Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-08
A Business Administration

The Boston Post Of April publish
ed the following editorial in comment
upon the possible candidacy OF Hon
Ehhu Root for the Republican nomina-
tion for President:
According to a Washington despatch to
the New York Sun. ex-senator Elihu
Root has a real boom for the Republican
nomination for President. 1t Is even
Colonel Roosevelt would look with favor
on a Root campaign, II one were to De
undertaken. We may assume that the
support Of the conservative element OF
the Republican party is taken for grant
Nothing could be more satisfactory to
the Democrats and those who believe In
and trust the present administration
than the nomination Of Root in 1916. The
great intellect of the man is undoubted.
the persuasive power of his speech often
felt. But no individual with Mr. Roots
record of alliance with the interests"
big combinations of INSCRIPTIONS finance
and corporate greed can now hope to be
elected President Of the United States.
Mr.. Root himself said only the other
troll Of our government. But the kind OF
business that in the palmy days Of Re-
publicanism wrote tariff schedules, fur
nished campaign rat and dictated
1t is prehaps true that Mr.. Root has
championed American business, though
no one has ever wished or dared to
say that his efforts in behalf of Am
crican business have ever been i'll
advised or improper. He has stood
for the best things for the United
States always. and if he has helped
business he has done it impartially.
AS for the present administration, it
cannot be said that President Wilson
has helped any business except that
Of foreign interests" and We submit
that If any interests are to be
given succor. cur own should be aid
ed rather than England's or Ger
many's. One of the most determined
fights President Wilson has made, the
long. bitter battle for the ship pur-
German steamship corporation and so
i'll advised as to bring forth the state
would purchase trouble with every
ship"
Whether or not Mr.. Root is strong
presidential possibility. we do not dis
cuss at this time, but we do think
it an opportune moment to ask the
Post wherein President Wilson's re-
cord excells the probable record of
Mr.. Root, should he be our next
President
The policies IF this administration
have broken down business the country
over. and but for the tremendous Eu.
ropean war purchasing at the present
time there would be almost as much
stagnation in many Of our great cities
as there is in the war-menaced cities
Of France and Prussia. And yet the
Post declares that a man who knows
the needs Of American business would
not be acceptable to the people Of the
country as presidential candidate
American businessman in that
business lies American prosper
ity-is crying for a business admins
tration and warns the political parties
that the next President must be not
only a friend to Understanding also
prosperity-but a master of the subject
of bushes as it Is known in the United
States. And yet the Post suggests
that a national figure like Mr.. Root,
versed in craftsmanship, a patriot so
whole hearted that in his devotion to
principle he recognizes no craftsmanship,
q master mind among tine business men
Of the country, cannot hope to be elect
ed to the presidency because some of
the successful corporations in the
United States have recognized his abil-
tiles and commended them.
Another Democratic newspaper OF
the same date, the Boston Globe, pays
the following glowing tribute to the
bushes efficiency CT the Wilson ad-
ministration and the Wilson Congress:
To give thanks is good. as Swinburne
said, but it is exceedingly difficult for us
to be very grateful in the case of the ap.,
portionment Of the 90 appropriated
at the last session Of Congress for river
and harbor improvements.
Only $207 ,319 Is allotted to Massachu-
sets. of which sum Boston gets meager
t135, 1853 to carry on old work.
There is a crumb OF comfort in the
knowledge that two projects, which have
been condemned in Congress as notorious
examples Of the pork barrel system,
will not receive any cash from the Gov
eminent. These are St. Lucie Inlet.
neers' report. has no commerce and no
prospect Of any, and the Big Sandy River,
In Kentucky.
Sad to relate, the Brazos River, in
Texas, portion Of which Is navigable
only during the rainy season. is granted
The allotments include funds for
streams and creeks in North Carolina
varying from six feet in depth to one
tenth Of foot.
Cape Fear River, which has been criti-
cized as poor waterway to spend money
on, is awarded $4,000.
Meanwhile. the chief port Of New Eng
land. one of the most important in the
country. must wait and wait for the 40
foot channel absolutely necessary for its
proper development.
Bostonians should prepare now to re-
new the fight for an adequate appropria-
ton at the earliest possible opportunity.
Perhaps even Boston, and the Post
ord %ha N1oAo ryo,,ld x,,aloovr. - 1900