The sun., 1918-11-27
A BUSINESS OPINION.
Some Factors In the Recent Defea
Of wisconsin Discussed.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: As
a humble business man who has at times
vo,ed the Democratic ticket, may
! offer some practical reasons for the
Presidents late rebuff at the polls?
The business man has had little to
say In recent years about Government
matters. He submitted to Presidential
rebukes and paid, al he was expected
to pay. the biggest taxes and bought
the most bonds. We saw our businesses
laid open to numerous examining strang-
ers, who seemed to have followed every
vocation except business, and to a null
tipliclty OF rough and ready processes.
until our affairs were turned upside
down. half lost beyond control and in
countless cases ruined forever
! But was our punishment never to end ?
| We are human. Is It surprising that the
Northern business man did not rush with
obedient alacrity to the President q
ern farmer. who saw the price fixed on
| his wheat but not on cotton?
We had surrendered our right to free
! speech and almost to free thought and
now were summoned to surrender our
right to free vote, II was an unwel-
come suggestion to those who are ex-
pected to foot the bills. For we saw
that a gagged Congress might resent An
inspection of the evident colossal waste
and extravaganza at Washington II we
! did not have a look In" through Con-
gress we might find our Industries sud-
| denly swamped by cheap German goods,
| the Monroe Doctrine and Panama Canal
abandoned and other serious things hap
! pening In exchange for localities In the
form OF German scraps OF paper.
! Again. the business man asked HIM
! self. can a broad democracy. such as
President Wilson breaches. be wisely
built upon such a narrow and sectional
| partisanship as he practises? Has it
! been necessary to dismantle civil SER
/ vice in America in order to have the
best governments elsewhere? Did not
| the President wish Tammany fastened
around the neck OF New York State as
the Democratic cornerstone Of the new
social and political edihce he Is to help
rear in Esthonia. Lithuania and other
| distant parts? Is a democracy safe
where proud minority Of politicians
: from States representing the least pop
ulations, wealth and advancement con-
unue so exclusively to personlfy the
! framework of our Government?
! Furthermore, II would seem fitting to
curb somewhat our national immodesty
In the present international Circumstance.
Should our national Administration.
which could not foresee the issues of the
war. and wished nothing to do with Eu-
rope now foresee more than any one and
strenuously desire to do everything with
: It? England, France and Italy have paid
the price. and they may be expected TO
have their way at the peace table. The
famous fourteen points may largely prove
shots in the air like those blank car
tridges, the Seven Sisters proposals
II Is apparent from the election re-
, turns that the President, had he been a
candidate, would have met discontinue.
he constant stream OF fulsome indl.
vldual praise flowing out from Washing
ton channels paid for by the public (not
! party purse tends to become monoto-
1 nous. II makes for staleness No public
Ia apt to be weary OF It's idols more sud
denly than our nervous American public
To save democracy II is nrst of all neces-
sary to swap horses rather frequently
even when crossing streams. else we lose
: the habit The President has had his
warning. VIII he become not n Bourbon
Democrat, and both learn and forget?
STUART HENRY.
/ NEW YORK November &C.