New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-09
THE MUNsEY MERGER.

Mr.. Frank y. MunseA pl'Jc'' -
"cornering" the opposition TO the WIZ
son administration is commemorative Tor
its frankness. The proprietor OF Inc
Press" wants TO apply Steel trust anu
Harvester Trust methods TO politics.
and his faith in the efficacy OF New
Jersey charter is sublime. lie NOUS
that a merger of the stock of the FRO
eressive party with the stock o. tue
Republican party would create holu'
ing company strong enough TO drive 'he
Democratic party out of the field. why
tben he asks. not form ~ holding
"partv TO take over the Republican anu
Progressive parties. as holding COM
"pany i'm the business world takes over
land amalgamates competing con-
"cerns"? We wonder at Mr. MunSey :
moderation TO make sure tIih2
surer. why does he not lQt the Social
isis and ProhibitioniSts into the merg
or? I'm q grandioSe deal of this sort
he could certainly afford to he generous
TO all the smaller fry.
With man who thinks of p0lltlcal
organiZat tons only as commercial COM
Detitors struggling for advantage In
the market place ii would be useless To
argue that TO the common mind they
stand for something entirely different.
Most people having never absorbed the
philosophy of big business, continue
10 believe that a political party has
functions more important than merely
paving dividends. They are satisfied
that To hold power and distribute Of
fees is not the sole mission of political
organizations The great majority OF
the people are still old-fashioned enough
10 agree that il is even more essential
for q party TO maintain its principles
than TO capture and divide The offices.
OF course, 10 such. both Republicans
and Procressives, Mr.. MunSey talks
strange language. They will not under
stand. and they may even resent. The
plain business proposition which he has
laid before them. If they repcl his
suggestion with some acrimony he can
console himself with the reflection that.
like another pioneer i'm the art Of con
solidation. he lives in higher or al
least a different. sphere.
Could Mr.. Munsey get down TO com
mon earth he might realize that these
are bad times for the formation OF
holding companies either in business
or IN politics. The United States
courts do not look with q friendly eye
on combinations in restraint of natural
competition. The policy Of the govern
ment is 10 insure fair field for all,
and if political parties which might
combine and control elect 10 stay apart
and lose there must he some Sutiicieni
reason stronger than a laundering after
dividends TO account for that aloofnesS.
If Mr. Munsey had read President
Taft's speech at the Republican Club
dinner the other night he might have
obtained an inkling Of the causes which
keep the Republican and the Progress
siye organizations apart. If those two
parties get together again il will only
be after the present causes of eStrange-
ment have been removed. and not be
cause some one takes out a charter at
Trenton and imposes harmony from
above through the vote of the board Of
directors Of a holding company.
The Munsey amalgamation project is
interesting because of its naIvete and
unintended humor. But it could hardly
survive the tests Of 'the rule OF rea-
SON" and its own father will not rec
ognize it after it has established a
speaking acquaintance with the Big
Stick" at oyster Bay.