The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-30

vigor and with compelling force ON
three propositions.
First, he insisted that all legisla-
ton should be conducted under the
public eye. that committees should
transact all their business with wide
open doors. that the public should be
freely admitted at all times to hear
and see whatever might transpire In
the course OF legislation. And yet our
history furnished no parallel to the
secrecy that shrouded the considers
ton of the Underwood tariff law. upon
which no hearings were permitted,
which was formulated altogether be-
hind closed doors and completed In a
series OF secret caucuses.
Secondly he inveighed most Wig
orously against the party caucus In
this same speech and took the posi-
ton that all the Representatives OF the
people, in both house and senate,
should have the full rivilege of de-
bate and amendment and that the in
dividual conscience should never be
bound by caucus domination.
And yet the solemn truth is that
not one single law o. any importance
has been passed by the senate since
he became president, for all Of them
have been shaped and moulded by
mined and every proposed amend
ment accepted or rejected without the
minority having been given the slight
est consideration whatever.
His third prediction statement
was that each of the three coordinate
branches Of government should be abb
solutely independent of the other two.
that the executive should never en-
croach upon or invade the sphere of
the others. and that neither should
ever tolerate any interference what
ever by either Of the ~ther two.>
And yet the truth Is tina: no one
of his predecessors, not even Jackson,
whom he said the other day he was
following. or Roosevelt, at whom he
said three years ago he was striking.
ever more powerfully or more direct
ly interfered to formulate legislation
and to force its passage. than has he
in both the tariff law and the federal
reserve act; for it is known of all
men that, while he brooks no attempts
to interfere with his authority, he will
yet tolerate nothing but the most sub
missive obedience to his dictates: that
he has never scrupled to use the
schoolmaster's tactics with congress;
that he has expressly commanded
senators and representatives what to
do and how to do 1t, and that he has
always exacted the most scrupulous
OOC04GACo " lib COLllIlduO6 uuuCI Nuo
pains and penalties Of the loss OF pa
tronage upon failure to comply, and.
since his advent into the White House.
executive agressiveness has gone to
greater lengths than at any other time
in our history.
A Mighty Contrast.
When he was here three years ago,
this nation was at the flood tide of
prosperity. All Of capital was profit
ably invested: all Of labor was ren1un-
eratively employed; every willing hand
found labor at good wages: the pay en-
velope and the dinner pail were both
full; the railroads We're operating to
the limit Of their capacity; money was
abundant and readily obtainable at low
rates: the farmer found. an eager mar
ket for the products OF the soil; the
manufacturer had months OF profitable
orders ahead: and we were in the main
prosperous. a happy and a con-
tented people.
Behold the mighty contrast: Now
capital Is In hiding; now 5000. 900 Of la
borers are idle: now the railroads are
in a desperate condition for lack OF
business and because Of oppressive and
adverse legislation 225.OOO cars are
die and are earning nothing for their
owners. Now old industries are lam
gushing and no new ones are in con-
temptation. Since the passage of the
Underwood law the balance Of trade in
our favor gradually, declined until it
was seriously against us before the
outbreak of the European war.
And Woodrow Wilson il at the
head of the organization whose poll
cies have thus ruthlessly destroyed our
prosperity, closed our factories, turned
our laborers adrift. fettered our COM
merce. dissipated our revenues. put our
capital on crutches, driven our railroads
to the brink Of bankruptcy and filled
a H1Al 1oy wi Hn NJ
discomfort.
The European War.
But say our Democratic friends
the European war and not the Under
wood tariff Is the cause of this destruc-
ton and Is the fruitful mother Of all
our industrial woes
What is the all-suf11cient answer to
this unfounded contention? Simply the
balance Of trade. Listen to it's recita
and 1t will convince the most obdurate
free trader Of the fallacy of this argu-
ment.
balance in our favor was $163, O00. 900. Ir
November, 1913, that trade balance had
declined to $97, 1857 600, or a loss of $64, >.
00O.0 as compared with the month Of
his election. a year before.
I'm November. 1913, a portion of the
Underwood bill became effective ant
the remainder In January. 1914. Ant
the decline was correspondingly steady
In January It ran down to $49, 224. 600 IL
our favor; in February to 1916 900
going down in March to $4,944. 900 il
our favor-still going down; and il
April the bottom dropped out. and tn,
whole thing went completely Demo
cratic, for In that month the balanc,
against us was 81 PIC. 900. not for us
but in favor of our commercial com
petitors in the world.
In June that balance was $457 90
against US and in July 1856, 900 in IA
vor of our industrial rivals, and UP t
that hour nobody had dreamed of
European war.
What was the cause of that tire
mendous slump in our trade from
S162 Ono 900 for US to 81, 200, 900 agains
us? The war? No, there was no wa
and all nations were at peace. VIVA