Evening journal., 1915-01-01

to that prosperity ruling before this
ten-year war, under which every man
who wanted employment could find
It; a prosperity which was burdening
the railroads with freight and steadily
increasing their earnings: which was
causing every wheel in every factory
of the land to be run at its fullest
speed; which was giving to the far
mers of the South. as we'll as OF the
West. an abounding prosperity 1e-
cause of an ever-increasing demand
for their products. Millions of peo-
pie would hail with delight such an
announcement Hundreds of thoa-
sands of men now walking the streets
vainly seeking work and whose fami-
lies are in deepest poverty would
quickly find employment.
No greater opportunity for adj
vancing the welfare of all the people
of oil sections has ever existed than
that which now faces the powers that
be- This opportunity is too great
to be considered in the light of party
politics, too overwhelming I'm inn
portance to be thought Of as to its
influence upon this party or that, or
this man or that.
Here in this Heaven-blessed land,
free from wars alarms. with a hun
dred million people occupying the
most richly endowed country on
earth. we are having less of business
prosperity, less of optimism, and
more of timidity and fear than have
existed for many years without any
justification for such an untoward
condition except our own dOings.
The reason is within us. We are
paying the penalty Of our own blum
ders. our sins of omission and com
| mission and our constant heckling Of
every business interest in the country
/ through uneconomic, unwise and
/ wholly useless legislation in National
and State affairs.
If the party in power wants to
/ restore National prosperity, let il
lead in constructive work by sweep
ing away many of the harasslng re-
( strictions of business for which II,
as well as the Republican party. is
/ responsible. Under such a policy,
| with a willingness to admit mistakes.
! and to overcome them by a reversal
of some of the blunders committed
in destroying the sugar industry and
injuring others by free trade tenden-
cies, there would quickly come pros
perity TO the cotton growers of the
South, to the sugar producers OF
Louisiana and the West TO every
factory in the land. to the railroads
and to every industrial and business
interest of our country. The Inter
state Commerce Commission has had
the courage to disregard precedents
and to reverse the whole policy OF
its existence. Are the. leaders in
Washington and elsewhere willing tc
learn the lesson and to reverse some
of their own pet theories. now knock
ed into a cooked hat by the stern
logic Of facts, and save the country
from poverty and bring to IL abound
ing prosperity by following the lead
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, which. though il did not &c
half far enough. at least made a star
on the right road?
Never before had any party a great
1 er opportunity for doing a work o
infinite value to the whole country
If it should rise to the occasion. there
would be a sudden change in business
conditions.
Now men are piteously begging foi
work; then work would be seekinl
men; then capital would hunt invest
ments and not investments and hon'
issues beg for little capital to carr!
on absolutely essential undertaking
as at present; then the sunlight o
abounding prosperity would dispe
every vestige of the cloud of pOvert,
which hovers over the nation. VII
the political leaders have the cour
age and farsightedness, even by re
versing themselves. to bring pros
perity back TO our country?