The Washington herald., 1914-06-21
CONSPIRACY.
The Presideui May Discover Another
One in November.

President Wilson no doubt is following
closely the reception by the country OF
his discovery OF n conspiracy Of bust
ness men against his policy for the d:>-
sipation OF the psychological depression
Of business He announces from time
to time the opinions which agree with
his that the country Is more prosperous
than II thinks. but he preserves an elo-
quent silence regarding the conspiracy.
This Is remarkable, because the proofs
Of the conspiracy are accumulating most
convincingly. The opinions OF our con-
temporaries, regardless OF political af-
filiations or section OF country. over
whelmingly agree that the business men
are agreed as the President describes.
The editors OF the country are of all
degrees Of opinion about the depression
and its psychology. but they also are
eo-conspirators with the business men.
The proof OF the editorial conspiracy Is
even stronger than the proof OF the con-
spiracy OF the business men The Presi-
dents views reached them all by teIe-
graph, and without opportunity for de-
liberation their next issues contained the
same opinions in various phrases
Clearly this was impossible without a
previous understanding. 1t would have
A-AFcooAbAt u pIOuLEt SUCH results
without previous organization and
conspiracy OF unanimity.
This Is either portentious or ridicu-
lous. Either the country is threatened
with government by the "interests"-
hitherto the monopoly OF Senator La
Toilette and Representative Pujo-or
else II Is governing itself in the same
old manner under another name The
President is President either by a
conspiracy of the electorate or by the
full and free expression of public opin-
ION. The agreement of the business
men and the editors is either ,conspfr-
acy or just such another coming to-
gether of the minds OF the voters.
Next election day there will be another
conspiracy. and the President and the
editors and the business men are each
making their preparations for IL in the
manner which each class considers
best adapted to secure the realization
of its wishes and its views of the pub
lie interest. That is the theory OF oul
institutions. and the President holds
a position of great prestige. placing
him in a position of superiority in
bringing about what he wishes to ac-
complish. He has had little difficulty
in molding Congress to his policy, but
his success with the country is more
doubtful There Is the highest author
ity for the fact that Americans are a
headstrong people. and that those who
drive them find them stubborn. In this
case II will be easier to get the laws
through the national legislature than
to get them through the courts or to i'm
press upon the customs of the people.
The enactment OF the law and the en-
forcement OF IL are horses of differ
ent colors.
This friendly counsel is emphasized by
the experience with the trust law, which
the President is now seeking TO amend
with sentences of the most doubtful phres-
Ing. 1t has taken twenty years to define
the simple words 'all'' and every" Nov
there is a legislative attempt both to
make them include more and to make
them inapplicable to others because they
include too much. The courts cannot
possibly hold good both attempts. A
law need not cover an entire subject.
but IL must cover all of the subject
which il assumes to regulate. law
may be good which covers half the al
phabet, but II it includes only half the
alphabet Of crimes. or half the classes
of criminals. il cannot make exceptions
from those to whom il declares itself
applicable. Even more serious would be
the ordeal OF acceptance by the men in
the business conspiracy, with the edi-
tors as their accomplices. supported by
such organizations as the Chamber OF
Commerce. the Board of Transportation,
and the Merchants Association Of this
city. Also the chambers of commerce of
Boston. Buffalo, Rochester. Philadelphia,
and other cities too numerous to men,
ton These are not bodies of politicians
or manufacturers with a tariff Crouch
No law rejected by a large fraction of
the classes for whom they speak can
be enforced. II was a conspicuous fail
ure when attempted in the case of the
classes for whom they speak can be en-
forced. II was a conspicuous failure
when attempted in the case of the Sher-
man law. 1t will he incomparabIy easy
to resist the enforcement of the amend
ments destructive of that law in the
guise OF amending and clarifying it. but
really muddling il. and depriving it of
the senblance OF law. Let the President
beware of the conspiracy Of the next
election day.-New York Times