Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-05-19
It VIII Be a Glorious Bartls.

IT VIII Be Glorious BATTLE.
General II. Gray Otis is a badly fright
ened map In an editorial printed in
his paper, the Los Angeles Times, Gen
eral Otis deals with 1.-THE issues and the
struggle" In the beginning General
Otis says that it is probable that Bryan
and Taft viii be the nominees. Follow
ing are extracts from that editorial
We have reserved for consideration
last the industrial condition of the
country and its possible effects
upon the vote. There is only
one way to enter into con-
hict at close quarters which is wise
and likely to succeed. That is for the
leaders in the fray to know exactly
their own resources, their weaknesses
as well as their strength, and to learn
about the enemy's conditions as care
fully as possible. Now it is an I'M
deniable fact that the industrial condi-
ton OF the country at the time the
voters approach the polls has an ex-
ceedingly important bearing upon the
result. There is no doubt that the
sweeping majority for the republican
ticket in 1896 was largely due to the
lamentable state of the industries and
prosperity of the people. Four years
later the republican party had been
able to point out that they had re-
deemed every promise they made in
the preceding election, and that party
again swept the country with an enor-
nous majority. So again four years
ago the continued happy condition of
the people inspired all minds but, pre-
JUDGED or interested partisans to let
we'll enough alone.
what are the facts at present? The
first three months of the current year
shows that the bank clearings of all
the clearing house cities in the United
States fell below those of the same
period year ago by twenty-eight per
cent; the gross railroad earnings were
twelve per cent less and the net earn
ings showed falling off of between
twenty and twenty-five per cent. There
are 300, 600 railroad cars idle this year
owing to lack of traffic compared
with an utter impossibility to furnish
rolling stock for the traffic offered a
year ago. Now note the following:
The failures in business of all kinds for
these three months of 1908 numbered
5000, with liabilities running to over
$4,000, 600. These figures have never
beer exceeded in any corresponding
three months in the industrial history of
the United States. 1t is estimated by
those in close touch with the conditions
that not less than 100000 persons are
out of work in the United States, taken
as a whole, one-third of these being
railroad employees. Iron and steel pro-
duction is now about one-half of the
normal output.
while this depression exists, strange
to say the country is exporting food
stuffs and crude oil and its products be-
yond anything ever known before.
These sales run TO about $20,000,000 a
week. The crop prospects, taking the
country as a,whole, are unusually good
The question is, what effect will these
Influences have upon the general bust
ness of the country between now and
the first week in next Oosso55org If this
depression remains as it is, with bust
ness concerns failing in great numbers,
involving enormous liabilities in which
concerns that still survive stand to lose
this money, the effect upon the vote in
November is difficult to estimate If,
on the contrary, the business of the
country should undergo very general
revival, showing a recovery from de-
preston more rapid than ever known
before, the people would take as an inn
portant justification of republican adj
ministration.
1.-THE conclusion the intelligent mind
will reach is that the republican party
confronts anything but walk-over in
the fall election. The status calls for
the most earnest and faithful devotion
of every good republican in the coun-
try to the party and its cause. 1t calls
on every republican to get into the
party ranks, to kindle ones. own en-
thusiasm with the fires of earnestness
which are sure to spread to neighbors
on all sides, to drop all party squabbles,
all factious disputes, and to rally under
the flag for the sole and undivided pur-
pose of electing the candidate of the
Chicago convention to the presidency.
With the struggle before us, anything
like hating, hesitating, divided ranks,
will result in utter failure.
The Times feels keenly the uncer-
tainty of the situation, the strenuous
ness of the struggle. the imperative
necessity of all getting into line, get
ting in straight, ooeing the mark and
marching shoulder to shoulder. This
is tie only course that promises sue
cess