The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1915-01-06
TRAIL OF THE WILSON BLIGHT

country. Wilson and his followers
gave off hot air and there has been
no refreshing rains since the blight
hit the nation. Charles p. keyser,
the Washington correspondent Of the
st. Louis Globe Democrat took trip
and we are going to let you read his
story. Had he gone across the con-
tinent it would simply have been a
continuation of his experiences be
tween New York and st. Louis.
The Trail of the Wilson Blight is
everywhere.
MIR. Keyser's Views
Washington, Dec. 26.-It is to
Washington that the great business
and industrial interests Of the United
States are looking now for the opti-
mistic sign which will have much to
do with the conditions following the
turn of the year. To Washington
where less is known of business con-
ditions as they actually exist than
anywhere else in tn country, barring,
of course, the president, who must be
advised through his extensive cores
pondenee. Some of the close advis-
ers also know of conditions-know
that they are far from what they
should be, to say the least, and as
stated two weeks ago, they are bring
ing strong pressure to bear upon the
chief executive to go out and make Il
few speeches Of a reassuring charac-
ter. The announcement that the legis-
lative programme for business regu-
lation had been practically completed
and the promise that further agita-
tion would not be countenanced was
well received. Still, business did not
seem to take the squirt that might
have been expected.
1t was a revelation to me in trip
from New York to st. Louis by a
northern route and a return trip by
southern route last week, to see the
evidences of industrial paralysis. All
through Pennsylvania, which state
was traversed from east to west, its
whole length, immense manufacturing
plants stood idle, their tall chimneys
emitting not a sign of smoke. As the
great middle west was approached,
the stories of rotten business" as it
usually was termed became more fire.
quent and more pronounced. The same
was true on the return trip to Wash
ington from St. Louis. A portion of
the way l rode with a general super
intendent of southern railroad, who
was very much concerned over the sit
uation. He pointed out long lines of
idle engines in two or three railroad
division yards that were passed, and
trains Of empty cars mile in length
were passed one after another.
In Washington when these stories
are told the administration friends
cry calamity howl" to those who
venture to remark upon conditions,
and auto-hypnOsis seems to prevail
among tn administration leaders who
as Uncle Joe" Cannon remarked,
are "whistling through the grave
yard" to keep up their courage, hop
ing, Micawber-like, for something to
turn up that will automatically re-
lieve business Washington, where
nearly everyone is either on the gov
ernment pay roll or dependent upon
it, has little chance Of knowing con-
ditions in commercial or industrial
way except from report. The presi-
dent has kept congress in session SO
continuously that its membership
could not get into their states and
learn at first hand the conditions.
They learned finally, however during
the brief recess in October and No
vember, when they came in contact
with their constituents, that some
thing was radically wrong with bus
mess and most of them came back
convinced that it was a good time to
let up on regulatory Legislation.
Pessimism as to the opening of the
new year seemed to exist in large de-
gree among the few prominent bust
ness men ] had an opportunity to
converse with, and New York bank
president and St. Louis bank presi-
dent were agreed in some correspond
ence read to me by the latter that
.,.,,oL Io,sa ta1ly bad heen indulppd in