New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-19
THE REAL KNow-NoTHING.

THE REAL KNoW-NoTHING.
Governor Wilson's references in his
Delaware speeches to the party IN
mower as a "Do-NOthing' and know
Nothing" party were the natural irult
Of his own unfamiliarity with national
affairs. They were as grOtesque as
Alton p. Parker's complaint IN 1914
that the Treasury was keeping DARK
the record Of governmental eXpendl-
tures. although the Treasury issues
daily statement of both receipts ana
expenditures, a copy Of which Judge
Parker could have obtained by simply
asking for it. Only an observer asleep
at his most for the last four years could
have been guilty Of making this tanci
full charge against the Taft administra-
ton which we clip from Governor VII
sons speech at Georgetown:
am not in the least afraid that
We are going TO have four years more
of Republican GO-nOthinglsm. You
know that there was party long
40 i'm the United States known as
The "Know-NOthiug party We now
+ have q 'Do-Nothing party. ana l
wonder if they also know nothing be.
cause if they know anything callilO'
see how they can consent 70 90 nothiis'
They have got TO be both kno" noun
ing and do nothing TO be lnten'se en-
i "d0-nOthiugs" l suppose, therefore
that this is a revival OF the O'u
Nothing party
We pointed out yesterday that the
Taft administration had been notable
for two important steps forward in the
march toward better government 1t
has halted the annual increase in fed
eral expenditure and materially re-
duced the wastage in the operations OF
government. 1t had also done a good
deal toward taking the tariff question
out of partisan politics, and would
probably have succeeded in taking it
out completely had it not been for the
opposition Of the Democratic majority
in the present HOuse,of Representatives
TO the creation of a permanent Tariff
Commission.
There are other lines on which the
Taft administration has also made
genuine progress. Governor Wilson
has presented as his remedy for the
evils Of the trust system a policy Of
regulating competition But how is
competition to be regulated until it is
first restored, so as to furnish the sub
iect matter Of regulation? Mr.. Taft
has pursued without fear or favor the
only course by which competition can
be revived. He has faithfully executed
the Sherman antitrust law and sought
the aid Of the federal courts In break
ing I'D all combinations operating in
restraint Of interstate commerce. II
Governor Wilson ever intended to apply
his remedy Of regulated competition he
ought to be just enough to pay gen.
erOus tribute to the administration
which has labored so effectively to
clear the way for him by compelling
the dissolution Of the great organiza
lions which have tried to substitute
brotherly cooperation for hostile COM
petition.
\ really "DO-Nothing'' administra-
ton would have accepted Governor
Wilson's theory and confined its atten-
ton to regulating competition" That
would have been easy, since so far as
'big business" is concerned there was
practically no competition left to regu-
late. If It should ever become possible
for Mr.. Wilson to apply his antitrust
remedy il will only be because the
ground has been cleared for him by the !
courageous warfare on monopoly con- |
Quoted by the Taft administration, !
which has brought under the ban Of the /
courts the forms Of monopolistic or
ganizatiOn previously tolerated.
The fact is that under Mr. Taft as
President the country has pushed rap
idly ahead toward the solution Of many
Of its serious political problems. If
Mr. Wilson does not realize this the !
Know-Nothingism is all on his side. !
IT is only because he has failed to see
the procession and keep up with It that
he thinks the country has made no
progress. He is the real KnOw-Nothing, !
Incorporating as an apostle of fairness
and enlightenment.