The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-09-12
A CONSTRUCTIVE
POLICY NEEDED

There has never been time in our
history when real leadership was more
needed than now. There was never
time in our history when we Ghould
shun isms and stand solidly upon in
| dustrial and economical foundations
that have proven safe and sound, than
now.
That there is spirit of unrest and
discomfort that is gaining some mo-
mentum is patent to everyone who has
watched the situation in manufactur-
ing centers, in mining regions, and,
| in fact, all industrial trades and or
CARNATIONS. This condition cannot be
rcmedied by playing the ostrich AMI
sticking your heads in the sand. The
issues must be met fairly and square
| ly in an intelligent and orderly way.
The problems that we confront today
are fundamentally not unlike those
that every country has had TO meet
during their reconstruction periods.
They are in many respects similar to
| the conditions that our government
| had to face following the Civil War.
After that war we had an orgy of
| high prices that lasted over a period
of several years. In fact, it was about
IL years before our currency situation
was normal. Then as now, there were
many public officials who came for-
ward with resolutions, suggestions
and what they dignified as remedies,
for no other purpose than that Of
seeking publiciay. They were men
who wanted to do the spectacular
thing, regardless of consequences. Foo
political support they were ready to
play any policy that would appeal to
shallow thinkers and spend more time
in trying to make them believe they
were doing something for them than
they did in going about to restore nor
NAL conditions in an intelligent and or
derby way.
Unfortunately, the times are prov
ing that we have many such men in
public places today. We have men
in the United States Senate who, in
stead Of taking stand that would
discourage incipient Bolshevism, are
encouraging it by policy of quib
bling, hesitation and delay. The Sem
ate today is standing in the way If
universal peace. Until the treaty of
peace is signed, uncertainty will not
give way to certainty, and, conss-
quently, production of farms, the out
put of mine and factory cannot be put
on the market at normal prices. I'm
til this done the high cost of living
| will not be ecectively reduced. High
prices have been seized upon dis justi-
fication for strikes and labor disturb
ances of all kinds. Yet, every sane
man knows that strikes and lockouts
do not decrease the cost of living, but
increases it. Transportation troubles
which interfere with distribution also
help to increase instead of decrease
pirces. The only prompt remedy for
| high prices lies in increased produc-
ton and decreased consumption. AS
long as Europe is in a state Of tur
mol, and thereby furnishes fertile
field for the growth of Socialism and
| Bolshevism, production will not in
crease there. AS long as production
Iags there, demands upon our coun-
try will not decrease.
Clearly then the prime duty before
our representatives in Congress, es-
pecially in the Senate, is to center
their efforts toward peace. The peace
treaty ana LIc letBu e CONellHL hdNS
been much discussed of late, hut the !
trouble is that too much of this dis |
cussion has been made not for the
purpose of helping, but for hinder
ing. Not for the country's welfare |
so much as for political capital. There
are members in both the House and |
Senate who are at every opportunity |
make a long-winded speech in which !
they deplore what they are pleased TO |
ment during the war and call for an
investigation. They spend their time
in trying to point out something that |
they can portray before the public as
a glaring mistake and a grave blum
Ter. Granting that time and plumbers !,
have been made-and what great I'M
dertaking was ever carried out with
out mistakes ?--is precious and de-
cisive action necessary for stabilizing !
and STRENGTHENING the governments of !