The Washington herald., 1915-03-21
Political Situation.

true that at recent conference in New York,
called by prominent business men, invited guest
was the chairman OF the Republican National
Committee. but more than one Democrat was also
present. The conditions which bring these men
together arc such make them indifferent to
the ordinary party utilization.
! What is the magnet which draws these men
to each other? 1t is. first OF all, protest against
present conditions. and, secondly, the hope that
these conditions can be permanently remedcd by
making the Presidency less dependent upon the
schemes and nlanipuatons of politicians. There
is a growing feeling in the business world that
too much has been left to the politicians and that
the results have been disastrous. The men who
like to figure in the limclght as political leaders
pull the wires, make the speeches. secure the
delegates. dominate the conventions and, finally
nominate the candidates. Sometimes these candi-
dates substantial, practical commonsense men
who can be relied upon to give the country good
administration. but more frequently they are
selected because OF their apparent ability to get
votes. While the political game is thus being
played, the business world keeps attending to
It's own interests and accepts the result without
question. The idea is now to bring about a dc
cded change. Business men eel that they should
have larger part in the choice of President
They propose in the future to be something more
than spectators.
The wonder is that the present NOV rmcnt was
not inauguratcd long ago.
Business interests arc vitality concerned in the
knowledge and experience OF the who enters
the White House. And the phrase business in
terests docs not merely mean the Rockefclers, the
Carncgics the railroad corporations and the enor-
nous combinations which manufacture and dis
tribute the necessarics of life. IT means every man
S.l1s
retail merchant the jobbcr As we'll as tho whole
saler. Viewed from this standpoint, it i, easily
that the universal welfare of the country is
affected if the man in the White House. and the
party which places him there. do not fully apprc
ciatc and understand business conditions
President Wilson is himself responsible for this
movement in the business world. In a speech
before the Chamber of Commerce OF the United
States he stated that he had never been in bust
ness. Everybody had previously indistinCt
knowledge that this was the case, but the plain
emphatic statement to that effect from the lips OF
the President awakened the business men TO 4
realization OF the fact Not only has the President
never been in business, but the men with whom
he has surrounded himself arc nearly all OF them
sadly deficient in business experience. CT the ten
members OF the Cabinet only one. Secretary Red
field. has anything Ike intimate knowledge OF
tho business world. All the rest arc lawyers
ooIit;ciors or rc,ysnac- mon or rs in -hc case Of
Secretary Wilson identified viii, o-eranizcd labor
Mr. NcAdoo if i tr,ic VA, at the head OF the
Hudson River tunnel project but even in this cx-
Derience he moved in A contracted sphere With
! President who knows nothing OF business and
with Cabinet equally deficient it IS not surprising
that there is lack Of harmony between business
interests and the administrations
The effect which a nonbusnc<s administration
has had mon the country is painfully apparent.
In the first place the tariff law was framed bv
seventeen Democratic members Of the WAYS and
Means Committee. fourteen Of whom were law
vers-moStlv country Iayvers-anI the other three
were without business experience These men had
no personal KNOWLEDGE OF the thousand and one
details which vitality affect the commercial enter
priscs OF the cOuntrv-cntcrpriscs which go so
lar TO nroduce national rrosDc-ity The bill WAS
PASSED bv House in which, ont OF 437 members
less than 100 were business men Nearly all the
rest were LAWYERS. Il was inc,italIc, under these
that tho law should seriously dis
turb business condi,on>
An administration with PRACTICAL business
man at the head of it would not have allowed the
governmental EXPENDITURES to run riot Confront