New-York tribune., 1914-10-26
The War as a Cloak for the Failures
of the Wilson Administration.

-, wilson administration. Back in July few In
ssu,oent observers thought that the Democrats
..,,ld retain control Of the House Of Representa-
,,ves. There we're abundant signs Of general re-
..,o, AGAINST the administration and fits policies
,.s.a IN The conviction that those policies had pro-
l,ancad serious business depression. Now, thanks
to the fortuitous intervention of European war
rbs Democratic party is looking forward to re-
raining control Of the House by a slightly reduced
,rs,or,tv and TO maintaining or increasing its ma
lsority In the Senate.
The war has been, IN fact cloak to cover the
failures Of the Wilson administration 1t is the big
eest and most dramatic event in the experience OF
this ssperatlon Since its outbreak It has absorbed
the attention of the world. Even in this country 1t
has excited so intense an interest and has had sucn
marked effects on trade and industry that it still
crowds all strictly domestic concerns into the back
ground II has left the public too little leisure to
consider the ordinary problems Of politics.
When the public first felt the stress Of hard times
and saw the effects Of the administrations warfare
was ready to lay the full blame for depression and
unemployment on Democratic legislation But
when the war came along and made conditions still
worse the public logicaly altered its attitude and
began to attribute its troubles to influences beyond
the control of the party in power. 1t has thought
more Of the aggravatons caused by the war than Of
the original setbacs to prosperity chargeable to I'M
wise action at Washington. President Wilson's
mistakes have been covered by a mantle Of chsrita
BILE inattention while people have worried over the
interruption Of international exchanges, the partial
cessation of exports and the indefinite closing Of
markets which had IN the past taken our SURPRISES
Of cotton and foodstufs.
In so far as competing imports have been shut
out by the trade disturbances due to the war the
administration has directly benefited. The Wilson
Underwood tariff was intended to reduce home
prices at the expense Of the American producer and
wage Garner It's effects IN that direction were be-
ginning to be noticeable before Germany declared
war on Russia. But now the breakdown Of inter
national trade has entirely nulHed the reductions
OF the tariH law Of 1918 The United States IS
again living under the highest kind Of protective
tariff, and so FAR es the domestic market goes the
American producer will have the amplest encour
l agcment while the war lasts. The President ha,
not succeeded in forcing down the cost of living
yet, on the other hand he escapes for the time be
ing the infamed resentment OF domestic producers
since the war has given them back the marke
which he sought to turn over in large measure t
their foreign competitors
Again, the war has given the Democratic party
an excuse for imposing new taxation in order Il
cover up an unwise sacrifice Of tariff revenue and
q vicious extravaganza IN appropriations Con
gress has just levied emergency taxes TO the amount
Of S9OO0OOCO TO S95OOOOOO a year. But the ap
preparations for 1914-16 are 81 122 900 O0O-an in
crease Of S24,OOOOOO compared with last year anC
IN Increase Of S1O3,OO0.OOO compared with the last
year Of the Taft administration. Intelligent econ
omy, such as was practised under President Taft
would have saved the government $1OoOOOOOO and
made the levy Of a special war tax Of 9OOO00OC
10 S95OO0,OOO unnecessary. But for the war the
administration would never have dared to raise
SlO0OOOOOOO through new taxation in order tc
cover scandalous excess Of S1OOOOOOOO in its an
nusi expenditure
Voters az this election should not allow the ad
mlnistration TO use the whr as cover behind which
10 hide its faiings The Democratic attack on bust
ness and the waste Of S1OO,OO0OOO in appropria-
tons have no connection with the events in Eu-
rope They preceded the war, and when the war
ends we will still have Democratic extravagance
and, Democracy's destructive economic tendencies
10 contend against
We are % elect United States Senator and
House delegation next week. The House delegation
will serve out only the rest of President Wilson :
term But the Senator will also hold office all
through the next administration. Possibly the
country cannot hope for much relief from Demo
cratic tendencies IN the next two years But those
who look ahead will want totsee a Senator elected