The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-12-26


dustrial system stand stubborn and
unconyinced."
eighty Per Cent protest.
What do you think OF the increase
In the Socialist voter?
II cannot give my own impression
about Il better than by quoting what
a Socialist acquaintance Of mine In
Nebraska said 10 me last MAY when |
passed through Nebraska on my way
westward. A. wymore, while the
train fingered some l5 minutes. I had
the pleasure OF talking with the very
frank and intelligent young Mayor OF
the town. He IL a Socialist When |
asked him how he interpreted the vote
by which he had been elected, he said.
Why, think, sir. that II was about ~
per cent Socialist and Sc per cent pro.
test
There is rapidly growing body
OF voters who are utterly disguised
with those who have controlled polit-
ical affairs, because they have seemed
unable or unwilling TO do anything 10
meet and correct the evident situation
of things"
1 From Gov. Wilson's manner there
could be no doubt that he has abund'
ant confidence in his own ability 10
meet and correct" the existing evils.
So. the next question was:
lis the demand OF business men 10
be let alone reasonable in the cir
eumstances?
4 Gov. Wilson toyed for a moment
with a pencil on the desk, and said:
The demand does not come from
the rank and file: II comes from those
who have created the very conditions
we wish to correct They wish-so
4 far as / can make their programme
QUITO have the government accept
the consequences OF what they have
done, legaliEe them, and assume con-
troll OF them, without the least enort
NJ correction.
There Is nothing the matter with
the mass OF business in this country.
II Is as sound as II ever was. NO
change contemplated need touch or
binary business men at all, except 10
set them free OF some OF the trammels
and disadvantages under which they
now labor. The very object In view
is to set business free-free from the
control of the few-and then let IL
alone 10 follow it's own right laws
III il NOT fair 10 those who have
created the mischief TO cry out 10 oe
let alone They are thinking OF
themselves, not OF the country. Leglt-
innate processes OF business will never
be interfered with by legislation III
business. as now embarrassed, were
Let alone. IL would be let alone 10 con
tinue upon a basis upon which ousi'
ness can never safely rest-the basis
OF universal distrust and suspicion.
With more feeling than he had pre-
yiously displayed, Gov. Wilson sat up
in his chair. raised his hands IN
gesture OF demonstration and, speak
ing in the low, emphatic voice OF the
weIl.trained lecturer asked series
OF earnest questions!
Who are the business men OF the
Country? Are not the farmers 0usi-
ness men? Are not the small traders
business men? Is not the sub-con-
tractor a business man as well as the
Icontractor.in-chief; the man who 10
building UP enterprise as well as the
man who has built II up? Is not the
/ man whose credit is small and on
the make a business man as well as
! the man whose credit Ii unlimited
and established? Is not every en-
ployer OF labor. every purchaser or
material and every master Of any en-
terprise, big or little, and every man
fu a profession, business man.
These smaller men, who constitute
the body OF nation, SO far as business
is concerned, do not want 10 be let
al2ne. They want TO be set free OF
artificial trammels, OF high prices, and
OF the restricted opportunities that
have been created by our tariff-walled
| system Of privilege"
! Gov. Wilson's reference to our tar
ifr.walled system OF privilege" sug.
gested the question:
! What Is TO be the greatest issue or
the coming campaign" There was
no hesitation in Gov Wilson's answer:
1.-THE tariff, Of course. IL must be
so by its very nature. No frank
mind can doubt that the great sys-
TENS Of special privilege and mon
opolistic advantage that have been
built up have been built up upon the
foundation OF the tarift The tariff
question Is at the heart OF every
other economic question we have TO
deal with, and until we have dealt
with that properly we can deal with
nothing in a way that will be salts
| factory and lasting"
Gov Wilson is for tariff for
revenue only" first. last and all the
| time. He believes that tariff re-
vision Is the NEST pressing need of
the country. and that the people are
right in their determination to settle
this question unequivocally at the
coming election. In reply to q ques-
ton as TO what value he attaches TO
President Taft's Tariff Board, Gov.
I Wilson said:
so far the tariff board has served
chiefly as an excuse for delay in
doing things which IL was obviously
fair and necessary to do II may
serve very useful purpose I'm sup
plying information. At least II will
so soon as il is given authority TO
obtain authentic information. At
present II cannot command IL. IL
can only ask for It, No one need
supply IL with facts who does not
wish TO.
"All economists agree that there
can never be any such thing as an
expert tariff board. There Is no ex-
! pert In the business OF the entire
country, There can be no such
thing az an expert in the general
readjustment of the tariff schedules.
In the somewhat rough and ready
and ayparimantaI ron -