The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1913-06-12
LEADERS, BLUNDERS
WORRY DEMOCRATS.
National and State Matters are
DeCimating Their Ranks.
Wilson Free Tariff Ideas Not Pleasing to
MisSourianS Major and Barker In
Trouble Over Insurance PTOhlem-A
Doubled Pay Roll and Million Deficit
Yet to be Explained to the People.

Yet to be Explained to the People.
Jefferson City. June l0,-Pfesident
Wilson, the democrat in the White
House, is not making all the blunders
that are to hurt democratic party inter
ests in Missouri. What he is doing at
Washington is driving voters in Mis-
souri, away from the democratic stan
dard by the thousands, but certain
democratic officials at jefferson City
are making their party suffer from
blunders more seasoned and less foolish
leaders cannot excuse or apologize for.
It has always been held by observant
opponents that democratic leaders are
sure to do the wrong thing at the right
time. The democratic leaders at Wash
ington are certainly justtifying that
observation while the leaders at Jefer'
son City are doing even worse.
Governor Major has done some really
smart things (from the political stand
point) but he has forfeited all the
credit he gained from the smart things
by doing and saying foolish things.
He is not level headed politically, but
belongs to that class in politics given
to matters Of expediency-to things
that look like good political play"
Matters involving substantial thought
and related to fixed and definite gov
ernmental principles do not engage
him so readily. The same is true
and to a greater degree-oi Attorney
General Barker, who lacks the native
ability, the shrewnness and the suave
manner OF the governor.
These two democratic leaders have
sounded many false notes and made
many hasty moves, both as officials
and as party leaders, but in no matter
have they played so foolishly as with
the fire insurance problem they are now
trying to get rid Of. 1t is a problem
Of their own making. Insurance Com
missioner Revelle could have avoided
the trouble had he advised Legislative
leaders against the drastic measure
known as the Or bill, but, like his
associates, the governor and the attor
ney general, he knew there was SEN
timent 10 the state against the big fire
insurance companies and believed po-
lilical capital might be made by Civ
ing them hell" as a notorious party
leader said. And Governor Major
knew, when he signed the Orr bill,
that its concluding section was un-
reasonable, extraordinary and probably
illegal. Now that the bankers and bus
mess men OF the state are wrought up
because their investments and their
merchandise are in jeopardy for the
lack OF fire insurance and are demand
ing some sort Of relief from the state
government the state officials directly
involved have manifested a spirit oi re-
sentiment. They are treating every
proposition from the insurance com
panies and from bodies Of citizens az
meddlesome, while advancing no salts
factory suggestions themselves. The
people want a reasonable law to regu
late fire insurance rates and 10 preyen
combinations among fire insurance. com
panies hut they do not want a law I'm
der which such companies cannot dt
business in the state.
President Wilson has frankly stated
that he was not elected because a ma
jority Of the people wanted him o
approved the platform on which he wa
elected, but because the opposition t
him and to democratic proposition
was divided. And yet he claims thu
the people want such free trade tari
Legislation as he is forcing throug
congress. So he Missouri democrati
leaders, knowing that their party oh
tanned power in the state by a minorit