The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-07
The Prophecy OF woodrow Wilson
the Philosopher.

The President of the United States
seems to be us stifiiy resolved to back
his foolish Secretary Of the Navy In
the scheme for Government owned
munition plants as he Is to back his
Sophisticated Secretary Of the Treas
ury In the scheme for IA Government
owned merchant marine.
We recall once more the pregnant
opinions which DR.. WOODROW WILSON
expressed In an article in the Ame'f-
ouw Lotoyer on the tendency toward
regulative legislation and the disas-
trous results of attempts at govern
mental control:
"A passion for regulative legislation
sesms 70 have taken possession OF the
country Of late but It came upon It so
suddenly, so much more like an impulse
q impatence than like a deliberate pur-
pose. that there Is every indication that
the careful thinking pom which 1t should
have been founded will succeed It after
Il has spent It's force. rather than ac-
company and give form and direction
TO II.
governmental control. which No are
undertaking so extensively and with so
Hight a heart. sets ~. no q reign OF
NV, but a reign Of discretion and In
alvtdual judgment on the part OF Gov
rsument officials IN the regulation Of
the business OF stock companies owned
by innumerable private individuals and
supplying the chief Investments OF thou
sands Of communities. I a see no
radical difference between governmental
ownership and governmental regulation
Of this discretionary kind.
There is no logical stopping place be-
tween tina. and the actual conduct of
business enterprises by the Government.
Such methods Of regulation. 1t may be
safely predicted. will ooner or later be
complstely discredited by experience"
When WOODROW WILSON the philos-
Opher uttered these sentiments and
recorded this prediction THEoDoRE
ROOSEVELT had been out Of the White
House less than two months. Doctor
and Professor WILSON was referring
directly to the recent term of Colonel
RoosEvELT's supremacy in national
affairs, marked rs that period was
BY an abandonment of old notions
about the proper relation Of Govern
ment to private property and indus
trial activities.
WOODROW WILSON the philosopher
was c%ondemning the movement OF
which THEODORE ROOSEVELT the poll
tician had made himself the undis
puted leader. Doctor and Profcs
sor WILSON was predicting n sure
reaction, soone or later. TOWARD
saner views of governmental regula
ton and governmental ownership
und the complete d~iscrediting of the
R~OOseveltian experiments as the re
suit Of bitter experience.
Yet the amazing truth Is thai Presi
dent ROOSEVELT went one-thir
tieth as far in the direction which
WOODROW WILSON the philosopher de
plored as President WILSON himself
has gone since he merged the philoso
pher in the politician. ROOSEVELT,
parasangs were aS mere stadia II
Wilson's swift anabasis toward gov
ornamental socialism.
Perhaps the s%trange>t circumstance
In the whole history of political fluid
tiles and transformations is the re-
versal Of roles, as between Doctor
WILSON the philosopher and Colone
ROOSEVELT the politician, which hn'
now made ROOSEVELT seem, to s.
many thoughtful and patriotic minds
by comparison the conservative.