The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-09
Significance of Last week, Vote.

Political issues in recent years have
been derived from the business field by
aEitators who promised an era OF
difused prosperity through a conversion
Of governmental endeavor 10 almost un-
limited interference with financial. com
merCal and industrial activities. That
the trIumphs Of politics in those years
wore founded upon n falacI Gus prospectus
OF enhanced wealth for all citizens by
means OF a distribution gOvernmentally
designed and Effected Is a proposition not
open to dispute IN the last wear and
half. the period covered by the long Con
cress. eNtraord nary legislative and cNecu-
tive efforts were made to place business
under political control. and the outcome
registered ia Tuesdays vote at tho polls
is an expression Of a growing public opiu-
ION adverse to the political programme so
carried out or pending
There Is no other Intelligent way Of
aualyzinE the ballot The weakening OF
the Democratic position In State and ma
ton, the position OF the Wilson adminstra-
ton party. Is too great to he explained
as simply the reaction which IS tradition
ally likely to follow q year or so after
the installation OF a party IN power by
sweeping victory The political situation
on the eve OF the election seemed indeed
20 be such a. to make the vote a good
deal OF n surprise because II marked such
a falling away from the Democratic re-
Gime which had signallzed Itself by an
extraordinary extension OF Government
enterprise into the business domain
Foreign affairs enabled the contention
to be made in the Democratic campaign
that the war was wholly responsible for
the present troubles Of trade and in
dustry. II furthermore enabled an ap-
peal 10 be made FOR support OF the Ad-
ministration because Of the International
crisis. Yet Tuesdays vote suggested that
u 4 a. g..
Eument which II furnished on patriotic
grounds and FOR tho confusion OF eco
monte factors Incidental TO the war emer-
gercy the suffrage Of the electorate would
have been an avalanche OF public con
demnation Of the political record for tho
past year,
II will take n deal OF explaining 10 in
terpret last weeks election returns other
wise than as generally indicated In the
foregoing On the whole the outstanding
political fact seems 10 be that thu war
emergency checked somewhat the set OF
the tide away from the extravaganza OF
radical political mcddlng with business,
the turn OF the tide having been actually
observable last spring. Congressional by
elections and party primaries before mid
| year furnished signs Of political revolt
| which were a striking foOtnote TO the eN-
| tinction OF export trade balances early In
! tho year and the appearance OF import
| balances as a sequel 10 tariff revision.
| The tokens Of public sentiment discernible
! in the discussions over the Interstate
| Commerce Commissions treatment OF the
! railroads were peculiar commentary on
! the persistent determination which CUB
sequently established statutory trade
| commission to do for corporate business
generally what the Interstate Commerce
| Commission has done for the railroads
BEFORE July opened astute political Oh
Aal a
/ political overturn was impending at the
| November elections, and then tho war
| broke out and seemed to cast domestic
political considerations temporarily but
wholly in the shade. That the thinking
vote OF the country refused to allow the
war completely 10 obscure domestic con-
Germs makes the returns OF last Tuesday
| all tho more impressive TO the business
and banking community. Nor Is Il only
In the broader aspects OF the vote that
| significant economic opinion IL discernible
A strikngly Illuminating feature for ex-
ample. was the rejection by Missouri citi-
gems OF n railroad full! crew law submitted
| for their approval