The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-06-13

lFOuSHL / Saw NduSe NHSH w.
into the work. Now | know II l:
there, and ! am going 10 give al!
have got for this period 70 this
Cause. And | 5espeak for 1t and tol
these men your most earnest anc
sympathetic cooperation. ! do not
know what can be accomplished, A
man is safe if he knows when he does
not know. What ! do not know about
this industry would fiji the Encyclo-
pedia Brittanica, but l am going to
work very hard to learn it, and l &c
know that there exists the most non
est and earnest purpose. And rlgh'
here, talking to Democratic and Re-
publican editors alike, let me suggest
that l am glad finally to be IN an
activity where we are all on the same
side of the table.
Most certainly l will not be put IN
the attitude of being judge OF the
morals of those who are in the indus
try. There has been much loose talk
on that subject, and the fact is that
the morals of the thousands and thou
sands in this industry are just as good
as those in any other.
The vital thing now is the certain
good faith of those who have set
about these major purposes, and l
do not know of the certainty OF that
GOOD faith. | know that these men
with millions invested will go through
with this thing. This industry must
and shall MAINTAIN its high place IN
the business world along with the otn-
er great industries, offering enter
prising capital a legitimate oppor-
tunity for profitable investment, es-
tablished on a solid foundation, op-
Grated with reasonable economy and
supported properly, as are our other
great industries by the investing pub
lie. And it must and shall and VIII
take is very high place in public, estl-
nation.
So certainly is al this matter OF
YOUR concern that we earnestly ask
YOUR advice in the situation. l have
thought the pro olems would be solved
if we could make certain the estab-
lishment Of two things: confidence
and cooperation. We must have conf
dence and cooperation between those
in the Industry, confidence and CO.
ooelat;on that will bring mutual
appreciation and action together IN
those things in which we-are mutually
interested. And in this I include,
OF coulse, the exhibitors IS we'll as
the producers and distributors. With
tbs established, and tits being es-
tab! >hed, if we can just have the con-
fdence and cooperation Of you of the
press. as our elder brother, having
been through much Of the same ira
Val! and having come out victorious,
then if we can have the deserved con-
fidence and cooperation Of the public,
our problems viii De solved. /. rs
not a one-sided matter. 1t has been
said repeatedly that certain obJecA
tonable pictures which live been
made are the class of pictures which
the public wanted, and chat such pro-
duct!ons have been a meeting OF the
demands of the public based on box
office receipts. If this is so, then the
public has duty in the situation, and
your duty in relation to that phase
of the matter is clear. One Of the
largest of the producers has told me,
however, that in his opinion the out
standing financial successes in the
,,,,;t eighteen months have been clean
pictures. l know te American pub
lie. I know that it's manhood and
womanhood is sound and, of course,
it. will support the cleanest pictures.
And the American public il; the real
censor for US, just as it is for you.
Our Responsibility
The people of this country are
against censorship fundamentally,
against censorship of the press, Of
pulpit and of pictures. Just as GER
tainly is this country against wrong
doing and the demand for censor
ship will fail when the reason for the
demand is removed. As We move
towrads the contamination of the OBJ
jects of this association, just in like
degree will recede the demand which
seems more or less prevalent for cen
sorship. The problem of censorship
with which we are now faced was