The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-19
AD MEN AT WORK
First Business Session OF the
Convention at Omaha.
Three Hundred Writers Com
pete for Special Prize.
FAIRBANKS ADDRESS.
Former Vice President Goes
Alter the Muck Rakers.
Condemns Assaults Upon Men
in Official Positions.

OHldnds NGO.s JulN hN N|f'' -
tion of the Associated Advertising
Clubs of America got down to business
today. The arrivals last night and this
morning raised the attendance materl-
ally, big delegations coming from Min
nesota's twin cities. Des Moines. st.
Louis. Chicago and other cities. big
parade of advertising men featured the
early days movements of the ad men,
Thirteen addresses. five in the fore
noon and eight in the afternoon we're
Scheduled for today, principal among
them being that of Charles w. FAR
banks.
Three hundred ad writer's have en-
tered into the competition for a spe-
ciaI prize and contributions have come
from all parts of the country. Nearly
every style of advertisement Is TO De
seen on the walls of the convention
room. Texas delegates have been par
ticularly profuse with their display
special attention being given TO the
Lone Star flag which decorates all
the hotels.
Men who will wantenly and mali
ciously assail our public servants-no
matter what their political faith may
be. and who are faithful to public
4lduty-are traitors to the state, no mat
ter how lofty their hypocritical pro-
fessionS may seem to sound. SO sald
former Vice President Fairbanks IN
the course of his address
Abuse of Public Men.
zone of the marked features of re-
cent years has been the indiscr1mlnate
abuse Of men in public position The
malodorous muck-raker fouriShes for
"A time but he has come to be an OBJ
ject of contempt, since his recklessness
and insincerity have become manifest
Abuse of the liberty of the press, the
attempt to malign other men and by
falsehood to destroy their character,
h a
come to be recognized as the blackest
in the entire catalogue of crimes
mo public Official, however high,
should be immune from just criticism
But they should not be subjected to
much of the abuse that is heaped upon
them by the muck-rakers and sensa-
tionalists who arc actDated only by
s0rdid nercenary motives or by some
other equally unsenerous purpose far
short of the public interest.
There is perhaps nothing more rep
-ehensible than the loose ilnpeach-
ment of the motives Of the chief exec
utive; the downright misrepresentation
of his IS; distortion of mis- record by
suppression of the truth or by pure
falsehood. No possible good can re-
suit therefrom: on the contrary. in the
end confidence in the government IL
self is undermined. It may be divert
IN gto a certain class to witness such
brutality towards the head of the ma
tiGn, but upon sober reflection they
must perceive the hurtful results watch
flow from it and which. in the final
analysis, dlm=ge all alike.
Assaults Upon Congress.
What has been said of the executive
applies with like force to the indis-
criminate reckless assault upon the
congress. Like the president, the law
making body should welc me hSnest
criticism ard fair debate, but wholesale
abuse. unfounded utterance, respecting
int fv and nafrirfiSr1r Of rhngR
who frame and administer the peoples
laws, beget distrust. want of confidence
and doubt as to the benefcence of the
government itself.
IF measures are devised III special
interest turn the light upon them and
their authors with unsparing severity.
But we should dlfferentiate with great
care the good from the evil; upnold
those who are devoted to the faithful
and honest discharge of public duty,
and smite without mercy those who be-
tray their public trust. We should not.
however, heap upon al iEdiscriminate
abuse and thereby bring the govern
,nent itself into contempt and diSfaVor;
nor should we overemphasize the wrong
ard underemphasize the good ard there-
by give an erroneous impression of the
tue condition of American life
I'VE shall find in the final analysis,
that executives, congresses and legis-
latures are composed of men who are
neither better nor worse than the
people themselves. When we heap
unwarranted abuse upon them and
strike down their hands when we
should uphold them, the injury, of
course. is not entirely personal to
them, but in a large measure falls up
on the institutions whose agents they
are. 1t is impossible to discredit and
destroy the servants of the state who
are worthy without impairing the
state itself.
Progress of Socialism,
Socialism has been making some
headway in recent years. It's progress,
no doubt, is due in considerable de-
gree to too general impeachment of
the good faith and the patriotism of
those upon whose shoulders. by our
choice, rest for the time being the
delicate and difficult responsibilities
of government
1--WE have many questions before us
in the world of politics and in the field
of business. There are some people
who are not free from concern as TO
their solution; but it seems to me that
there need be no fear that, no matter
how numerous or complex they are
they will be settled in our common in
terest, If we shall bring to their con-
sideration sober-minded and patriotic
Judgment
Speaking OF advertising, Mr.. Fair |
Danls said:
Does advertising pay? Has been
the theme of numerous and labored
utterances and there are, no doubt
remote and obscure corners of the
country where it is still vital, living
question but, as a rule. it has become
academic, and many of the successes
we witness in the market place have
been achieved by the fullest recogni-
ton in practice of the affirmative of
the proposition. The best advertiser
and the best merchant are synonym
o,,z and the poorest advertiser is us