The Washington herald., 1912-11-24
SUNDAY. NOVEMBER "a. 1872.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION

The tumult and the shouting are
b over. The country is settling down to
the fact that a new administration is
to control the affairs of the govern
Z nent and that the policies which have
. obtained during the past sixteen years
are TO be changed. 1t is still an open
question, however, as to the extent of
these changes and the effect which
they will have upon the well being of
the American people. The future is
Z. thus involved in speculation, but
Z through the mist of uncertainty some
p facts are plainly apparent.
= In the first place President Wilson
; will enter upon his term of Office with
= the expectations of the people raised
TO a high plane. The tendency in re-
cent years has been toward better
ment OF social and material conditions,
e. feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction
has been created Criticism has
been rife. Vague promises of improve
ment have been made and, somehow
or other. President Wilson will be ex-
. pected to convert these promises into
2. realization. 1t is a difficult task which
7confrontS him What is he to do and
how is he TO do it? Is he to cqualize
the distribution of wealth, so that the
poor man shall become richer, with
out regard to his ability to earn or in
defiance of the laws of economy and
thrift? 1t sounds Utopian. Is he to
decrease the high cost of living with
/, out decreasing the amount of wage,
, and when the evil OF increased prices
.+is worldwide? The undertaking seems
impossible Is he to regulate COM
mercial competition by legislation? If
so, he will prove d unique and remark
: able executive. VIII he endeavor to
decrease the cost to the consumer
without interfering with the profits of
the producer? The very effort will
demand a SoIomonic mind A fhou-
B. sand questions might thus be asked,
but satisfactory answers to them must
rest upon the conclusion that President
Wilson's mind comprises all that is
given to human wisdom
No wonder. therefore, that while he
is basking under Bermuda skies. Gov.
Wilson insists that he is giving little
attention to the details of Cabinet ap-
pointments and such like, but is strug-
Cling with the great problems placed
before him for solution He evidently
appreciates fully the responsibilities
now upon his shoulders. He will need
much wisdom and much patience He
will need, more than all, the for
y bearance OF the American people.
Looking into the future it is easy
70 see that the Wilsonian stream will
not be placid. There are rocks and
r.. whirlpools everywhere They can be
avoided by skillful craftsmanship and
every patriotic American citizen, who
wishes well for the peace and pros
perity of his country, hopes that this
avoidance can be accomplished The
history of the last. Cleveland admins
tration, however, affords a striking
illustration of the ease with which
wreckage can come
+ 1t is not reassuring, for instance, to
-t,,A l. = Il
mating that his mind is turning toward
currency reform Grover Cleveland.
+ elected upon a platform of tariff re-
4 vision at time when popular resent
ment against the Mckinley tariff law
was even greater than against the pres
ent Payne-Aldrich law, made his first
mistake when he called an extra ses-
5 sion of Congress not to revise the
+ tariff but to repeal the Sherman silver
purchase act. 1t is by no means i'm
probable that President Wilson, unless
advised to the contrary, will make a
similar error. 1t will be remembered
= that Mr.. Wilson, throughout the en-
tire campaign, was strangely silent
upon the question of currency Iegis-
lation. 1t was, as he well knew, a deli
cate and dangerous subject. In Con-
gress the Aldrich monetary bill had
been let severely alone. No one
wanted to have his fingers burned BY
touching it We find, however, that
Senator O'Gorman of New York, is
now suggesting that the extra session
should not deal with the tariff alone.
He intimates that reform of the cur
.rency laws is vital consideration. His
interview is a straw which shows the
direction of the wind.
No one doubts for a single moment
that the financial interests of this coun-
Try desire new currency Legislation. The