Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-15
''UncIe Joe" BIames Demo-
cratic Administration for
"SIackening of Business
SAYS REPUBLICANS DO NOT
NEED TO "GET TOGETHER"
Does Not Oppose Basis of Represen-
tation Change, But Disapproves
Making Platform Now.


them.'' remarked Uncle Joe" Cannon
after he dropped his grip in the New Will
lard this morning. Mr.. Cannon is not a
member of the republican national COM
mittee and did not come to Washington
to advise the committee as to what
should be done regarding the proposition
TO hold preliminary national convention
next year.
Conflicting ambitions of men,, said
he, do not bother me half as much as
do the present conditions OF the country
that have been produced by these con-
flicting ambitions. They gave us
minority President and an administra-
ton that is committed to the reversal
of all the policies under which the coun-
try has enjoyed great prosperity.
The present administration came into
power pledged to reverse the lever. Rail-
reverse the lever on an engine which is
moving ahead il comes to a stop or goes
backward. The same law applies to gov
ernment policies and their effects on the
business of the country.
"AI business, big and little, going
ahead when this administration began.
Business Now Slackened.
President Wilson reversed the lever.
the democratic Congress followed his d-
rection and reversed the revenue policy
of the government. That reversal has
slackened business so that in many
places il has almost stopped. Our demo-
cratic friends recognize that their tariff
law has not improved business condi-
tions, and they are now pushing through
a currency bill by caucus pressure ON the
theory that it will relieve the embar
rassment caused by the Underwood
tariff They are preparing to revise the
Sherman antitrust law as d means of
clearing away the embarrassment that
may follow the enactment of their cur
.ency bill l suppose they will have some
other remedy for the failure OF their new
antitrust laws. and they will finally
follow the policy of the old doctor, Who
not knowing what allied his patient. con-
cluded 10 throw him into fits. becau use
he was strong on fits. They have almost
thrown the patient into fits now.
Is there depression in the country?'
go out into the country and see for
yourself Bus ness men, manufacturers
and farmers III the west are whstling to
keep up their courage while they read
about prosperity in other parts os the
country, which they do not enjoy. Tney
are beginning to suspect that this pros
perity they read about is like the milk
sickness-always just beyond, over iii
the next county. Some day the news
will become so general that you news
paper men won't be able to handle it,
Cites Decline in Stocks.
Business has fallen off from 20 to 40
per cent in the last twelve months. There
is not gilt-edged stock listed on the
market, either railroad or Industrial, that
has not shrunk in value. Twelve of the
safest industrial stocks listed AGED
1911 the first day of December, 1913.
Twelve of the best railroad stocks aver
ll.c.t. md frn5
same stocks averaged 102.SI December l
this year This represents a great shrink
age in values. but it is no greater than he
average shrinkaSe in all business. You
newspaper men are most AFRAID to pub
lish the market reports lest you be ac-
cused of trying to produce a panic"
But, Mr.. Cannon, the democrats say
they are only squeezing out the water
We'll. / have read somewhere that 90
per cent of our own bodies is water. Sup
pose the democrats apply their squeezing
theory to the people themselves: wouldn't
We be the most insignificant pigmies on
the face of the earth if all the water was
squeezed out? 1t may be that some of
this so-called water in railroad and in
dustrial stocks represented confidence in
the future. l believe the President is beg
ginS all to have confidence In the ul-
innate benefit to be derived from his
policies.
Living in Ante-BelIum Age.
.'The trouble seems to be that the
President and the democratic leaders i'm
Congress are trying to destroy confidence
in everybody and everything except them
selves and their policies. They are still
living in the ante-bellum age when cot
ton and tobacco were the principal arti-
cles of exchange. They are ready to
boom cotton and protect tobacco while
and manufactured product in the coun-
try.
II believe tobacco is the one schedule in
the Underwood tariff bill that they did
not change. Mckinley. Dingley and
Payne rates were none too high on to-
bacco for the democrats. Perhaps they'll
substitute tobacco for gold. medium
Of exchange. just as the settlers Of
jamestown did. It's good old Virginia
custom and ii seems to be democratic.
But what has this to do Will: the re-
organization of the republican party or
the get-together movement?
That's some more news that you gen.
tlemen here in Washington have not
heard or printed The people are getting
together people always do in adver-
sity. You can't go out into the country
districts of Illinois and get up political
quarrel between republicans. matter
what they called themselves last year
They have dropped their quarrels and are
ali htCkIIlS lOSctuSI, anu lHCy are hIGh-
ing at the present administration and the
conditions 1t has produced. Why. you
can't even pick quarrel with "A democrat
out in my section of the country. They
are Joining in the chorus of damnation
and bes ging to be saved from their past
political sins.
..Old Phalanx Already Together"
These gentlemen may plan get to-
gether' clubs from now until June, 1916
but the rank and file of the old protec-
ton phalanx are already together and
they are not asking for any new political
nostrum. 1t is only the man who has
moneS to throw away who has new dis
eases and looks for new remedies.
"A rich man may have neurtis, but a
moor man has only rheumatism; he can't
q ford to have neurltis. Well, the people
now find that they have just old
fashioned rheumatism in their business
conditions and they are ready to go back
10 the old remedy which has been eff
| fectiye in cases of business rheumatism
in the past
The doctrine of the new freedom.
whatever that may mean to the Presi-
~ x.,k..,