Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-06

changed Dy the war. Iney talked con-
fidently of how labor in England was
restricting production and at the same
time forcing up wages. America, they
thought, was an industrial Already,
where labor never troubled. =,
Read the story of more than 100. 900
additional employees on the railroads.
costing 5000, ,OOO, 900 year extra
wages, with a reduced output. The thing
is true not only Of the government
operated railroads.&c. is true generally.
Wilson foresaw none Of these things.
He foresaw none of the factors which
have contributed to the state of the pub
lie mind, so brutally described to him
the other day. He did not even see the
state of the public mind itself until he
had it forced upon his attention.
Victories Have Been Minor
Grant him a couple Of victories since
his return. the temporary silencing of
the labor agitators and the forcing of
the foreign relations committee Of the
Senate to come to him and afford him
an opportunity to get his case on the
treaty before the country. "They were
mere local gains and minor.
They leave him where he was, with
the state of the public mind where it
was when the seven Danielses inter
preted it for him, the seven conservative
Danielses to whom his heart turns now
for peace after seeing what radicalism
| comes to in Russia and hearing radical
ism shout rowdily under his White
House windows at home.
The exploit Of Messrs. Plumb and
Stone was a dream Of three clever but
over imaginative young press agents.
1t failed because they understood the
state Of the public mind no better than
anybody else. The President spoke.
The people listened to him instead Of to
the demonstrators.
Gompers Held rs Hostage
But nothing is settled and the labor
radicals have hostage in the person
of Mr.. Wilson's good friend. Mr.. Com
pers. Mr.. Wilson achieved delay, not
leadership.
J As for his constructive program. II
he can be said to have one, you cannot
find a man in Washington who thinks
that the Presidents high cost Of living
proposals will accomplish anything sub
stantial toward mitigating the condi.
tions which infIeme the state Of tb,
public mind. IL was not statesmanship
1t was not leadership. II was minoy
politics which took advantage of III,
embarrassment of the opposition. who
though in control of Congress. had don,
nothing to relieve the high cost Of livint
and who were even on the point of eoin,
Il
on a vacation wnen Mr.. wilson shafpl!
bennv nSsr The s,aad;,v I've rpuut;,r ph ~nr nr,os. n
Ths RennbI;cons corld not r.;.. a,
;ssue on the bigh cost ~ living r,
raise one was to NAV into IN. hand
of Plumb and stors tn stir nm IN. rad;
ca,ism which the Renublicsns fear
r,. p--.,. -.
, a.e;nue "a ~. .ne I oenens' ns Al.
'p VI s anu vi tn'
i WeaA d. II.- in.ope.ency i;..n ol the op
posi'ion' '' ii'''e 'i'''f' was e"Si''
"on.
ch .ne iower ieVel Oh party leader
snip tnere is the same uncertainty
10 Diuhoer from tne nands OF burie
} son into those OF Cummings is not lead
. ershlp. IL Is noundering. lt may
lucky noundering. But IL Is stlll noun
, derlng.
, And OF that fioundering the unwis
half surrender on reservations befor
the senate committee, the Plttman reso
lutions, the excessive number Of spokes
men the President has in the Senate
the insecurity any agent of his feel
and his iucap6city to act with con
fidence, are all part.