The Detroit times., 1911-02-07

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb z.
Dear Dad: Woodrow Wilson COM
pares our present political system to
coat which will not button up the
belly without splitting down the back.
This Is the homely smile which he
used in talking to the Press club the
other night, at their hobby" stunt.
| Gov. Wilson thinks IL time to get a
coat that will fit. Publicity was the
keynote of his remedy. He says there
has grown up the prevalent practice
of administering the public's affairs
as IL they were somebody else's
private business.
1.-THE government" says Wilson,
'is every bodys business. And he
adds, Ito an increasing extent all mod
ern business is everybody's business.
The old notion that an individuals
business Is his own, and that no one
else can interfere with it, must give
way before the idea that the public
welfare dominates even private bust
ness"
The inger-Cunuinghain bills are
dead. This is generally admitted now.
Amos Pinchot did the work. At least,
he did a lot of It, He came quietly
to Washington and went 10 see The
friends of conservation in congress.
He soon persuaded the Democrats
and the Progressive Republicans that
Il would not be well TO authorize
Mr.. Ballinger to refer the Cunning
ham claims to the courts. So Mr..
Ballinger must decide them, or Mr..
Taft must decide them.
IL Secretary Ballinger does not re-
sign he will be impeached. This is
the cold, bald fact. Secretary Bal
linger can hang on until the new
Democratic house comes into power
He cannot stay after that. or course,
IL President Taft neglects to call an
extra session the new house will not
come into power until next December.
So IL is possible that Mr.. Bailinger
may remain secretary OF the interior
until that time. But have been talk
ing to many Democrats and they say
that without shadow OF a doubt, II
Mr.. Ballinger remains until that date
the Democratic house will jump at
the opportunity to impeach him My
informants tell me that such a reso-
luton would go through the house
with a rush. So there you are.
The Grand Old Flag and an appro-
priation inspired the Hon. Joe Bailey,
of Texas. to a fight of oratory in the
senate when the river and harbor bill
reached the item touching the Beau
mont-Orange channel harbor. A year
ago this item was eliminated from the
bill and In revenge Bailey attacked
Burton's bill to improve the efficiency
of the army engineers and eliminated
that from another appropriation bill.
Thus the feud remained until this
year, when Burton left the item out
and Bailey again attacked the en-
gineer item. Burton wanted this time
| TO save his appropriation for the amy
engineers. so he bit his tongue and
| crossed his fingers. Bailey took the
cue. made his little patriotic speech
for the Grand Old Flag and the Beau.
| mont. Orange channel job went back
into the bill. Thus two birds were
| killed with one stone and the Bailey
Burton feud Is buried.
| At the Press clubs stunt party the
other night. dear old Franklin Mac
| Neag1, secretary u lhe treas" q
read nice little piece which he had
written, apologizing for the Taft al
ministration and explaining the un-
popularity OF the president He said,
in effect. that before Mr.. Taft was
president everybody knew he Was a
genial soul and all the public loved
him He said that after becoming
president. Mr.. Taft had demonstrated
himself TO be such wonderful states
man and such an unselish man that
he was unable to do ANYTHING for
popular applause, and unable TO take
any steps which would put him In a
favorable light with the country, and
that the consequences arc that the
country really knows nothing about
him. and is growing to dislike and