The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-04-02
AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE

One of the most prominent manu-
] facturers In the middle west recently
expressed the opinion that the only
obstacle TO American prosperity was
the senseless pessimism of Wall
Street
How senseless this pesimlsm is
may be inferred from a statement
credited to President Thomas of the
Lehigh valley railroad, who was re-
ported last week to have said:
THE continued prosperity of the
United States depends almost entire
ly upon what is done in Washington.
II would authorize an expenditure
OF 100000 tomorrow II the situa-
tion In Washington was clear.
But the uncertainty OF which
speak means that we must withhold
this S10,000,000 expenditure for an
indetinate period"
AT the very time that Mr.. Thomas
was pouring forth this tale of woe.
the Lehigh Valley Railroad was adj
vertising a quarterly dividend of 2 y
per cent on its common stock and
~ per cent. an its preferred stock.
A railroad that is paying 10 per cent.
dividends is not starving to death,
whatever "the situation in Washing
ton" may be-
There is no situation in Washing
ton that is hostile OF business. There
has been no other time in ten years
in which there was so little crusading
against business or i'm which business
had so little to fear from politics.
There has been no time in ten years
In which legitimate business could
face the future with so little uncer-
tainty. Yet Wall Street continues
to talk calamity, think calamity and
dream calamity When II might be
making New York the financial cen
ter of the world Il spends its time
in conspiring against an administra-
tion that cannot be bought or bull
ed.
The feeling is growing that Wall
Street wants no prosperity unless it /
can hog it all, and that the typical
Wall Street bankers idea is per
cent for loans and 5 per cent. com
mission and 81 per cent of the COM |
mon stock as a bonus.
Wall Streets days of exploitation .
and gambling prosperity are done .
for. There will be no return to the .
period when the New York Bankers .
could take the cream and leave the /
rest of the country drinking skim 4
milk The dream of a revival of 1
which is noted by the /
correspondent of The \
World, is only a dream. 1t Will new
er materialize,
We have no doubt that the reac-
tionary Republican leaders are ready i
to sell their party out to Wall street /
again. They are all giving full voice
to Wall Streets calamity cry, and i
their general attitude toward govern
ment is anythiHg-to-beat-W
But that sort of thing can be easily i
oyerdone, and if the country is will
ing to throw away all the the fruits
of ten years of agitation to curb pre-
1atory plutocracy, the country's
standard of intelligence is much low
ar than we have ever had reason to
believe.
The Wilson administration is not
warning on business, but business is
warning on the Wilson administration
IN an attempt to stampede the Amer
can people back to Hannaism.
w men LHe government dL w dSulHS-
.on is confronted blythe most delicate
and perplexing problems that have
Deset any administration since Lin
coins and the country itself is dis
.racted by the disturbing cOnsequen-
,es of the greatest war in history
Dlutocracy thinks it sees a chance to
'e-establish itself again in Washing
on for another reign of dOllar-des-
)otism.
If Wall Street is not willing to ac-
,ept the very reasonable restrictions
o which business has been subjected
md to keep step with the march of
legislation, one thing is
certain. It's next great antagonist
will not be the Democratic party, but
Socialism. There is no surer way of
making Socialism a living, breathing,
,ital forces in American politics than .
he way the Republican-Wall Street
has adopted.-N. Y. World.