The Washington herald., 1915-03-13
The Postoffce Bunple.

we believe that the people OF TINS country nave
"a great respect for Woodrow Wilson. President
of the United States, and that this feeling will be
a strong factor in the judgment regarding the re-
suits of his administration which they will express
at the polls next year. Mr.. Wilson has borne
himself with dignity and firmness in his office. He
has made mistakes, but these have been mistakes
of the head rather than the heart. In this great
European crisis he has stood like rock for the
frmest and strictest neutrality of country and
he has kept us from being involved in the war'
AS much could not be said for good many in
divduals who have been prominent in the public
eve, if any one of them had been President OF the
nit cd States in these last two years. Therefore,
we repeat, the feeling OF the people for W oodrow
Wilson is one OF respect and gratitude; and in
opinion this feeling will be strong enough to over
come considerable portion OF the adverse criti-
ciSm OF Mr.. Wilson that would otherwise exercise
supreme influence because OF the lamentable fail
ure of the tariff law.
Popular judgment to this tariff law is. we
believe practically unanimous that it has been
a failure: but we are inclined to think that the
people will have a good deal OF tolerant con-
sideration for the part played by Mr.. Wilson in
the making Of this law. They will take into
account the fact that the tariff law was, in
Its essence, the result OF popular mandate given
to the Democratic party at the last election TO
reform the tariff that then existed 1t has, how
ever. been demonstrated and for the second time
within a generation that business in this country
is gcarcd to reasonably high tariff and that the
attempt to raise money for government use by
substituting in any large way other sources OF
revenue in place of customs duties is bound to be
disastrous.
On the other hand VIC are so bold as TO say
that while mems views may differ as to the wisdom
or unwsdom of the dealings of President Wilson's
administration with many matters, there is one as
to which the popular voice will speak without any
dscord whatever This is the indignation and con-
dcmnation that has been and will be visited upon
the wrctchcd botch that has been made OF the
handling OF the Postofficc Department. Congress
was forced to close its doors last week facing the
certainty that the financial affairs OF the national
postofice will stand at large deficit for the
present fiscal wear. With efforts to make good
this deficit unavailing. Congress forced TO
leave the matter for the time being with tenn
porary reappropriaton of the moneys voted last
year for postoftcc expense. No amount OF Jug
Cling and special pleading, shifting of figures
or sckenng attempts at popular wheedllng can
disguise from the people the shameful fact that
the deficiency in the postoficc revenues was due
TO the governments efforts to put through
costly and needless scheme OF carrying heavy par
GELS by mail supplemented by attempt to make
the railroads OF the country shoulder the greater
portion OF the expense OF this undertaking.
1t will be idle to address d proclamation to the
people that in all this the government has been
ONLY seeking to cut down the swollen profits, so
called OF the express companies II the express
companies were making TOO much money, the
prorcr remedy was a reduction OF their charges
by the Interstate Commerce Commission. which
did not involve any necessity for the entrance by
the government upon the parcels post venture
The inauguration OF the parcels post was for the
mere purpose OF performing for the people a
service that thcv themselves in their individual
caracitv should have been willing to pay for. 1t
was a heavily losing venture from business
point oi view and the attempt to throw the
cx0cn>c al the Job upon the railroad companies
has REPRESENTED ono OF the most outrageous
schemes OF confi>cation ever undertaken in
civilized land
The people through all this game from
top to bottom The miserable effort to query
their favor by doing something for them which
they know perfectly we'll they ought TO do for
themselves and ought not 10 ask either the gov
crnmcrt or any private corporation to do, has
ended as all such dcmagogic efforts have ended
in the past in humiliation for tho oriGinaorN and
abcttors oi it, 1t i matter concerning which
we shall have much to say before Congress meets