Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-09
4 DEPARTMENT OF INDU,STR Y AND
COMMERCE.

COMMERCE.
! Senator Window is filled with an am bition
to establish what he calls department. of
| industry and commerce. He has great ex-
pectations of such a department., and wants
| it modelled after the British board of trade
He "would have it include manufactures,
commerce, agriculture, mining, patents, sta
tistics, and possibly some other things The
head of the department should be selected
from the ablest and most experienced bust
ness men of the country. He should be a
member of the cabinet, where his voice
would be as potential as that OF the secretary
of the treasury or of tho interior, or the post
master general. His recommendations would
then have the force of an executive policy,
and the administration would be held re-
sponsible for them. Such department
would group together all of our great indus
trial and commercial interests, where they
would be considered in their relation to each
other, and in their relation to similar inter-
ests in other countries
Ths.is very enchanting picture to place
on paper. How delightful it will be to
have the interests of manufactures and COM
merce committed to a department, the head
of which should be 'selected from the ablest
and most experienced business men of the
country" Very delightful indeed! The
fact that the heads of departments are never
chosen because of their ability or expert
ence, but rather for their readiness to do the
political dirty work Of their chiefs is not to
be urged against this department.. Of course
not; for an exception will be made to the
rule in favor Of our manufactures and COM
merce-in horn. It will be e sight to
cause angels to- dance the car-can on sum-
mer cloud to see man who has ell his life
been engaged in manufacturing candidates
out OF pot-house brawlers) and trading lin
votes in caucuses and conventions) with q
voice in the cabinet as potential rs that
of the secretary of tho treasury
to determine how our manufacturing inter
ests should be conducted; how our COM
MERGE should go to work to rule the seas;
how potatoes should be planted and wheat
sown; how the big bonanza should be made
to keep up it's dividends, and how Edison and
his inventive compatriots should regulate the
number and character of their Inventions
The scheme is worthy of the prodigious brain
of Window. We have no doubt it has cost
him many sleepless night during its incu-
baton, and now that he has succeeded in
bringing it forth, it ssdoes him proud.''
| Mr.. Window is a firm believer in the DO
tency of legislation. If quarry produces
limestone, he is firmly of tho belief that it
requires only an act of Congress or an order
from the head of a department. to make it
produce sandstone or pressed brick If a
tree produces hickory nuts, he is sure that a
general order from the department. of agri-
culture or special act of the legislature will
result in fine crop of apricots or pears. He
believes, in short, that an act of Congress
can reverse the laws of nature-cause figs to
grow upon thistles, or q hog to give birth to
a blooded colt. His theories are very fine
bat we question very much if those who have
money invested in manufactures, mining or
commerce will care to have him experiment.
with them in their particular domain. It is
self-evident proposition that a man who
invests his money in any industry, he feels
competent to manage it satisfactorily to him
self, at least, and he would regard it as piece
of unwarrantable impertinence to receive adj
vice and directions as to it's management
from man who has no interest in it's success.
and whose only experience in honest indus.
try has been picked up when canvassinp
for votes among men who earn their bread
by the sweat of their brow. We have
already too many departments many
bureaux. They are all, without single ex-
ception, operated as political engines by a
SGT of characterless scalawag political tramps,
and cost the honest workingmen, manufac-
turers and merchants millions of dollars a
year. They are mere hospitals for deceyed
office-holders, who have become public
charge. Instead of establishing new depart
ments, We should abolish score of those
now in existence. Our industry can take
care of itself. All it wants is to be let alone
by men who neither understand what it is
nor what it needs, and whose only purpose
in interfering with it is to bleed it for their
own profit.
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