The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-06-16
Corporation and Political, Publicity,


day meaning and becomes the most
the popular vocabulary. We have ell
The word publicity also promises
ficiency movements, efficiency ex-l
perts, engineers and professors, mott
to mention the science of efficiency".I
The word publicity also promises
to be a conjure word that win bulk
high in public and political parlance1
| in the immediate future, II Is Ger
tainly not without great Significance
that the head or the largest corpor-
ate enterprise in the world should
frankly admit, as Mr.. Gary did the
other day, That We must come to-
enforced publicity" in corporate
matters, If We are to solve our great
corporate problems, and at the same
moment one OF the three or four
men most prominently mentioned as|
candidates for president on the dem
ocratic ticket should be preaching
1.-THE same doctrine OF publicity from
coast to coast as the one panacea for
most of our Ills, both corporate and
political.
II is evident that corporation bait
ling and efforts to destroy corpora
tions individually or collectively by
adverse legislation do not commend
themselves to the popular judgment
The corporation is an economic pro-
duct that has come to stay. because
1t can best perform certain necessary
business functions. But something
must be done to compel it to deal
Justly with society and with the in
dividual. and reciprocally to, compel
society and the individual to deal
Justly by it, The problem may be
idifiicult but. it should not be insoli-
BILE Certainly one big step toward
THAT solution would be TO have MI
parties understand each other. and
THAT means that the corporations
should take the public fully and
| frankly into their confidence. II
means publicity. The more tolerant
sentiment towards corporations gem
orally, which has been noticeable hi
the last few years. has been due al
most entirely to the fact that many
large corporations like the Aeel
company, some OF the trunk lines
and public service corporations have
dealt more openly and frankly with
the public. Given corporation mys-
terry, secrecy, arrogance and public
be-damned attitude and you can ex-
pect suspicion, hostility and active
damnati6n by the public. Confidence
notonly begets confidence. but II alp
peals to that love of justice and fair
play which. can always be counted
upon from a public that is trusted
and honorably dealt with. We hors
j there may be great corporate
awakening to this light. The con
I demned oil. and tobacco trusts have
E an opportunity TO reorganize In the
3 bright light of publicity and trusl
their just rights TO just public. Il
! lthey do otherwise, their troubles ar,
: Eonly beginning.
e Governor Wilson's faith in pub
v licity as a solvent Of our politi "a
: evils is equally well justified. Tbi
doctrine alone is sufficient. platform
upon which TO go before the coun
TRY. As he said somewhere. we ar
II rot afraid OF representative govern
!. ment. but We are afraid of a govern
il men: that does not represent. lie
! Let all houses OF government b
) built OF glass so that everything ma,
be heard and seen. self-goyernmen
: is constant inquiry, investigation
S and publicity" The very moyemen
= for experiments like the initiative
y referendum and recall are mostl
Il protests against that which Is darl
) and mysterious and intrs-lnachIne Il
D politics. The people have beef
4 kept in the dark as to both men an
+ measures and why's and wherefore
until they have been ready 70 folio,
any man or project that spelled RI
Il form. Practical politics is AWAY
personal politics. and personal poll
tics Is generally selfish. even II hon
s est. The corrective OF the evils q
practical politics, say men like WI
son, is simple publicity. You ca
safely trust the people to 40 righ
;. II you let them know all the fact.
There is a judgment OF the masss
:. which surpasses that OF individual
= There Is no process. 80 purifying. B
y so uplifting rs that or comm0
counsel. free debate, publicity. Les
y islation prepared by party leaders
~ in secret conclaye and passed I
please the leaders Ia the sort Of thin
- that breeds popular suspicion an
discomfort and gives the agitatt
and the demagogue his chance. Law
prepared in fhe open and debate
Is and passed In the open. like me
r. selected and elected In the open, al
r. likely 70 receive, not only MOI
d. Just but q more conservative COZ
Z, sideraiion than men and measur,
Is. that move in the dark their mystic
-. les TO perform. Nothing terrific
n. like discussion: nothing rectlfies IA
u. debate and publicity. II there Is Il
much underbrush. burn II on al
~ run every living thing out into u
as open" Then you may be sure a
~ hiding business VIII 90 out OF fasl
81 ion and the pople will come IN
their own. Baltimore Sun.
NJ -
lie Since stanIcy's Day.
The enlightenment Of darkest A
ds RIGA since StanIey's day ls striking