The Washington herald., 1915-10-22
Judge Gary Warns Of "Isms. !"

Ordinary sane inclined to smile at
the various isms that are set afoat from time to
time and pay no more attention to them. Some
business will good naturally contribute to
the agitators of isms the easiest way Of get
ting rid of them. Judge Ebert H. Gary, chair
man of the executive board OF the United States
Steel Corporation, has sounded note of warning
against this indifference to the dangerous isms
that becoming so prevalent. In address
at Lafayette College Wednesday Judge Gary said
that the increasing agtations in favor of isms are
calculated to sap the very foundation of eco
nomic justice. involving the national government
itself 1t is we'll that of Judge Gary's
prominence in the business world has at last OBJ
served the dangerous tendency of the promoters
of isms. 1t is not new tendency. 1t is almost
as old this country. 1t is as impossible to
keep the promoters OF isms of politics as it is
for old hen to keep brood of ducklings out
of the water. They may be mothered and faith
cred by and patriotic people to keep them
within bounds, but when they get strong enough
they are certain to reach out and try to control
politics and finally transform the government TO
suit their own particular isms.
That was the experience the country had with
the dangerous isms that developed the Know
nothing party and which gradually led up to the
civil war Many prominent politicians cultivated
the Know-nothng party with the hope of being
able to it. but it destroyed most Of them and
introduced more contention into the political, So
cial, business and religious life of the country
than any other organization that ever figured in
American politics, because it gathered to itself
all the radical isms that developed or could be
imported in that day. The promoters of isms
have the same ambitions today that they had in
the days of Know -nothingism. They begin with
altrustic professions of ambitions to aid in char
ity or temperance or social reform. and their ap-
peals for help readily responded to. But when
they secure full treasury and are able to build
up machine with large pay roll and the means
of publicity, they cannot resist the temptation to
local and State politics and finally the national
government. that they may transfer their pay roll
to the governments pay roll
President McCracken, Of Lafayette College, in
his address the same OCCASION remarked that
the promoters of isms readily COMPOUNDED the
government pay roll with the angels list of those
who, like Abou, love their fellow-men." These
two addresses may serve to help check the growth
of dangerous isms by persuading business men
and rich men, who have some Of RESPONSE
bty in the use of their money. to more carefully
investigate before they contribute money to the
multitude of agitators who are promoting all
sorts of isms. 1t is no longer considered proper
for rich men and big corporations to contribute
to responsible political parties but they earelessly
give millions to politics, under the guise of char
ty social betterment, temperance, and even re-
gion, unconscious that their contributions may
be indirectly used against them and against the
itself in campaigns which have for
their purpose radical changes in the principles on |
which this government founded. The agi-
tators will, if allowed and aided by large cam
Daign funds, convert the United States govern |
nent into aggregation of isms, many of them
of each other. but satisfactory to
he agitators because of their ability to transfer
heir followers to the government pay roll to be
by taxation The best way to choke
dangerous ism is to withhold from it the con-
ributions which business men carelessly make to
he promoters just to get rid of them.