The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-08
Need Business Statesmen

MT. Perkins finds the reason for the present political attitude in that no business men are sent to the national Congress. Up to the close of the Civil war business men took a keen interest in public life and affairs; merchants were governors of states, mayors of cities. members of state legislatures and our national Congress. "The close of the war" he continued. seems to have seen a diminution in this practice and we have seen less of such men in public service. and while many of our public servants in recent years have been broad minded statesmen. we find our city governments, our legisla lures our Congress, to a considerable eS- tent, composed of men having no busi- | ness training or eXperience-men who l have made a profession of public life; | men who have sought the job rather
 than, IS in olden times, having been
 called to take public office as a public
 duty"
 After drawing q vivid picture of the
 great industrial progress since the war. | the address continued:
 The great business period had ar rived, and it attracted our great master minds as the field offering the greatest t obstacle to overcome and the greatest 1 achievements to accomplish. And these | men were the sons of the men who | threw perfectly good tea in Boston Harbor and broke an old antiuuated law when they did it; the sons of men who gave freedom to slaves. and brolx e an old antiquated law-at least of precedent and practice-when they did that, and they did both in order to make a better law that would he abreast of newer civilization and he more just to more people. In the strug- gle that has been going on both sides have erred as men have in all wars. but now that our supreme court has 1 said that we, as a people are entitled to proceed in the light of reason, does if not behoove us all to lay down our arms and enter the reconstruction pe- riod?"
 The time has now come" he sa when we are obliged 10 stop and fight the question out. That question clearly is, shall American business men be driven back and forced to continue under old ruthless competitive methods. or shall they be allowed to go for ward, keeping pace with the spirit of progress and secure for one and all the many advantages and benefits that come from doing business on a CO., operative basis"
 MT. Perkins likened the United 1 states Of America to a great holding, | company wherein the various statae l n- solidation for the common advantage and good. Our national government. he said, first undertook the supervision of our states; then 1t undertook the su- perVision of our banks: then it under took the supervision of our railroads why not at least try to undertake the | supervision of our big business con-
 cerns before we smash them to pieces !? Why not try to regulate before wc
 strangulate? What the situation imper-
 atlNelN requires is a constructive m -
 uonal policy in commercial affairs Any
 man who is above prejudice and no illcal party lines knows deep down Tn his mind that what this country
 needs today is nationalism and we vii,
 nave this when we have more states
 meh-like representa- tives in our Con gress. In concluding Mr. Perkins said.
 Give your minds a chance Awake
 to the situation that confronts |the
 country. Take sides and discuss if Next to being dead right it is of va,ue
 to be dead wrong. for by very wron :,
 you provoke discussion and enough
 discussion will bring right to the sur.
 face and make 1t prevail business
 age needs business men. The ouestior Is fairly launched. In the discussion l'of fl and in helping to solve it tho I tnited States expects every man to d,
 his duty Is it not clear that what we
 need is constructive national policN
 In the matter of business?"