The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-11-16
MlscHIEvoUs POLITICAL. POSI-
BILITIES.

ton to the latter's view with regard tC
the wanton periodical disturbance Of
business by national elections. that al
though the business Of the country Is
more or less at the mercy " congress
congress never has abused, and proba-
bly never win abuse. what we recently
termed its almost absolute power tC
make or break the country's business
II the Post were business newspaper
which 1t is not-it could hardly be par
doned for its ignorance OF the fact
known to every business man that ma
tional elections. as a rule. throw heavy
wet blanket on business for from six 70
eight months around about election
lime; and this is only because congress
has such an absolutely unbridled power
with a president Of its way Of think
ing) over the business and finance Of the
country; and it has so many times not
only shown its ability but its disposition
to abuse this power that business men
almost unanimously shorten their
lines" as banks shorten their credits.
upon the approach of an election which
is likely to change the complexion of
congress.
The strange part of This is that, al
though a president is stin to sit through
the congress altered to the opposite
side Of these great questions as viewed
by him. the business public never rests
quietly under the belief that he win in
evitably keep her as she is." as the
sailor would say. It discounts all the
possibilities Of compromise legislation
and the likelihood that the president
will recognize in the changed face Of
congress something Of a change also
in the attitude Of the people toward
those questions which the new congress
is certain once more to drag into dis
cussion. and thus be won to a some
what modified attitude toward them
himself; ard accordingly. supposing for
instance a low tariff law had been in
operation under the low tariff president,
and high tariff congress should pre-
vail during the last half Of his term.
the possibility that at least some Of the
tariff schedules might be disturbed to
the prejudice of the importing public
would likely lead to such an excess Of
imports that domestic competing indus
tries would simply close down their es-
awaiting the determina-
tion Of the matter; and this. with the
illeness OF armies Of work ngmen. would
seriously influence prices all along the
line. depress business in every direction
and generally illustrate this sinister
power of congress to ruin the country's
prosperity for an indefinite time. On
the other hand. If high tariff policy
had prevailed, and congress should be
turned over from high to low in its COM
plexion, the same effect upon business
would more than likely be produced
in another way. Domestic merchants
would instantly curtail purchases from
domestic producers and live from hand
to mouth instead Of making contracts
by the season. Their solvency would
demand this course. If the tariff bars
should fall and let in an unlimited vol
ume Of competition from the worlds
surplus stocks-which somehow rapidly
accumulate when Americans have
high tariff law in force-the merchant
whose shelves were packed with high
priced American goods at the advent
Of low tariff law would simply be
swamped.
Sore experience has thus made Ameri-
can merchants wonderfully conserva-
tive and has caused them to look upon
congress as the actual shaper Of their
destinies. But everybody knows how
frequently congresses are elected with
out very sober reflection on the part Of
the peorle at large. II times are pros
porous and there seems no immediate
danger Of trouble. there are usually
enough otherwise sound-headed men
imagining that election day would be
better spent in fishing or hunting than
in wasting time about the polls. to give
the never-sleeping demagogues a chance
to poll the usual cut-and-dried vote and
to dump the country INTO the lap of
pure politicians once more.
Why should not an amendment to the