The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-03
The University of Wisconsin.


is not the slightest doubt that this tendency on
the part of our legislators is chiefly responsible
for the slowness with which business life in this
country, taken as whole, responds to the great
change for the better that has occurred in under
Lying financial and commercial conditions during
the last three months AS long as the representa-
tives of the people think it is the right thing to
harass business men, just long will these bust
ness men exercise caution at least fail to dis
play any exceeding amount of courage in begin
ming new enterprises conducting old ones.
And at the same time, hardly day passes with
out something happening to demonstrate that the
sentiment of the people distinguished from that
of the politicians has undergone a change in these
matters. AS Theodore Roosevelt declared six
months ago, people arc getting tired of reform and
reformers. They want honesty in government and
they want thieves turned out of Office; but they
have discovered that crank or impractical man in
office is just about bad thief, and that the
business affairs of the government no more be
successful than those of private citizen if Conf
mitted entirely to the hands of theorists and
Missionaries. More than this they have discovered
that an attempt to put in practice large jority
of these visions and theories involves the expendi-
ture OF more money than the taxpayers are usually
ready to pay. Commissions to take charge of every
new laws by the thousand to regulate every form
of human activity. general supplanting of old
and tried ways of doing business by new and I'M
tried ways which are, in their essence, theoretical,
have proved failures in most instances and have
placed heavy financial burdens upon communities.
Therefore there is a growing disposition toward
recurrence 10 the old ways Of our fathers.
Positively the best illustration Of this change in
public sentiment-even more than the over
whelming vote of the people of Missouri last fall
against the full train crew propostion-iS tho
crisis that has taken place in the affairs OF the
University of Wisconsin, 1t is not perhaps gcner-
ally understood that the University of Wisconsin
has been the head of the progressive idea in the
United States Dr. Charles H. Van Hise, the pres
ident of the university. for long time the
bosom friend of Senator La Toilette and was conf
monty, although doubtless incorrectly. said to be
the brains of the Progressive party. 1t is under
stood that lattcrly. President Van Hses relations
with Senator La Toilette have not been so close,
and that the president. while still believing
strongly in great amount of detailed business
regulation by public authorities, has become a
strong believer in big business and in modern
business concentration and consolidation Be this
as it may, the University of Wisconsin has been
the chosen home of those social theorists who
have enthusiastically advocated the doctrine Of
continual government interference with business
matters The university attained at time great,
if not predominant influence in the State legisla-
ture. Its professors became prominent in the di-
rcction of the actual affairs of the State. Laws
were passed repealed at their bidding. Every
thing at the State capital at Madison came to be
referred to them; and after time it was apparent
to great many observers that the university was
actually trying to the affairs of the State. The
government by commission" idea was carried to
the extreme there, and the professors of the uni
versity who were preaching economy and efficiency
were yet plainly laying themselves open to the
charge OF extravaganza and wastefuness in their
handling of business matters.
But at last public patience in Wisconsin has
become tired out. Taxes for all purposes have
risen to intolcrably high levels and large portion
OF the people of the State arc out for the uni
vcrsitys scalp; that is to say, they actually
in favor of an abolition OF the university entirely.
Schemes of this sort will probably not prevail and
the more conservative plans of l.. L. Philip the
new governor of the State, are likely to prevail in
getting the State out of its trouble. The COVER
nor says that he is chiefly concerned with the fact
that the taxes OF the State have increased that
the people, who mostly and women of
small means, must have a substantial reduction
accorded TO them. The university has grown too
fast and has used up more money than the pcople
of Wisconsin can afford to give to it. 1t has in
dulged in dreams and ambitions of expansion that
arc NOT warranted by the public means and it
must recognize that many of the members of its
faculty have gone beyond their proper sphere,
which is not that OF trying to discredit the general
political and social system of the United States
The meaning of all this is, put in plain words,
that once given its head the progressivism and
radicalism that has been so much of factor in
political and social matters in this country for the
last five years, was bound to make a demonstra-
ton of the unsoundness of its ideas and the unfit
ness OF its adherents to be entrusted with practical
affairs. The people have found out the truth, at
last. And while radicals and demagogues may
still be entrenchcd in good many legislatures, the
day is near at hand when even the remnant of
power which they now exercise will be taken from
them.