Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-02
Auto Manufacturer Charges
Propaganda Campaign
Funds WaSted-PurChaSe
of Offices Is Attacked
By JAMES MARTIN MILLER

DEARBORN, Mich, Aug. l.
The writer has just spent several
days at Dearborn and a visit with
Mr.. Ford. On Tuesday next, July
81, the first day of MIR. Ford's sixty
first year, an authoritative political
announcement will be published.
This statementwilI throw some light
or these questions:
Is Henry Ford a candidate?
Is he a Republican or a Democrat?
VIII he run on one Of these tick
cts or will he run as an independent
or will he run st all?
One of the questions I discussed
with Mr.. Ford was the corrupting
use of money in politics in the United
States. Why should a man bitten
with political ambition spend, or let
his friends spend for him, million
and a half in presidential primary
campaign in a coarse, boastful and
vicious, nationwide effort to con-
vince the people that az am the man
and the only man." for you to make
IlISS4NlCIIl. L no mos NOlAiS ~ IN"
the american plan" and Mr.. Ford
would not, under any circumstances,
go into any "slush fund.- campaign,
or be the beneficiary Of any office
"purchased' in this way.
I said to Mr.. Ford: What do you
think of the enormous increase in
political campaign eXpense?"
personally, I would not give a
single dollars for propaganda, but I
would give a million for facts. There
is a fact shortage, but we arei long
on propaganda to cover up facts"
said he.
Honesty In Spending
"The question of spending money
in politics is like the question of
earning money in business; it is a
matter of honesty.
Money may be dishonesty spent
just as it may be dishonesty acquir-
ed, and a great deal Of it is being
dishonesty spent all the time, even
outside politics.
All waste is dishonest, especial
ly the waste of that into which an
others labor has entered, or that out
OF which a good use might be OBJ
tanned. Thus all appeal to the ex-
traVagant tastes of the people is also
dishonest the tempting of buyers
with geWgaws that merely get the
money and never give its equivalent
IN use. Everything that wastes ma.
terlal, debases taste, encourages a
iIashy, thoughtless, spendthrift
habit, is dishonest.
Now spending money in notifies
IS partly matter Of taste, partly
OF conscience, partly Of law. Ordi
harlIy personal modesty ought to
prevent a man spending his own
money to gain a preferment for him.
sell. A good colonel would not think
Oh buying promotion to the rank of
general; he would desire to win that
rank by the method of merit.
A lawyer would not be fit for
the bench who would consider buv
ing his way there; as a lawyer he
would get more satisfaction out of
the honor by having it bestowed
upon him through the unbiased
judgment of others as to his WORTH
ness. Honors that do. not confer
honor are of all things the emptiest.
they are like hired cheers or sub.
sldlzed tears. abhorrent to the nor.
NAL man.
Yes, money is made to be spent
and there was probably never a
time IN the world, especially in this
nation, when so many men were
anxious to get into the spending
orgy. Men have a sort of blind
Faith that if they throw enough dol
lars into the machine of destiny it
VIII come out just what they desire
a presidency, world church unity.
complete Americanization, or what
ever it may be.
Proper Spending of Money
BY all means let money be spent
by those who have money to spare.
but let the spending contribute to
the general wealth of the people.
let 1t meet some actual need, let it
go to accomplish something more
than further glutting the mails
with political propaganda or serving
selfish purposes.
IL all the money thus far spent
on the presidential campaign by
candidates who will never see more
than the exterior of the White
House had been used to meet the
great fact shortage from which the
country suffers, the benefit to the
country would have been greater
than if all the aspirants landed the
office
This is a suggestion which may
De worth considering by men who
are wondering what to do with their
money. Granting that a number of
men who can never be president.
nor hold any other office common
surate with their dignity, are trulv
deslrlous of serving the nation, this
suggestion is offered for their can.
did consideratior-why not spend
some money in relieving the people
from the shortage of facts?
1t is positively startling to dis
cover how little reliable knowledge
IS to be had on any of the real
problems that confront us; not the
speculative problems dealing with
untrled forms of social life. and new
propositions of industrial adjust
ment, but the concrete problems
having to do with wheat, sugar.
coal, houses and the like.
Sugar is scarce. Sugar is bioh
| 1t it scarce only in the retail sto,a
or in the world? Is it high because
1t is really scarce, or because its
How is being held back to boost
prices and thus bring more profit
to spectators? Do YOU know?
| Opinions are useless. Guesses solve
nothing. Denunciation does no good
The one thing that is worth 900
| opinions and guesses. and would ac-
complish the work Of the most ter.
rifle denunciations, is the fact about
| sugar. That fact is obtainable. Some
people say, The government ought
to get that fact Perhaps so, but
whatever the government has done
or omitted to do, it is certain that
demonstrated, interchangeable fact
has not been given to the people.
Absolute knowledge Needed