The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1928-05-11
The Cherry
~ Where with our
roo Little Hatchet
we tell the truth
about many things, sometimes pro-
foundly, sometimes fippantly,
sometimes recklessly. ...........

An interesting show is on in the
capital of the nation. The federal
trade commission has been inquiring
into propaganda activities of the well
known power trust, finding out va
rious things about the modern busi-
ness of shaping public opinion.
He who today thinks that public
opinion on all great issues is matter
about which the public does its own
digging and makes up its own mind
is foolish. Public opinion is fed by
those who want public opinion and
he who does the best job of feeding
usually gets the verdict.
1t appears from testimony of power
trust representatives that the power
combine was against the Walsh reso-
luton, which proposed that senate
committee do the investigation. 1t
appears also that the power trust was
and is against the Boulder Dam pro-
posal of Senator Hiram Johnston. 1t
has been conducting very active
campaign against the Boulder Dam
bill. The Walsh resolution was, of
course, beaten; and that is why the
federal trade commission is doing
the Investigating.
Surely, eventually, something will
have to be done about corporation
propaganda. A corporation is a crea-
ture licensed by the state to do busi-
ness. Whether these creatures of the
state can conduct propaganda to un.
do the purposes of the state is mat
ter about which the American people
will do we'll to give thought.
In certain well defined phases what
is commonly called propaganda is
proper enough. But in certain other
equally well defined phases it becomes
poison, if not criminal.
When the work of paid agents is
made to seem like the work of impair
| tial and scientific investigators it i:
fair to question the propriety of the
output. When deception as to source
enters into the matter, then propa
| ganda ceases to be virtuous and be
comes poisonous. And that is quite
apart from the sincerity of the find
| ings of those who do the finding ant
who pose as impartial investigator!
and authorities.
| Every now and then testimony ha
bobbed up to show that the powe
trust not only was opposed to Boul
der Dam, to the Walsh resolution an,
the Muscle Shoals project, but that i
went outside the power field to op
pose the Shipstead anti-injunctiol
bill.
| Not long ago President Coolidge de
clared that when government gets int
business political liberty is imperill
ed. When business gets into tryin,
| to dominate government policie
through propaganda there would ais
seem to be something of a menac
in the offng.
| The power trust investigation thu
far has been more fearless than wa
to have been expected. The powe
trust has been proven very active, in
deed, in the gentle business of shar
| ing public opinion. Writers and pub
lications have been shown to be O
the payroll of this great combine Q
power interests.
| And let Mr.. George M. Consume
not fool himself-he pays the bill fo
it all!
| He pays the bill for propagand
which seeks to compel Legislators t
vote against what they were electe
to do. And how is that for a swee
lesson in the ways and peculiarities 0
| Il