The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-27

CAPITALS ONLY HOPE.

Editorial IN Springfield Republican:
Extraordinary has been the response
to the presidents trust message. Re-
publican leaders in congress hailed 1t
with apparent enthusiasm. The presi-
dents own party seems committed SOL
idly in the support Of his programme.
Wonderful to relate, big business
through it's chief spokesman in the
press has nothing but communication
for the presidents position and his
policy. The stock market was bouy-
ant in yesterdays trading.
The progressive leader in the house,
Mr.. Murdoch of Kansas, who is a can
didate for Mr.. BristoW's seat in the
senate, ~pronounces the ad!niniStra-
tons programme "in~adequate;" and
Mr.. BristoW of Kansas, having MI.
Murdoch in mind, perhaps, also pro-
nOunces it "inadeQuate." Yet one finds,
after examining again the trust trip
let's bills already introduced by Mr..
Murdoch as the solution of the prob
lem is the difference between tweedle-
dee and tweedledum.
Most impressive is the cordial atti-
tude of big business. One finds it
best expressed by The Sun OF New
York: 1T is with the greatest pleasure
and relief that The Sun discovers both
In the tone and also in the substance
of the presidents last message ground
for regarding it as epochial; that is,
as closing one epoch n beginning
another in the experience of American
business Would you believe it-that
a trust programme satisfactory to and
Endorsed by William Jennings Bryan
would win that encomium from the
least hesitant and the most uncom-
promising n the bitterest of the
journalistic voices Of Wall Street in
all these years?
Wherein Is the present situation
conducive to so phenomenal a con-
sensus Of opinion? There must be-
something in the mood n temper of
the hour to produce such harmony of
spirit among elements battle-scarred
from their long conflicts with each
other. The president asslredly found
an atmosphere ready for his felici-
tous and conciliatory phrases: THE
antagonlsm between business and gov
eminent is over" 1.-THE atmosphere of
accommodation and mutual under
standing which we now breathe with
SO much Observation-Disclosures mellow
utterances seem to have fallen IN the
ears Of the harassed captains Of ndus-
try like the soothing and restful har.
monies of musical chords.
The presidents instinct for the
physiological moment was clearly 8
safe guide. One gets now a clearer
idea of the meaning of his striking
maxim Of political philosophy, tina
; Legislation is a business of i~nterpret
t tation, not Of .origination.' AS al in
terpreter Of what the country, bis
business included, is ready for, thu
president is somewhat exalted as vel
:. las indicated. What he proposes Il
have enacted n law aroused thu
captains of concentrated industry AM
the banker-directors of finance to fur!
as late as two years ago.
Il They have surrendered-these "in
, terests"-to the will Of the people
, and their chorus of praise for the Will
son policy, whether it shall succeed
economically or fail. reflects the de
I termination to readjust business tt
the conditions of regulated competi
!, ton and to end the var with a gov
: eminent, which has proved itself I
be more powerful than all the con
centrated forces of capital. One find
? in the surrender the most complet
demonstration in u time that tn
people rule, that money does not, i
the last analysis, control the repub
4 lie.
The surrender of capital to the viii
son programme is no less intelligen
n than it is complete-even from CAPT
. tails point of view. Private monopol
is intolerabIe to a free people I. Onl
public monopoly could possibly sur
I yive. Tha trust movement, as engin
a eered by private capital, has advance
the cause of socialism more than
generation Of direct propaganda coul
q have done. If capital does not wis
to see socialism triumph, it's only hop
of permanent footing lies In the sue
Il cess of the regime OF regulated com
\ petition" about to ha iuau9l1rated