Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-01


President Wilson'S tour and fts
relationship to social and in
dustriaI cOnditions.)
Washington, D. c., Oct. Pres
| ident Wilson's trans-coutinental
trip was unique in this respect
| politicians had little to do with it
and as a consequence the reception
| committees who managed the visit
of the president to their respective
cities were composed of represen-
| tatfYe citizens, usually business
men. So those of us travelling with
the president had an opportunity
to get fair view OF public senu-
ment by taking these men aside and
discussing with them the outlook in
the different communities.
It may be the throes of recon
struction, it may be the uncertain
ty over the establishment Of peace
in Europe, it may be outcropping of
strikes and industrial disturbances
in our own country and the agits-
ton for higher wages along with
the rise in the cost of living, or il
may be all these factors combined
which makes a business man fur
row his brow. think hard for
minute. and frankly say Il don't
known"
There never seemed to me to be
such an utter absence of conviction
about what the future holds , in
store. Usually in political campaign
or when some essential piece of
legislation is before the country, as
the matter of new tarih or the
reform of our banking system,
business men talk with A Eeuse OF
definiteness and clarity about what
the buying and selling public may
expect. But so far as | could discov-
err, the undercurrent OF doubt was
more pronounced than it was even
during the war.
Fortunately, the matter OF taxa
ton has been disposed Of for the
Forthcoming year and one item of
worry has been subtracted though
l encountered a good deal of disap-
pointment over the reports from
Washington such as were recently
sponsored by Senator Penrose that
it would be impossible to reduce
taxes Immediately, but that perhaps
there might be an opportunity TO do
so after the Republicans had won
the next presidential election and
controlled all branches of the gov
ernmeht Mr. Penrose's argument is
that the Republican majority in the
senate is too slender to attempt
tariff or taxation revision until
1920
Must Convince Public.
That is really only another way
of saying that it might have been
better for the Republicans if they
had not won the senate at all in
the last election unless they could
have won a substantial majority OF
votes therein. For at present skep-
tics are going to hold the Repub-
lican majority strictly accountable
for what is done in both houses OF
congress and it is going to be the
difficult task of the Republican
managers to convince the business
men of the country that. really they
couldn't do anything in the pres
ent senate and that campaign con-
tributions must come for the 1920
campaign if they are to get the
remedies held out to them by Re
publican orators last autumn.
Business men talked freely about
the League of NatiYns and looking
at it as a business proposition,
practically all of those who have
had any trade in foreign markets
viewed the league as the beginning
of a commercial expansion that
America had long needed.
They have for many years been
clamoring for a merchant marine
and a foreign policy that would
expand foreign trade and If the
League Of Nations is to be
hicle, they are ready TO acc
league for that purpose. u
words with the extension o
lean enterprises during
into fields hitherto untouc
with an expansion of faci
a quantity production hin !
realized. the desire to si
world markets is very ke Il
ticed that whenever Pres II
son mentioned the leagT Is
relationship to foreign Is
and credit. business mel TO
applaud enthusiastically
But it was dificult tc me !
on whether business m al
iy thought the fall ter
months were going to Oh
America or whether tn sea-
To-