Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-18
PUBLICITY

ITEORGE w. PERKINS, address
1T ing the Poor Richard Club in
Philadelphia, last night, pro-
nounced publicity one of the greatest
forces in civilization. Mr.. Perkins
said nothing new in that, but he en-
phasized a point of Importance when
he asserted the opinion that had "biG
business" realized in time the value
of publicity there never would have
been need of the Sherman Antitrust
law. Perhaps that was drawing it a
trine strong, but it is unquestionably
true that had those who were the
guiding forces Of the financial and in
dustrial life of the nation taken the
public into their confidence ten or fif-
teen years earlier than they did many
of the obnoxious and injurious laws
since written on the statute books of
the States and of the United States
never would have been adopted.
Publicity would have prevented
many evils that grew up behind closed
doors and lack OF publicity magnified
many molehills OF fact into mountains
of popular belief. Every large cor
poration in the country is suffering
to-day from the failure of the cap
tains of industry" of the past genera
ton to realize the Importance OF let
ting the people know what they were
doing and why, for after all the peo-
pie do rule and when they are finally
n
beliefs, and if they believe what is not
true or have misunderstanding of the
facts they will be guilty of grave in
! justice. where they intended to enact
only fair and honest measures.
There is no wisdom like frank
ness" sal. Benjamin Disraeli, and the
London Westminster Gazette, taking
that as a text, breaches an editorial
sermon somewhat along the lines of
Mr. Perkins address before the Poor
Richard Club. Says the Gazette:
No business enterprise of any size
can eXis. without publicity as a
| means of getting into touch with
peoples minds and needs and
| fruit until by publicity it has per-
| meated the intelligence of vast
| numbers of thinking folk. No big
| fund can be raised unless its OBJ
| ject is cleverly and conscientiously
| cXplained. No public man can win
his country's confidence until pub
Lefty has made him known to null
| titudes, and so exalted him.
The same force is used TO dis
tribute ideas and great, regulations
aud everyday commodities. 1t is
only the method that varies.
! Il is publicity that has created a
highly senslti2ed, receptive national
| intelligence, and to tliwart this by
unwise censorship, whether of war
news, books or plays, is a weak and
! stupid policy.
BUSINESS advertising proves re-
peatedly that o,in. istraig95tforwardness Esirs
vertises goods that are bad, or that
do not come UP to the standard pre-
dicted. this reacts upon itself For.
like turning a hugo searchlight on
to outlines hitherto obscure; and IL
those outlines are found to be
SO in the limelight OF knowledge,
| falsity shrivels up-but the truth
OF things. however indigestible, is
always cducatiVe.
Hard headed businessmen are spend
ling millions of dollars every day tC
place their wares before the public
Theirs is the best evidence in tn,
world that honest publicity pays. Th,
fake advertisement may pay for tn,
moment, but the dealer who adver
itises persistently in publications tina
safeguard their columns does so FOL
1.-TWO reasons--frst. because he hai
isomething worth while TO sell. anC
second, because he wants purchaser
Ito come again.