Evening star., 1934-01-05
Business and Political
Leaders Found Wanting


The sentence pronounced against
Belshazzar in the days of the ancient
Hebrews will be the verdict Of posterity
against the business and political lead
ers of today-namely, Thou art
weighed in the balances, and art found
wanting"
Our country, blessed beyond measure
in its institutions, and in material and
financial resources, has been prostrated
the past four years. and the end Is no
where in sight. In a land of plenty
millions are hungry and ragged and
without employment, while millions OF
others are living in luxury. The NAL
adjustments In our social, economic and
reproach to the age in which we live.
Naturally in such times the rank and
file have looked to our so-called busi-
ness and political leaders to 1nd solu-
tions for our ills and to justify their
right to leadership by discovering the
paths and guiding us into and along
them that lead from the wilderness OF
despair and depression into the fair
fields of hope and better times. But
they have looked in vain.
Midst all the babble Of talk, confer
ences, commissions and stuff that has
filled the public press from day to day
there has been no clarion call or one
constructive idea advanced from any
quarter, here or abroad, to remedy the
ills from which the whole world is suf-
fering until the advent of the Roose-
velt administration which under his
leadership has inaugurated many ex-
perimentS to work our Nation out OF
its economic and financial difficulties.
The way, however, is by no means clear
as yet. AS to the results and conse-
quences OF these experiments only time
can tell, for they are Shrouded In the
mists of the future through which the
minds eye of the wiSest cannot pene-
trate to tell us Of the port toward which
we are sailing. We can only hope the
captain knows his course and ultimate
| destination, and that we may have a
prosperous voyage and happy land
ing. without injury to the ship OF state
or to the Nations financial credit.
Our leaders in industry and in politics
have been found wanting in every at
! tribute heretofore ascribed to them.
They are utterly discredited, and have
proven bankrupt in constructive spiritual
and material ideas and in initiative
| Worse still is the fact that by recent
senatorial investigations and otherwise
some of them have shown a vlSionleSs
regard for self-interest superior to the
duties Of patriotism and the demands
of the common welfare. Indeed, they
are men without vision. blind to their
own best interests, and without sense OF
social obligation. They appear to have
! no sympathy with their fellow men or
understanding of their needs. They
have been so intent in the pursuit OF
money and in the subordination Of all
| their abilities to that end that their
! min ho eli r1n RR mi riS
shut in by the narrow horizons that
and pursuits. They appear devoid of the
! spirit of noblesse oblige, of the willing
+ ness TO live and let live. Success in per-
sohal achievement and the amaSSing OF
/ money is their only goal; and to them
/ the end, success, condones and justif1es
/ whatever devious and questionable
methods that are employed by them in
the pursuit of their objects. 1t seems
never TO have occurred to them that
/ the life is more than meat, and the
body than raiment"; and that in trying
| to gain the world Of their ambitions they
are losing their own souls and the
capacity to understand and appreciate
the finer, the nobler and the more
worthwhile things of life.
Let us take hope and courage. how
ever, from Ine lact tnat ROOQ is often
the fruit OF evil. and that adversity is
therefore not without its comforts and
its hopes. May be that the world s
present catastrophe will bring us all to
realize our interdependence and mutual
| obligations to society and to one an
| other. That We will learn from our past
/ experiences the fundamental lesson that
! honesty is the best policy; that there
can be no privileges without duties in
our business and social relations, and
that there is no royal road to wealth
and happiness, which may be attained
, only by faith. courage, honest toll and
service to our fellow men
knowledge comes by suffering just as
life is said to be by death. Let us hope
that out of the welter and suffering of
, the past four years there may come a
| finer and better civilization amongst us.
II such shall be the result. the travail
| through which we are passing and our
! present adversities will not have been
/ in vain or without reward
| l still have faith in my fellow men
and in tine future Of the world, and
believe that the tendencies of humanity
are ever progressive toward the better
ment OF the race, and not without rea-
SON.. because I have lived long enough
/ to have witnessed a marvellous advance
in social relations and In the social order
i that was little anticipated by any one
! in the days of my youth
| ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER.