The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-08-20
BUSINESS ETHICS AND POLITICS

BUSINESS ETHICS AND BOl1lIICS
Do not the Illinois Central graft
exposures and kindred incidents in
dicate, that political rottenness, on
which we sometimes rather gloating-
ly dilate, instead of being peculiar
to public office, is really a reflection
of business "forehandedness?" Is
the man in public Office, who
will favor his friends with contracts.
pilfer from the public treasury. ne
glect to enforce the law on his as
sociates. disregard his plain obliga-
ton to prevent others pundering the
public, and conspire with business
interests to gain promotion or
wealth. unique product of our age,
or a representative specimen? Is he
any worse than the business interest
that conspires for his elevation in
order TO secure protection or profits.
or that puts money into politics to
control legislatures and city coun-
ellis. that makes gentlemen's agree
ments for the undoing of its GUS
toners. that sands the sugar. gives
short weights in ice. colors flour. re-
duces the size of bushel of coal.
that puts the rotten tomatoes in the
bottom of the box, or conceals latent
defects in horse?
II we wish to improve the moral
ltone of the men We elect to public
.ioffice, we will have to mend our own
business wave. The man. who will
lpermit another in a trade to buy
that which he knows the Other
would not buy. II he understood {
concealed defect. which exists. ana
lpay for 1t more than IL really i
worth, is a liar and thief. by ever,
right standard of ethics He is I
liar, because he deliberately conceal
a fact essential 20 a fair bargain; III
is a thief because ne deliberately
u, takes from another that for which
he does not give an equivalent il
/, value
The violation OF right standards
condoned and encouraged by statu'
tory law, is responsible for the mis-
cradle failure we have made IN
many respects in popular govern
: ment. We have survived the expert
; ment so far. not by reason Of, but In
: spite OF our practices. A species Oh
I low cunning has been substituted in
: the popular estimation for intelli.
4 gence. Men of the highest intelli-
!. gence and best standards do not
cheat in trades. In a good bargain
l one side does not profit at the ex
] pense of the other. Both parties
profit, because each exchanges some.
I thing that will benefit the other fol
, something that will benefit him.
I AS a leading thinker recently ex
pressed II, Bejamin Franklins axiom
that Honesty Is the best policy" Is
poor substitute for the command
ment. Thou shalt not steal" vir,
=, tues estimated alone as personal as.
sets to be exercised only TO the ex.
!, tent that they will prove ultimately
profitable or that the converse has
+. proven disastrous, will not lift the
!. mass of mankind to higher ethica
! levels. Only the intelligent and far
. lsighted will appreciate their value
: without experimenting with wrong
. But that austerely virtuous char
!, acter, which demands of itself con
, formity to a high ideal, which fear
/, loss of self-respect more than Il
fears material loss, or the miSappre
hension of others. is one that need
i, cultivation in this free country o.
lours. A man who respects himself
, won't cheat or steal, requires M
bond or oath, and lives by tn,
golden rule.