The Washington herald., 1914-06-29
Vanderlip Appeals
For Nations Good
Banker Sees Danger in Present Day Political Tendencies
to Destroy Business, Property Right and Industry
Asks Business Men to Contribute to Cam
paigns, Notin Money, But in Influence.


between individuals or between groups
Of individuals. Gradually, too. we md
the authority OF the central gover.Snent
gaining In the public estimation and be-
lieved to possess more adequate powers
and TO be better able than State or city
TO deal efficiently and promptly with
most problems The great Increase OF
governmental authority, which the era
Of regulation demands, will apparently
accrue almost entirely to the Federal
government And II will, Furthermore.
break another precedent Of democracy
and accrue to the executive rather than
to the legislative"
This seems to me clear exposition
of a most significant phase OF our politi-
cal life.
Views of q senator.
A distinguished member Of the United
States Senate, that once greatest de-
liberate body in the world" a few days
ago impressively made this statement:
Every step of human progress is the
abandonment or condemnation Of that
which went before"' There is the key
note OF much Of our loose political think
ing-"Evsry step OF human progress Is
the abandonment or condemnation OF
that which went before"
The man who holds that view, the po-
litical party that legislates in the light Of
that pronouncement, must believe that
what is bad; that in novelty, in untried
experiment. in new theory and in newer
practice alone lie those measures OF gov
eminent that will be beneficial. So we
have a legislative restlessness that Is un-
parallel, a searching for novelty that
results in as startling productions, viewed
in the light OF anything known before, |
as has been reached. in art by the schools
Of cubism and futurism- To the sober !
minded. somewhat unimaginative, hard I,
working business man. TO the man whose
life has been a career dealing with facts, |
facts as they are. some OF our recent
legislative proposals are no more intelli- |
gible than that famous composition, !
which bore the title. a Nude Descend I
ing a Stair Case ! admit there may be !
something OF truth in some of the newer
forms of art. although / have never
reached a point where cubism is more |
than huge joke. II II is not the work
OF a degenerated intellect. can under |
stand that picture need not necessarily |
be Photographic reproduction of a fact |
! am quite sure the great school OF i'm !
preston has added something Of perma- |
nent value to the art OF the world. |
Carrying the parallel into politics, l be- |
lieve We should not be so bound TO old !
forms as to close our minds to the con- |
sideration OF new theories. We may well |
economic facts back Of many of the |
demands for novel legislation. Industry |
is in novel situation. The changes |
wrought in our lifetime by new forms of /
power, of transportation, OF communica- |
ton. are revolutionary. Even greater 1
have been the changes wrought by cor !
pOrations Let US, too. admit that the /
direction OF these new forces have not
always rested in the hands Of men Of |
NJ breadth Of Nsiai a.
have not been in the hands of men of \
honesty Of purpose. All this, believe, |
gives basis to a demand for what AMOUNTS !
almost TO a new code OF business ethics, |
and for statutes that will support such /
a code. But while admitting all of that,
we should see that those facts are no
warrant for giving unlimited legislative
freedom to groups of political cubists
and futurists who do not comprehend
principles, who do not know history and
who will be guided neither by expert
enCe. nor by common sense. To make a
specific application Of what mean. let
US consider the present legislative situa-
ton. Let US weigh what il would mean
to current legislative proposals II We
had a sound and well-informed public
opinion. and IL that public opinion was
so crystalized that legislative and ex-
ecutive powers would be forced clearly TO
recognize II. II
No previous Congress has enacted so Il
much legislation Of immediate. novel and 1
fundamental importance in its relation
to business as has the present Congress.
Now. with its first regular session still
il has in hand further
measures OF still more far-reaching i'm
portance, representing still more novel
theories of governmental supervision. We
find this active Congress proposing ad-
ditional legislation which promises to
create between business and government
& relationship entirely new. which must
proceed along paths heretofore unex-
plored.
Novel in Their Application.
Not only are the proposals in the pend
ing legislation novel in their application
TO business. but there Is another point
of dissimilarity between these measures
and any that we have had before. They
are being discussed and in all probability
will be passed by Congress, a large
majority Of which is not in favor OF pass
ing them at the present time. and they
will be added TO the laws Of a nation a (
large majority OF whose citizens are not
in favor OF such laws being enacted at
the present time. l am aware that these
are sweeping statements. ! am aware too !
that. even though the honesty of my
opinion may not be challenged, the cor ,
of my information might be.
1t may. well be said that although my !
CONTINUED on PAGE SIX.