Evening journal., 1915-04-22
prFfING THE SLENDER FLAME.

~ EMOCRATlC politicians of high and low degree.
~ and various newspapers and periodicals con-
trollcd by them. exceedingly busy just now en-
deavoring to convince the public that there has been
a return OF prosperity IN this country. The motive
underlying this newest phase of old propaganda
is obvious Everyone, the President down. who
is interested The destinies of the Wilson adminstra
tion and it's distinguished but misguided head,
knows that the only possible salvation for the national
Democracy in 1916 rests in an era OF unprecedented
prosperity All such persons therefore. seeking
to produce prosperity by the psychological process Of
porsisently shouting It from the housotops Some Of
them are endeavoring to convince the people that
good Industrial and commercial conditions existing
here and there as a result of European orders
really represent good times produced in such places
by the working OF the Underwood tariff and other
Democratic policies that had been enunciaed long be-
fore the broke cut They know that their declara
tions arc not fair and honest. They know that il it
we're not for The European thousands upon
thousands of Americans who have work today
would idle aud that The Democratic policies Of 1872
could them from such dlencss
We note that Secretary of Commerce Redhed. who
usually takes the lead in these intermittent prosperity
propaeandas, has issued certain statements showing
the increased orders IN certain industries. He has
refrained soduously however from supplying details
showing how many of those orders due directly
to the war in Europe The national bank examiners
also have been enlisted in the campaign. II their
representations worthy OF acceptance the whole
country would be riding the OF a great wave
OF prosperity of Wilson administration creation That
Industrial and commercial depression has disappeared
and that Il has succeeded by prosperity is the
burden Of interviews gsen by Cabinet officials They
are drawing beautiful pictures which mock the thou
sands OF Americans who out Of work or at work
on reduced hours short pay and whose only hope
the future lies IN the oustng Of the national De-
mocracy from the control of Federal affairs
Il is pointed out rhthully by men who are watch
ing the present Of those who know that nothing
short of great prosperity the Democracy that
the propaganda humorous because there is nothing
so obvious as real prosperitynothng that requires
less proof The fact that the country has to be Off
cialy advised OF it's advent and impressed with its
acuality the slim foundation for the assurances
which are being given to the country and also the
desperate desire Of the administration to invoke this
absolutely necessary conservator of Democratic con
! troll
It is a well understood rule among business men
that economic laws are inexOrable and cannot be
changed by artificial methods Prosperity cannot b'
created by proclamation can its presence be de
! MED when Il actually exists. The administration can
not hope to convince a business that he is pros
porous when his trial balance shows loss. Pros
perity for political purposes cannot be created.
must develop naturally. The Democrats are concerno'
with its slow development and afraid that it may ar
rive too late Hence the vigorous putting OF the slen
der flame Of improving conditions