The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-19
FAIRBANKS TALKS
ON ADVERTISING
MUCk-RAkERS AND MEN WHO
WANToNLY ASSAIL OUR PUB
LIC SERVANTS, TRAITORS.

Omaha, Neb., July b Men VINO .
will wantonly and maliciously as
sail our public servants-no matter /.
what their political faith may be, and
who are faithful to public duty
are traitors to the state, no matter
how lofty their hypocritical profes-
sions may seem to sound" So said
former Vice President Fairbanks,
in the course of an address before
the Advertising clubs of America
today.
"One of the marked features Of
recent years has been the inIdiscrim
mate abuse of men in public posi-
ton. The malodorous muck raker
flourishes for time, but he has
come to be an object of contempt,
since his recklessness and insincer-
ity have become manifest. Abuse
Of the liberty of the press, the at
/ tempt to malign other men and by
falsehoo5 to destroy their charac-
ter, whether in private or public
life. had come TO be recognized
as the blackest among the entire
| catalogue of crimes.
mo public official, however high,
should be immune from just criti-
clsm. But they should not be sub
! jected to much of the abuse that is
heaped upon them by the muck-rak.
ers and sensationalists, who are ac-
| tuated only by sordid mercenary
motives or by some other equally
ungenerous purpose far short of the
| public interest. There is perhaps
/ nothing more reprehensIble than
! the loose impeachment of the mo-
| tives of the chief executive the
downright misrepresentation of his
acts; distortion of his 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 govern
ment itself is undermined. 1t may
be diverting to a certain class to
witness such brutality towards the
head of the nation, but upon sober
reflection they must perceive the
hurtful results which flow from it
and which, in the final analysis.
damage all alike.
What has been said of the execu.
tive applies with like force to tae
1ndiscriminate reckless assault upon
the congress. Like the president, the
law-making body should welcome
honest criticism and fair debate. but
wholesale abuse unfounded utter
ance, respecting the integrity and
patriotism of those who frame and
administer the peoples laws. beget
dlstrust, want of confidence and
doubt as to the beneficence of the
government itself.
''lf measures are devised in spe
clal interests turn the light upor
them and their authors with unspa-.
ing severity. but we should differen.
tiate with great care the good from
the evil; uphold those who are de.
voted to the faithful and honest
discharge of public duty, and smil.
without mercy those who betray
their public trust. We should NOT
however. heap upon all indiscriml.
nate abuse and thereby bring the
government itself into contempt and
u1sfavor; nor should we over-empha.
size the wrong and under-emphasjze
the good and thereby give an er.
roneous impression of the true con.
dition of American life.
We shall find, in the final anaIv
Sis, that executives, congresses and
legislatures are composed of men
VINO are neither better nor worse
than the people themselves; when
we heap unwarranted abuse mo,
them and strike down their hand,
when We should uphold them. the in
jury OF course, is not entirely per.
sonal to them, but in a large meas /
use falls upon the institutions whose
agents they are. 1t is impossible 70
ciscredit and destroy the servants
OF The state who are worthy without
impairing the state itself
Socialism has been making some
Roadway in recent years. Its prog
leSs, no doubt, is due in 4 consiier- /
able degree TO a toe general i'm |
peachment of the good faith and the |
patriotism of those upon whose .
shoulders, by our choice, ie,r for
the time being the delicate ana diff /
ficult responsibilities of government.
We have many questions before
us in the world of politics and in .
the field of business. There are |
some peDDle who arc un+ fraa from