Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-04

TODAN Mr.. Wilson's administration Of
i the government ends and Mr. Harding
begins Estimates of MIR. Wilson'S admin
i>tratiOn now are too near to b" just. y Some
general remarks. however, may be Ncntur"d
as to tn" contrast between what has been
and what is to be.
Mr.. Wilson in his "Nrw Freedom "N-
pressed confidence" that he understood social
conditions needing reform, knew how I"
remedy them. and that his predecessors did
not. His administration Is remarkable Tor
his f"licitOu> addresses in pointing out evils
and in Stating his ideals for removing them.
fhCS" gave him popular strength until the
later years of his second term During tit"
war his apt. simple, tr"n"hant and com
polling statement of our cause stirred and
satisfied the deep lNtri"tism of our people,
Vet n other times sudden thought OF an
cpigrummatir phrase would lur" him into
imf"lirity.
\ conSpicuou> feature of Mr.. Wilson'S
administration has been it, pnrti>anNhip,
even under the heavy stress Of war )"
strong an adhcrrut Of his own views has
hr been that when required by law T." Hp-
point un impartial or bipartisan board h"
found il difficult to give the sid" opposing
his view fair representation.
Mr. Wilson has occupied the whole ct
the Stage in his administration. with "N.
rcptous. his cabinet selections hHv" not
"h>tru"trd the public view of him lN their
personality, activity aud ability. lie has
been siuguIarly rccluSc from contact with
with him.
IN" >rrr~, of Mr.. Wilson'S rourso of ar-
ti"n has been in announcement Of purposes
and not in their effective fulhlm"nt. Even
the legislation which h" projected often
| contained NOR" rrctalS of high nurp">" than
practical provisions for carrying il out
Before he b""umc President III" "S"v"n
Sisters which h" put into III" New Jersey
trust question. Vet after their enactment
they lay dormant for years. with not as
much H. Il single prosecution brought under
them. and now they have been quietly
amended uII Of liz" without SIngI" nWurn"r,
The trade commission act and similar lcgis
! lutiou whlrh was to frc" all int"rsal" bu>l-
ness from chiCun" and conspiracy has
| achieved something PERHAPS but th"r" il
doubt whether its mcddllng has NOT d9n"
more harm than good. The Clayton act, with
its rcri1alS was hailed aS taking unions out
| Of the jurisdiction of the courts III th" pros
rruti"u Of what they deem their rights, but
which ar" often wrongs against others. The
SuprrIur Court holds otherwise, and labor
| unions are left subject to remedial prorr~S
ns other Voluntary organizations, uS indeed
| they should he.
The great constructive measure which Mr..
| Wilson, with MIR. Bryan'S aid, put through
wa, the federal banking reserve act lie
! did not originate it. Mr.. AIdrch did that,
| But Mr.. Wilson did put il through. and
! without him il would not hay" h"""mc law.
! The benefit derived from it cannot be- over
"
Between the tariff l"giSutiou enacted
promptly after Mr.. Wilson cam" in and the
| beginning Of the European war trade Ian
guishrd and hard times confronted lis. The
! Eurupruu war; however, beginning IN l9ll,
destroyed all possibility of foreign "Umprti
! tion in our markets aud created Il demand
| for the products of this country III" benefits
from which Il" tariff policy could minimize.
| Mr.. Wilson's failure To max" earlier prep
uratUu for war. hcSitatiOnS and th" delay
over the Iu,itunia. the unsatisfactory result
| Of our MrNicHn intervention, the failure to
| practice economy or to adopt Il budget or to
| become Interested in it, tn" inrttrirury Of
the PustoGc Department and, imdc"d in
| other departments. du" to II lack of interest
in the quiet "details of government II, com
prrd with political publicity, will all ngurr
| in the estimate of futur" critics.
Under Mr., Wilson's government the
United Stutr~ performed II hug" task. Within
eighteen months it raised, equipped, trained
aud sent u,cr,rils an army of two mllions
Of men and had III readiness on this side
| two millions more. 1t put million men in
the trenches, aud by the mrttI" Of their
| lighting and the potential fore" Of the men
! bel ind them it added the weight to the
! Allies blows which was needed to end the
war. The United States further not ,uly
financed its own preparation and Cumpuign,
but it raised and loaned to its allies ten
| billions of dollars.
| Was this due to the inspiration and exccu.
,axe force Of Mr.. Wilson, or was he carried