The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-10-03
WHY WILSON WOULD FAIL

~" w = -
--~
II the presidential campaign has
done nothing else, it has brought
out the limitations of Woodrow VIII
son in a manner that really causes
surprise, Wilson's popularity is bas-
ed almost entirely upon the war
that he. waged with ex-senator James
Smith of New Jersey, who had been
boss of the democratic party in that
state. But it is becoming apparent
that it is one thing to be equipped
to make a good governor and quite
another TO be able to fill the Office
of president.
If there is one thing hat Col
Roosevelt while president proved to
be necessary, it was that, if we are to
control corporations as big as the
nation and solve problems as big as
the whole country, then we must
have a powerful and strongly central
lied national government. Nothing
suits the wicked trust better than to
say that their regulation must be left
to the states, for every one knows
that the states have no control over
the interstate olnmerc and so
would have no control oven any such
corporations.
William Allen White, after paying
a tribute to Gov. Wilson's good rec
ord as governor of New Jersey, refers
to Wilson's statement in the last
week that the history of liberty is
the history OF the restrictions of
governmental power. Mr.. White goes
on:
That statement, of course, is the
one behind which every great.
greedy, cunning malefactor has hid
den for the last decade. The com
plant OF every law-breaker is that
there is too much law. The complaint
OF every railroad rcbater. of every
violator OF the trust law. of every
grinding sweatshop manager. of ev-
cry cheating factory boss. of every
1000 doper, OF every poison Vender,
OF every white SLAYER, OF every tan
lodging Croesus, is that there is too
much law"
Mr.. White understands that peo-
pie will be surprised thai IA man so
progressive in New Jersey affairs
could become so re%actionary in nat
ional matters, but he explains it in
this way:
Our surprise is due to the fact
that we forget that lie is a demo-
crat. For his position is consistently
democratic. even though it is high
~ Inconsistent as a progressive. For
thefe can be no such thing in the
hatlon as a progressive democrat A
progressive democrat must confine
MS activities to city and state affairs.
"A cannot progress nation
any. states rights stop him. That is
why the democratic party nationally
must be the party of criticism and
conservatism That is why so earnest
honest and courageous a man as Wil-
son, with such a fine record as n
governor, is grounded in a political
lalth that would make him a failure
as a progressive president"
rms Is an unusually clear state
ment of the reasons why those who
nope Tor a strong governmental con-
troll of wealth that has organized
nntll it rivals in strength the gov
eminent itself, are certain to bo dis
appointed if they entrust the task
to a party that doesn't even believe
mat such a control should be under
How could South Dakota. for en-
ample, regulate the Standard DIN
company? Yet hal is Just about
what the democratic party proposes
rs a solution of the trust problem
This political tenet is a relic of the
lnte-bellum days when Southern
'tates maintained that they had the
lslt to W slaves whatever the
ederai government might think
bou 1T, a terrible war was fought
'efore that question could be ans
vered. Surely it ought not to be nee
ssary to traverse that ground again.
ven by bloodless pathways. |
>s<M /
LA FoLLETTE's TASK. t
An announcement by Gov. McGov- a
rn, OF Wisconsin, one of the fight II