Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-27
Bismarck, Saturday, December q, 1918
Wilson LeQninq on Reeds

President Wilson is sadly lacking in competent ad.
visers. Never in the history of the country, probably
was a chief executive worse handicapped with the
%incapacity Of those upon whom ne must largely rely
in the transaction of government business. With pos.
sibly a single exception, the members of the cabinet
are men of only ordinary talents and not in any case
able to confer distinction on their positions. The
President had Bryan wished on him. which was in
itself a calamity. 1t would have been very difficult
for the President not to offer Bryan the chief cabinet
portfolio, %inasmuch, as the Princeton man owed his
nomination To tlss sharp political practices of the
Nebraskan. If nj. Bryan has been of any real as.
sistance in solving the problems of state it is not Of
record. On the contrary, he has embarrassed the
administration by gadding about the country lectur.
ing for private gain.
Now it is Secretary Redfield of the department
OF commerce who is making a ridiculous exhibition of
himself, by starting an investigation to ascertain
why the great industries do not keep on doing bust.
ness at full capacity whether they consider it prudent
to do SO or not. Nothing more absurd has been pro-
posed under the Wilson administration than the plan
to force business men to keep business humning in
the face of conditions that make safe business impos.
sible. Probably the result Of Secretary Redfeld's
activities will be the recommendation of a law which
will make it an indictable crime for an employer to
curtail production or to discharge his men, even when
tnere Is a falllng demand Tor his goods.
It is reported by newspapers friendly to the adj
ministration that certain manufacturers who were
most affected by the new tariff have curtailed pro.
duction to prove that the measure is wrong. And
in the case of certain railroads. the administration
is inclined to believe that they think reduction Of
shop forces right now will aid their campaign for
increased rates 1t would be a gross reflection upon
the mental equipment of President Wilson to assume
that he takes any such statements seriously. Per-
haps some of&the members of the cabinet are equal
to believing such a thing. It may even be true that
Secretary Redfeld actually believes the big manufac.
turers Of this country would deliberately cripple
or ruin themselves as a protest against tariff re-
duction. The President is quoted as saying that
uncertainty regarding the trust question may be
operating against increased business. One CLEAN of
intelligence, at least. Eut the President might have
gone a step further and declared that uncertainty
about the tariff, uncertainty about business persecu-
lions, uncertainty about rates and the possibility OF
excessive regulation of railroads, uncertainty about
the currency, uncertainty about the effect of the new
scheme of corporation and other new taxations-and,
in general, the uncertainty about everything of a bust.
ness character with which the President and Con.
gress have to do is naturally and inevitably making
business men uneasy and cautious.