The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-13
Shall Business Go Into Politics?


Shall Business Go Into Politics? !
The address delivered 10y Mr.. FRANK
A. vANDERLIP TO the New York Stnre
bankers convention at New London Is
obtaining the countrywide attention 1t
deserves.
What Mr.. NANDEHIIP had TO say was
challenge to the loose thinking that
has made business the subject OF de-
structive political attack rather than
the object Of constructive political ef-
fort and has rendered business the
victim Of cowardly surrender to ag.
gressions which sought to capitalize
for political advantage the unwhole-
some excrescences of an era Of un-
precedented and tremendous economic
and social change. 1t was equally a
declaration of the plain duty Of busi-
ness men to take and insist upon tax
ing their share in the public life Of the
nation, lacking which politics can never
be anything but Il menace OF economic
chaos.
without a mlneing avoidance Of the
faults and mistakes and other offences
Of which business has been guilty, and
without that slngularly useless recriml-
natory, girding nj politics TO which the
business community Is inclined, Mr..
VANDERLiP went straight to the heart OF
his thesis, which was that In politics
and business alike what has been
and what Il happening are sequences
that flow naturally from modern inven-
TONS including corporate orgnniza-
ton and management as well as me-
chanical invention. Upon the ground
Of this contention Mr.. VANDERBILT ad-
vanced his argument that because the
force which counts in democracy lis
the force that can be counted in the
ballot boxes" il was vital to the popu-
lar welfare that the contemporary de-
mand. for 4 body Of laws controlling
business should be informed by the
concerted efforts OF business interests to
obtain intelligent ana able representa-
ton In Congress. not through an ex-
penditure of money. "but by great
expenditure OF time. thought. personal
work" to bring public opinion to a
better understanding that legislation
must be along correct economic lines
or 1t will bring disaster to ALL"
In his own way Mr. VANDERBILT has
long endeavored TO do that which Is
incumbent upon all American business
men TO undertake: TO explain their
business and themselves directly to
their fellow men In this huge boiling
Commonwealth. The time hns gone by
for business to seek to influence the
economic courses of politics through
Tcarous monthpieces and the support
Of political party machines. There is,
as Mr.. VANDERBILT says, no hope for our
modern democracles ~ intelligence, en-
perience. success proved genius for ad-
miniSratlon, trained executive powers
and these are the qualities business
men are supposed to have, are not to
rule"
The practical point of Mr.. WANDER
LIPS remarks consisted In the appllcn
ton OF them which he himself made
in advising an organization Of business
interests which would take n leaf out
Of the practice Of the labor unions"
The United States Chamber Of Com
merce, already In existence, Is a start
In the right direction: and since propa-
gandism Is the order of the day there
10 every reason why monopoly Of
propaganda should not be allowed to
union labor, agriculture and so-called
uplifters of all sorts and descriptions.
The politics Of the last year and half
has shut out the business man, who
has been almost afraid to utter him
self for fenr that bis advocacy OF n
cause would defeat 1t or his opposition
TO movement would carry II to vic
tory; but II It Is time for the business
man to change his past relations to
politics, II Is also time to change the
present relations Of politics to business
by Il courageous assertion of business
needs
There can be no exclusion OF business
men from the political councils of the
nation unless they themselves consent.
There Is an essential "Reminiscences
among the American people which IN
derlies every surface manifestation OF
prejudice. In the light OF Its spirit,
when evoked the American people OF