly 10 solicit the representatives OF the
people. II should stay the hand which
would write surreputiOus clauses in legis-
public expense By indiscrstion.
There has arisen irresistible demand
that better means should be provided for
the enforcement Of public rights. that the
creatures OF the state receiving privileges
from the public should be compelled to
obey the laws OF their being. Protests
that nave arisen from the laying Of ex-
cesslve burdens upon the PUBLIC, in order
to pay dividents upon inflated issues. has
resulted in the conviction that there must
be suitable machinery for sCrutiniZing and
determining the issue OF stocks and bonds
ana for suitable investigation or compli-
Gated facts relating 10 rates, charges and
service.
The lover Of democracy viii have no de-
sire 70 see the tyranny Of despots replaced
by the tyranny OF a majority taking unto
itself the conduct Of individual life and
the destruction Of its hopes. To save
society from ovsrreaching and impoverish-
ing itself by arbitrary Interference is the
patriotic task which should enlist the best
thought Ia al its efforts democracy viii
make progress to the degree that the peo-
pie cultivate the patience and steadiness
of justice.
government are those VINO seek through
special privileges 10 perfect 10 70 selfish
uses and those who By reckless. untrUthtuI
and infammatOry utteranCes corrupt the
public sentiment. There are two VINO take
poor 'iew OF Oul prospects because Of
the recklessness Of the sensational press
The habit OF eNaggeratiGn furnishes TO a
large degree ttS own corrective, and its
-ensa rioual exhibitions are taken seriously
by few. The average man Is very curious
ana the fact that his curiosity VIII tempt
him 10 buy and read does not imply that
what he has read has made much Of an
impression.
The most serious consequences oS
hreaches 0f public trust and OF corruption
IN bigh places are not to he found in the
particular injuries inflicted but In the
undermining of the public confidence and
IL the creating II a disposition to give
credit To charges OF similar offending =
much OF reckless and disprOpOrtiOnate
statement. much Of malicious insinUaIiOn.
mucn OF frenzied and demOgOgicai appeal
fails OF its mark. While we are grateful
evil influence that H. actually eXerted. To
combat this and 60 maintain In the COM
WInirv standards OF CaudOr and justice
should be the aim OF every citizen. We
have no greater advantage than a free
PRESS and the freedom of public utter
auces. We should not lose its benefits be-
cause OF its abuses.