The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-10
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

political situation in this country as it unfolds itself to his eyes at the nation al capital: Tt is reasonably plain that the pendulum of popular opinion that swung very far in one direction during the last few years is now slowly swing ing back in obedience to the law of | social equilibrium. That law no force can oppose
 There are many signs which go to substantiate this view of what Is ac- tually happening in this country on the very eve of another presidential elec- | ton. The people are awakening to the stern fact that denunciation, elo- quent advocacy of experimental legis- lation and condemnation of opposing forces do not produce the results looked for For a dozen years now this sort of political leadership has been popular and more or less per sonally profitable to those indulging themselves In it, but their inability to show improving consequences has compelled the people who fell thought lessly under their sway to ask whether after all mistake has not been made in departing from the additionally patient method of American states men in undertaking the improvement of society. Professor Sumner in a re- gently published article proved how hopeless Is the task of making over society. Exactly the same resistance discloses itself when the task is un- dertaken of making over the govern ment while you wait" Unquestion- <Rtlk many of the things which have been said and done were rightly said and rightly done, but the error con- sisted in accepting them as a basis upon which to build better and more up-to-date political structure. What the country would have saved had these bold attempts been thoughtfully resisted by safe and sane minority will never be computed. What 1t has cost the country to have both political parties running after false gods and preaching wild and weird doctrines at the same time will never be known. It fs sufficient, as MT. Low says, that the pendulum has begun to swing in obedi- ence to the powerful law of social equilibrium.
 The increasingly frequent criticism of the federal administration for its strenuous view of the needs of the government and for its avowed pur- pose of controlling the next Republi- can national convention is sign of it. A year ago when the strenuous view of life was universally popular such criticism as was offered was repelled with resentment. A year ago it would have been impossible to arrange and make successful such q dinner as was held Wednesday evening in New York city in commemoration of Andrew Jackson. The men who conceived fl and carried 1t to successful conclus. ion had caught the drift of public opinion away from the restless view of life and had seen that at last they could hope to get attention for phil. osophy which is as sound as it is old Though always man of the highes human judgment and integrity. wort nevertheless from Grover Cleveland that small number of months agt would have been listened to in silence if tolerated at all To the Democratic diners Wednesday evening he wrot. with his accustomed boise and sense "Our country needs conservatism, re cuperation from nervous prostration servance, buoyant but none the les safe and prudent Americanisnn. scru pulous care of every person and ever, interest entitled to care, and a souar deal that means exact and homes equality before the law and under con stitutional guaranty These simpl but effective views were received witl cheers. Judge Morgan J oBricn. wh was the horored guest of the evening
 expressed similar ideas and was ar plauded for them Former Unite
 States Senator Lindsay of Kentuck
 pleaded for a constitutional den1ocra cy and added. What we want is [
 find the time when the governr1en
 State and federal, will let the peopl alone Tn other words the speaker
 Of the evening showed in the freedor
 with which they expressed their view
 that they had anticipated return [
 reason and science in the leadership (
 the great political parties. It is sig
 nifcant that their views were accep'
 ed as the means to the desired end (
 relief from restless and disorderl
 consideration of great social prol
 lens
 ! still further sign Of the times
 the timidity with which the traine