Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-05-24
'sPOlitics and Bust
ness by Gov. Wilson.

New York, MAY Ex-Governor Woee ;
row Wilson was the guest of the, Eco
nomie Club at dinner at the Hotel AS
t1I, tonight, and discussed Politics
and Business" in furtheranee of his
candidacy for the Democratic Presi-
DENTAL nomination. He said in part:
Every discussion of modern politics
must first or last be discussion of the
relation between politics and business.
TIE material welfare of every eommu-
nifty lies at the basis of all its plans
and hopes and possibilities. No one who
eomprehends politics at all can fail tn
see that the attitude of the govern
ment towards business affects the
life of the people. Indeed, IL may be
said that the fundamental object of all
government is to enable the people So
TO order their lives and to control their
own fortunes as to he able to meet
their necessities with as little fear.
embarrassment and hurtful rivalry as
possible
But there are special circumstances
in tho United States which nut the
question of the relation between poll
tics and business before every other
question. These circumstances arise out
Of the way in which we have handled
the tariff question.
The ideal of the tariff was a very
pretty one. 1t was that the govern
ment would foster industry of every
kind and meet the interest of every
body by customs duties which would
protect the American producer against
foreign competition and enable him to
develop the virgin resources of Ameri-
ca and all /. her unorganized energies
upon a free domestic field But the
practice has been very different from
the ideal. At first it was a sort of
scramble for favors. There we're no
particular favorites. The committee
of Congress heard everybody and tried
to please everybody. The result was
hap hazard. There was neither plan
nor consistency in the tariff schedules.
AS far back as 1926. the scramble re-
suited in what was Immediately called
the tariff abomnatiOns' but these
were amateur days. The tariff pro-
fessional had not established himself
in business. The scramble was
scandalous. but not fatal.
In our day we see an expert lobby.
some figures dominating all the rest;
particular interests that have grown
very strong under the tariff playing a
dominating part in the whole business
of seeking favors and privileges by
means of taxation. More than that
we see what was once general strug-
gle for advantage transformed into n
sery systematic business indeed. A
very close partnership has, in recent
4. 10 I,ltShaH hef
those who got the greatest tariff fav-
ors and those who control the coun-
els of the dominating party. The
partnership Is based upon very DEFINITE
grounds those who get the tariff fax-
ors spend a part Of their proiits III
maintaining the political organization
Of the party through whom the faVors
are obtained.
'.The tariff question, therefore, Is raul-
cally altered in its aspects. In place OF
a general clamor for protection, there
is now substituted a thoroughly organ
lied system of control and there Is Meth
ing the chief tariff benefciaries fear so
much as the substitution in Congress
and the federal executive of men not
accustomed TO their control and inde-
pendent of 1t for those who have made
il part of their party creed and po-
litical religion. Their attitude is tha'
the man who will not stand by the pro-
tected interests is an enemy of the
country as well as of the party, IL mas
become a matter of perverted conviction
rather than of pecuniary corruption, aho
is the more striking and difficult to ham
die because the men who defend 1t haVe
their whole process of thought becloudeo
and perverted
mo one who is capable of making ar
: analysis of our business development IN
the last few decades can fail to discover
that It is by this indirect control of the
government that the largest and mos
Of the powerfully protected interests
have gained an extraordinary privilege
and an extraordinary power; that this is
| he basis of every means by which they
have built up monopoly and prevented
| legislation from striking in unmistake
able terms at the privileges they wer'
so vigilantly safeguarded.
"The relation between government ane
| business can never be normal In thl
country until business undertaking.
| cease to control government, or rathe
until a small number of business under
| takings cease to control government
"But we owe it to business, even t
| the business which has been conductet
| in tine wrong way. to be explicit. to name
! in exact terms as possible the transac
| tions we forbid. and to foster by the ut
| most legal freedom everything tina
makes for the production of real wealth
This is not program, but a standard
| and 1t must be adhered to-"
|
VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS