Gilpin observer., 1915-04-08
WHAT is BUSINESS AFRAID OFT

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Root declared that 1.-The men who
control the government today are the
men who have been fighting the tar
iff and the trusts and the railroads
SO long that when they come to ad-
minister the government they cannot
rid themselves of an underlying hos
tility to American enterprise"
Is this true, or is it mere asser-
ton?
So far as the tariff is concerned,
the Democratic revision of 1913 was
about what the Republican revision OF
1909 was expected to be. 1t was not
radical It was not a mere radical re-
vision than the Republicans them
selves had promised in the 1908 cam
paign. Nor did it indicate hostility to
business, for the agricultural sched-
ules were reduced in greater degree
than the manufacturing schedules.
There was no hostility to business
in this revision of the tariff unless
every revision that reduces rates of
duty must be interpreted as hostile
to business.
AS for the trusts, there has been
no adverse legislation against them
under the Wilson administration. The
only legislation enacted was adopted
at the request of the business inter-
ests themselves to clarity the law.
There has been less trust prosecu-
tion under the Wilson administration
than under the Taft administration.
There has been less political agita-
ton against trusts and corporations
since Mr.. Wilson became president
than at any time since the Sherman
law was enacted in 1890.
AS to railroads, all the restrictive
legislation now on the federal statute
books was adopted b. Republican con
fecting railroads which has been TAX
en- since Mr.. Wilson became presi-
dent was the granting of permission
to increase their freight and passen-
ger rates. Tie ruling of the inter
state commerce commission in this
instance was favored not only by the
administration but by the American
people as whole.
AS to finance, the only construc-
tive measure enacted by the United
States government since the civil
war is the new banking and curren-
cy law, under whic III the United States
has been able to weather the finan-
cial storms of the most disastrous
of a panic. Even Mr.. Bryan, who
led the free-silver crusade in 1896
used all his influence to put this
great measure on the statute books
Where is the hostility of which
Mr.. Root speaks? Where, for that
matter, is there any general hostil
ity toward business, such as that
which ragged during the Cleveland ad
ministration and was erected into
the form of a political religion under
the Roosevelt administration? Where
is there disposition in the states
CT in the nation to harass or perse-
cute legitimate business of any kind
big or little?
What then, is business afraid of!
We do not know and we cannot even
surmise. Not in twenty years has il
had SO little to fear from govern
ment. Not in twenty years has II
known so clearly what was expected
of it under the law. What more can
it ask?
The great weakness OF American
business at this time is the great
weakness OF Mr.. Root himself. It re-
fuses to trust the people. Mr.. Root
retired from the senate because, as
is generally believed, he was afraid
to submit his candidacy to a popular
vote; yet he would have been re-elect
ed by an overwhelming majority.
Business seems to be in much the
same state of mind as MIR. Root, and
for the same reason. 1t is afraid to
trust the people because it is ignor-
ant of popular opinion and suspicious
of popular good faith.
That is madness. The government
of the United States is not hostile
to business. The people of the Uni
ted States are not hostile to busi-
ness. II business cannot see these
plain, unmistakable facts, then bust-
ness is blind and ignorant and weak.
witted.-New York World.