New-York tribune., 1922-07-30


Syndicate of the Best Minds with which
he promised to run the country is drifting
toward bankruptcy. Such a syndicate worked
in McKinleys day, but Roosevelt dissolved it
and Taft tried to restore it. while Wilson
calmly ignored it. But whatever may be said
for or against the policy of executive indiffer-
ence to the extra constitutional powers Of the
Presidency, the time has come when it will not
work. The whirlpool is ahead. Some one
must run the boat Some one must lend guild
ing hand and directing brain to this country
or America will feel the shock that is rock
ing the world We must 90 back to abnor-
malcy.
The menace Of two strikes in the essential
industries OF fuel and transportation is grow
ing. Another month of deliberation, confer
ences and debate and the nation will be in
current of disaster which can be stemmed only
with military force. If we can have a ruler
to-day we can avoid dictator tomorrow.
PRESIDENT Harding is the head of our organ
lzed American civilization. Enough moral
power lies IN the Presidential office to give him
ell the weapons he needs to restore orderly
commerce and just relations between workers
and employers. He needs few laws There are
Laws aplenty. He needs constitutional
amendment or two, but in this crisis it will
be his for the asking. He also needs pas
slonate sense of the danger of the situation
and clear, calm, determined voice to direct
the nation in the course of wisdom
IL is not that many men about the President
are unwise. Courage is needed to do the
Things which wisdom urges, because thew are
drastic, unusual, but simple common sense
Men are entitled to living wages and better
according to their skill. Capital ia entitled
TO decent interest and more, accordin, to
les risks. On top of these two demands
transportation and fuel may be sold to the
public for fair price. It is not impossible
nor even difficult, for body of trained men
TO md what are just wages, fair returns of
capital and a reasonable price to the public
Gail that court the Supreme Court of In
dustry and back 1t by the authority like that
back of the Supreme Court of the Nation
The sale Of fuel and transportation REQUIRES
no great skill. The production is fairly
standardized. Distribution of TRANSPORTATION
and fuel, therefore, is no serious tangle re-
quirSng gigantic intellects to work out its
problems. The President is allowing greedy
men in labor, in capital and in the distribut-
ing agencies of our essential industries to rob
the buyers and to stand up the American peo-
pie helpless upon the public highway.
II the President needs laws to stop the
crime wave of industry an appeal to the
people would make Congress step lively. If
ne needs public sentiment to authorize ex-
traordinary action in an extraordinary crisis
ne has but to hold up his hands and it will
come. But if he needs courage he must 90
into his own heart
But first of all he must decide to turn hack
to abnormalcy and lead the people as their
ruler, not a mere "subordnate branch of
the government" We can't go back quar-
Ter of century. Something has happened,
chiefly Roosevelt and Wilson, and really.
"How Are You Coin to Keep Them Down ON
the Farm, After They Have Seen Paree?"