Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-02
"LET THERE BE LIGHT"
A Call For The Emancipation OF The
Generous Energies Of a People.
Bv WooDR row WILSON.

Of their burrows. They are going to un.
earth the beast in the jungle in which
when they hunted they were caught BY
the beast instead Of catching him. They
have determined, therefore, to take ar
axe and raze the jungle, and then SEE
where the beast will find cover. And
for my part, bid them God-speed. The
jungle breeds nothing but Infection and
shelters nothing but the enemies OF
mankind.
And nobody Is going TO get caught ir
our hunt except the beasts that prey
Nothing Is going to be cut down or in
jured that anybody ought to wish pre-
served.
You know the story of the Irishman
who, while digging a hole. was asked
Pat, what are you dolng,-digging q
hole?" And he replied. mo, sir;
am digging the dirt, and leaving the
hole" 1t was probably the same Irish
man who seen digging around the wall
of house, was asked. Pat, what are
doing?" And he answered, Faith,
am letting the dark out Of the cellar
Now, that's exactly what we want to
do,-let the dark out OF the cellar.
Take, first, the relations existing be-
tween politics and business.
1t is perfectly legitimate, of course,
that the business interests Of the coun-
try should not only enjoy the protec-
ton Of the law, but that they should be
in every way furthered and strength
ened and facilitated by legislation. The
country has no jealousy Of any connec-
ton between business and politics which
is a legitimate connection. 1t Is not In
the least averse from open efforts tu
accommodate law to the material de-
velopment which has so strengthened
the country in all that 1t has undertake
en- by supplying its extraordinary life
with its necessary physical founda-
tions.
But the illegitimate connections be-
tween business and legislation are an
other matter. / would wish to speak
on this subject with soberness and cir
cumspection. I have no desire to excite
anger against anybody. That would be
easy, but it would do no particular good
I wish, rather, to consider an unhappy
situation in spirit that may enable us
to account for 1t, to some extent, and
SO perhaps get at the causes and the
remedy. Mere denunciation doesn't help
much to clear up matter so involved
as is the completely of business with
evil politics in America
Every community Is is~vagueiy aware
that the political machine upon which
1t looks askance has certain very def
mite connections with men who are en-
gagged in business on q large scale and
the suspicion which attaches to the ma :
chine itself has begun to attach also to
business enterprise, just because these
connections are known to exist. If these
connections were open and avowed, II
everybody knew just what they involv-
ed and Just what use was being made
Of them, there would be no difficulty In
keeping an eye upon affairs and In con-
trolling them by public opinion. But,
unfortunately, the whole process of law
making in America is a very obscure
one. There is no highway Of legisla-
ton, but there are many by-ways. Par
ties are not organized in such way in
our legislatures as to make any one
group of men avowedly responsible for
the course Of legislation. The whole
process of discussion, If any discussion
at all takes place, is private and shut
away from public scrutiny and knowl-
edge. There are so many circles with
in circles, there are so many indirect
and private ways Of getting at legisla-
tive action, that our communities are
constantly uneasy during legislative
sessions: 1t is this confusion and OBJ
scurity and privacy Of our legislative
method that gives the political machine
its opportunity. There is no publicly
responsible man or group Of men who
are known to formulate legislation and
to take charge of it from the time of its
introduction until the time Of its enact
ment. 1t has, therefore, been possible
for an outside force,-the political ma
chine, the body of men who nominated
the legislators and who conducted the
contest for their election,-to assume
the role Of control. Business men who
desired something done in the way Of
changing the law under which they
were acting, or who wished to prevent
legislation which seemed to them to
threaten their own interests, have
known that there was this definite body
of persons to resort to, and they have
made terms with them. They have
agreed to supply them with money for
campaign expenses and to stand by
them in all other cases where money
was necessary If in return they might
resort to them for protection or for as
sistance in matters Of legislation. Leg
islators looked to certain man who
was not even a member Of their body
for instructions as to what they were
to do with particular bills. The machine
which was the centre OF party organl-
zation, was the natural instrument Of
control, and men who had business in
terests to promote, naturally restored to
the body which exercised the control.
There need have been nothing sinis-
ter about this If the whcle matter had
been open and candid and honest, pub
lie criticism would not have centered
upon it. But the use Of money always
results in generalization, and goes be-
yond demoralizatio n to actual corrup-
ton. There are two kinds of corrup-
tion,-the crude and obvious sort,
which consists in direct bribery, and
the much subtler, more dangerous, sort,
which consists in a corruption Of the
will. Business men who have tried to
set up a control in politics through the
machine have more and more deceived
themselves, have allowed themselves
to think that the whole matter was a
necessary means Of self-defence, have
said that It was a necessary outcome of
our political system. Having reassur-
ad themselves in this way, they have