Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-23

discussion of these important legis-
lative projects; that free debate be
permitted, and that such Informal
ton shall be gathered from hearings
as will help towards wise conclu-
sons; that they finally, at as early
date as they can, agree upon the eX-
act and specific -orm that these
measures are to take on the statute
books, and then, without enactinE
them definitely into law. that they
go home and give the country three
months time in which to fami4arize
itself with the exact terms of the
law which Congress proposes to en-
act, and give the members of Con-
gress three months time in which to
feel the reflection of public opinion,
and after that, if they are so minded,
let them return to Washington and
enact these measures into law /
would rest perfectly content under
such an arrangement.
You have your full share OF
blame If public opinion is Hin
formed. As a class you have been
silent in the face of calumny. Gross
misstatements in regard to business
methods and aims of business men
have gained credit by being conf
IDENTIFY repeated and rarely or never
answered. An important part of the
public holds resentment against bust
ness men because of the accumula-
ton of the charges of misconduct
that have been made and gone unan-
swered; because of the distorted pic
lures of your aims and methods
which have gone unchallenged. Bust
ness men should stand up and fight
to correct this condition.
81 believe the time has come when
we should see the most gigantic con-
tributions that were ever made by
business men to a political cam
paign. I would not care to which
party the contributions are made, for
the contributions that must be made,
if you are to do anything that is
effective. are not contributions of
money-they are contributions of SER
vice, contributions of experience, of
understanding, of truth; oontribu-
tions in the way of an effective de-
mand that the men you select as
your representatives shall freely eX-
ercise their judgment; contributions
in the way of watchfulness that shall
insure both honesty and intelligence
in the exercise of representative OBJ
legations.
Challenge Misstatements.
Through your organization, see to
it that every misstatement of fact,
whether made in Congress, in the
press, or in any public utterance, is
challenged. Let men understand that
loose statement, that misstatement,
can no longer go carelessly on. Have
every page of the Congressional Rec
ord read, and every time a misstate-
ment is printed there challenge the
man who made it; challenge him so
publicly that an answer will over
take a lie. If a man is a demagogue,
if he clothes half truths in language
that appeals to prejudice, go into
his district and answer and expose
him If a newspaper is ill-informed.
see to it, first, that it has every
facility for correct information, and
then, if it is still unfair, publish its
unfairness in a way which will make
unfairness Improbable and you will
have no more of it.
Il would make special effort to
bring into cooperative relationship
those men who more than you are in
terested in prosperity. although their
relation to it may be in the humblest
capacity of laborers in those fields of
industries that you help to direct. |
would especially invite representatives
of labor organizations into your coun
ellis l would ask newspaper writer's
and editors to join in your delibera-
tions. BY making use of the organi-
cations and facilities which we al
ready have and by giving to them
thought and effort in unstinted meas
ure, the work can be carried on with
undOubted success.
such a course of action will create
q public opinion that will be construc-
tive, and not as now destructive, of
the best sort of business activity, If
you will do this, if all of us will unite
to create such a movement, there need
be little fear for the ultimate solution
of our problems, nor for the perma-
hence of our prosperity and the pre-
eminence of our country