The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-10
Political Lessons.

paclty as voters, learn the lessons of experience
IN matters OF government and economies. One
generation OF voters does learn these lessons or
some OF them But they arc soon succeeded by
another generation to whom all these truths, once
so we'll taught, the babblings OF old men,
1t takes long time, hundreds OF years, for even
Ia Jew cardinal princi plies to become soliditied
INTO permanently undisturbed facts. This for
!gettulncss on the part OF the people, which rises
sometimes almost to the point OF a seeming tickle
ness OF popular temper, has been strongly en-
PhaSizcd III our own country in recent years.
The history of the last ten years of legisla-
ton in the United States has been the history OF
4 popular movement toward reform and correc-
ton. w think there is doubt that this move
r1cnt had its origin in certain gross abuses That
these abuses needed 10 be done away with and
remedies applied for the harm done by them
there IS no doubt whatever. But in the doing
away with evils and the effort to apply remedies
the action OF the people recalls the story OF the
bear, who in cndeavoring to wipe fly from his
masters lace killed the master with a stroke OF
the paw. The remedies, so called, went so far
that they became destructive. The movement to-
ward business reform assumed such character
that it suppressed business growth There was
just complaint OF tariff duties that were so high
that their net result the increase of the for
lu!lIS VI glasses III inc community and
decrease of the business returns OF other classes
But in reducing these tariff duties our legislators
made a cut so deep that it left the government
or will leave it at tho end OF few months more
without revenue enough to pay its running OK
pcnses. Exactly the trouble has occurred
many times before in country. There is dis
satisfaction with high tariff, followed by the
enactment OF too low a tariff and followed again
by business distress originating in impaired
credit OF the country owing to insufficient rcyc-
mites. The lesson OF experience regarding the
tariff, which Is that neither too high low
a tariff vii answer has never yet been thoroughly /
learned by the people OF the United States.
For the time being, however, the country is !
obviously once more feeling firm ground under !
lis feet in the realization that the reform move
mcnt, the Progressive movement, the anticorpo-
ration movement, or whatever name it deserves |
has been pushed to altogether extreme lengths
and that very considerable recession from these
eNtrcnritic> must he brought about. Tic extent
to which old standards and principles were sub
merged may be realized from calm conclupla-
ton cl tho fact that ii the ideas of Mr. Roosc- /
cit promulgated in tho last Presidential cam
I'aign had been carried ont on entire consttu-
t:onal system OF government would have been
abolished Mr. Roosevelt urged, and there were /
thousands OF people in the country who for a /
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,1, ,r ,I,,;r ro-,-...-.,,;,.o. =: ,.sI:' r,0
1os should r,,. tho ,o,,.o- - >,o.;Ia -, oo-
lion, o,c-, .i,o ,,c.t I,o-oJ r;ot., ~. a-4S,
hortv and ,-orcrt,. NV ~, ;,.,,,,,,,,oo,.
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he possibility OF appcal to 4 more careful and
delayed consideration Il
That bad moment in our history has ras.cd 4
The people are once more >anclv thinking and de-
ibcratinc Evidences OF this are on every hand ;,
They are first exhibited in the results OF the No.
amber electors lat wear and not A day nor an
Io,r~ passes which docs not add TO their acc,,u-
ation The feeling is becoming exceedingly
,trouy that our railroad companies have been il
lara>>cd and pcr>ccutcd unine-ciirllv and there
little doubt that the end OF the winter will see
he OUTRAGEOUS "u Train crew" lav> rcnc,1.I IN /,
most OF the Eastern States In Missouri = STATE
n which the ho>tiIe feeling against railroads was
strong a ANYWHERE else in tho Mon the lower
rou>c OF tn" legislature la, lust passed with !
PRACTICAL unduimitv bill raising the railroad {
.l,>rngc~ farc, /" - cents and il j. said to ,
u practically assured that the bill will become
LAW. All "lcr the Country the popular sentiment