Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-30
BUT, DO THEY KNOW?
Preaident Wilson saws:

~
Here in Washington, we are IN q
position to judge of the actual condi-
ton Of business better than those can
Judge who are in any other single point
of the country
One of the infirmities of politicians
Is that great many of them are pos
sessed of that same idea that Mr.. VII
son has, namely: They think they
know more about everything than any
one else does. The president Is not
alone in that position, he has plenty
of competition in that channel OF
thought. Furthermore, the disease Is
not confined to any one party.
But in spite of their opinion, the
fact still remains that thinking one
knows all about something and really
knowing all about something, are TWO
different things. While election to OIL
fee may materially decrease man
bank fund, it does not necessarily IN
crease his knowledge fund.
A great many business failures are
brought about because they are dl-
rected by some one who is not IN
touch with conditions in the part OF
the country where the business is To-
Gated.
President Wilson is not a man of
practical business experience, ana
neither is Secretary Bryan. Mr.. Bry.
an has made some money and saved
It, but he has made it by his personal
effort, mainly on the lecture platform
and not by any business organization
he has built around himself. In TACT
he has received it as an employe OF
business organizations formed for the
purpose of hiring public speakers. 1t
Is as an employe' that Mr.: Bryan has
received immense amounts OF money
and not as an employer. And Presl.
dent Wilson'S experience is confined
to the employee side only. In that re.
spect they are simply in the position OF
a great many of the men now holding
political Offices. Few politicians have
any personal knowledge of the require,
ments Of, the management, initiative
and decision necessary to make ousl'
ness successful.
The congressman and senators &c
have an opportunity to listen, In some
Of their committee meetings, to repre-
sentatiyes of different interests IN d1f
ferent localities. But in Washington
the partisan spirit is SO manifesty
uppermost in the minds of nearly all
politicians, that they listen to those
who are on their side and argue with
those who are not on their side. the
result is. that in great many OF the
hearings, witnesses who are on the
side of the majority of the committee
do the talking, and when there IS on
the stand witness who Is opposed
the majority Of the committee does tne
ynoet ~ the talking
The facts are that man does MOI
have to be in Washington very lone
until he becomes practically out o.
touch with the real condition at nome
OFTEN men who occasionally visl
washington and talk with some OF the
once holders in Washington from
their own state, wonder how the poll
ticians can be 50 far off IN some o.
the statements they make about con
.itions in communities they have onl!
been away from few months.
The president in the same speecf
said: :.
'The signs OF strong business re
yival are becoming more and more eVl
dent from day to day"
We certainly hope that the slgn'
that the president Is seeing will ma
tertalize into actual results very soon