The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-16
BUSINESS IN GOVERNMENT.

what We need IL buAincss ndmlnistra-
tion." How frequently we hear that statement
when political matters are discussed II has
become almost "a superstition that the politician
is wholly bad and the successful business man
wholly good Yet nothing could be further
from the truth.
In commerce and industry the country
auiros successful business administrators. In
such vocatlons the novice should have keceivod
previous training designed carefully to prepare
him for his life work. In the cults OF healing
we require men schooled for the art they
about to practice. In matters OF the soul wo
require ministers and priests trained for their
Jobs and devoted to their tasks. And In po-
ticai matters we sutfcr far because
have not established a dlgnlflcd political pro-
tession and trained for such work than we
do from any other single cause because the
skilled politicians task Ia TO keep all OF these
private undertakings in their proper relation to
the state and each o,her.
Tho business man ana the professional man
inducted into governmental affairs. with no sense
at all other than a business sense. unalternbly
devoted to the single idea Of money boarding
has Inflicted the very greatest damage upon our
government and social structure that It
has over sustained II such observation be
treason we are quite prepared TO face tho fir
Ing squad.
The notion, all too prevalent. that govern
nient should DO conducted corporation or
private business devoted TO profit, Is the most
false and faacious that has ever gained cur
rency The rights OF the individual citizen or
subject as no stands In relation to government
ate incapable Of being measured by the same
yard stick applies to the same individual
whore the thing he stands IN juxtapostlon to
OH IL
this true II equity and justice be the purpose of
epvernmcnt
Inevitably Justice not infrcaucntly runs
counter to the interests and the purposes OF
the business man and when government per-
ntits itself TO be DETECTED from the pursuit. OF
Justice and turns to comfort private business,
it has failed, not only TO perform its primary
obligation, but has begun to SOW the seeds OF It's
own dissolution,
THE science OF government is complex one.
Tho political profession affords opportunities In
excess OF any other known profession 80 far as
Substantial service to humanity "a concerned.
OF all the sciences the science OF government Is
least understood, Perhaps 1t would bo more
accurate TO say that 1t IN less generally under
stood for as a science 81 has been onalyEed,
chartod and diagramed splendldly by those who
have brough; to It's study thu ripe intelligence
perience.
what America needs as no other country
does is a profession devoted to tho science OF
government from which should como law
gtvers administrators and political agents.
There is not one so.calod successful business
man In a hundred thousand who POSSESSES the
slightest fitness for the political arena. man
who has devoted his lfe TO n private business
inevitably has false sense Of Fundamental
values a distorted idea OF tho relation OF ss-
sonttals one 20 another and contempt for the
human value which leads him into the most
indefenslble and srotesque political acts. Such a
man delfies and worships the business god to tho
exclusion Of all other gods,
In addition to this such man is necessarily
both narrowly informed and lily informed Be
cause no man can make accumulation OF wealth
his chief ambition and develop normally aud
soundly In other directions. just now the
country has this point splenddy demonstrated
in the inane unsound and nonsenseal stuff
being peddled by two OF tho nations most dis
,inguished business men. Ford and Edison.
Popular governments II it is to endure and
succeed must bo administered by politicians
ana not by business men, By politicians we
mean men schooled In the science Of govern
Inent as such We moan men who are as de-
voted 10 that science and its immutable laws
and requirements the Judge is 10 his land
marks and authorities, the medical prac-
titioner is 20 his preceptors and demonstrators,
when such directs the destinies OF a
popular government the lobhyist wth become
innocuous, the pleader for special privileges viii
net be menace. every citizen win stand pre-
clseiy on the same footing in his reeton to the
state. and class appeal wih taii on deaf
s.,a TN. idea that business end a ouslnes
a,a,,a eoae h a GOOD thing for goSernment ha
drought ON this 'eountry most % It's troubles.