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Show PUBLICITY. An interesting trend of thought is suggested by the demand for publicity in regard to public corporations, cor-porations, campaign expenses anicl methods of doing do-ing business.' The demand for light in dark places is the result of exposures of chicanery practiced behind be-hind closed doors, and the belief that light will purr ify is not without reason. The corporation has been an admirable shield with which men with weak consciences could protect themselves as they chased the devil around the stump. Individuals acting behind be-hind this shield and depending upon the secrecy afforded by the corporation, have availed themselves them-selves of their business advantage at the expense' of the general public. Their elastic consciences have been salved by the thought that others would do'the same things, indeed are doing them, in similar sim-ilar positions, and moral accountability is thus evaded. ' But when in the mad chase the devil dodges and the chaser falls over himself in his frantic efforts, and an exposure of fraud results, the claim of the people for publicity becomes more insistent. Publicity Pub-licity touches the raw spots. The records show undertakings un-dertakings ranging from the mere idiosyncrasies of our day and generation to the larger idiosyncrasies idiosyn-crasies of the corporation. Publicity blasts reputations repu-tations which had seemed honest, darkens what had seemed fair. It is cruel and heartless, yet with each recurring exposure the demand becomes more insistent. Publicity brings retributive justice Upon Up-on malefactors, high and low. And if all within is pure and clean, and all the dealings of the corpora- tion are open and above board, as man to man, no special pleadings are required to justify them, and no specious argument needed to defend what has been done. There is something more than a desire to "muckrake" in the demand for publicity; it is typical typ-ical of our high civilization and indicates a deep-set deep-set conviction of righteousness. The people never felt any strong need for publicity until concealment of interests and purposes on the part of the corporations cor-porations made such a demand. Legitimate industries indus-tries need fear nothing from the operation of this new practice; only "inner circles" and promoters of questionable enterprises need look with dismay on the reign of righteousness which must prevail. To these publicity is sufficiently solemn and the penalties pen-alties attached for doing and carrying on certain tabooed things sufficiently exemplary to render any subterfuges in defense wholly inadequate. The people demand publicity as a penalty for continued attempts to conceal certain operations which enriched en-riched a few at the expense of the many. |