The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-28
Busi.sss TRUSTS De President.

.S~ sso~ -
President Wilson is reported to have
received communications almost in
Vulnerable from many parts Of the
country which give him the comforting
assurance that business conditions are
good and that the forecast for the next
year or two is satisfactory.
If the President were able to hold
confidential conferences with those of
his predecessors who are now living
or. were able to obtain from the living
friends of the Presidents who have
passed beyond he would be told that
one of the grave perils which Presi-
dent must constantly face is the dis
position of those who communicate with
him by word or letter to say to him
only those things which they presume
are pleasing to him.
The tradition has been accepted as
correct that only one of President
Roosevelts Republican friends in the
United States Senate dared to tell him
some unwelcome truths and that Sen
ator did so on the eve of his departure
from the Federal Senate.
The feeling which prevails with those
who communicate with a President is
that it is as true now and as true of
Presidents as it was centuries ago of
Kings that "the first bringer of unwel
come news hath but losing Office"
1t may be we'll then if the President
accept with some mental reservations
the glowing reports which are said to
have been made or sent to him con-
corning business conditions.
1t must be said that the most crafty
ing testimony of improved conditions is
that which the President himself gave
in his recent address delivered from
the Speakers desk in the House of
Representatives. For business men
the country appear to have
accepted in full faith the spirit which
animated the Presidents remarks. They
have already begun to reason in this
manner: If the President is guided by
the sentiments which are contained in
his address then business in the United
States may rest assured that whatever
supplemental legislation to that which
is already in the statute books and
which relates to the so-called Sherman
antitrust law may be enacted, will be
written in full sympathy with the recent
of the Supreme Court at
of the meaning of the
Sherman law and in full understand
ing of the delicacy and difficulty of so
framing legislation that relates to busi-
ness as not to confuse the business
mind nor involve the men who carry
on the business in perplexities of the
law.
In the long run sound economic and
business and financial laws
will prevail unless legislation is so writ
en- and enforced as to produce anarchy
Or chaos. In the long run the honor
lble and Overwhelmingly powerful bust
ness impulses of the country will assert
and if legislation is enacted |
which runs counter to these honorable |
impulses there will be such manifesto
ion of public opinion as will compel |
peedy change in that legislation.
In the business world it is the spirit
With which President Wilson wrote and
delivered his recent address rather than
he first crude drafts of proposed 1egis-
alton which is receiving consideration;
or the conviction is profound that if
hat spirit prevail the legislation which
5 written and enacted will be in COM
'lete harmony with it. c. T. B.