Evening star., 1936-01-04
Lawrence
Continued From Second Page.)

ply for exemptions from the antitrust
laws. II the coal industry has reached
the point of wishing governmental
regulation as a public utility, the
method is available within the Con-
Stitution.
The last barrier is psychological.
Most business men assume that
presidential campaign year must mean
indecision. Normally this might be
true. Today the reverse should be
true. If business can prove that what
it has been able to accomplish since
the Supreme Court decision Of May
27, 1885. was possible in spite of Gov
ernment experimentation rather than
because of it, If business can demon
strate that 1t can stand on its own
feet and does not need a Government
crutch. the principal argument Of the
radicals and the Government owner
ship groups will disappear.
Danger f Relapse.
Certainly If business stops its
planning or its expansion and lies
back waiting for the outcome Of the
November elections there will be dan
ger of such a relapse as may cause
the incumbent administration to in
sist that only further governmental
steps can save the situation from
growing worse.
The unemployment rolls must be
reduced in 1896. The New Deal has
plenty to answer for, especially the
mounting relief costs in the face of
more employment. The campaign can
be fought on many other issues be-
sides the intangible question of
whether recovery came because OF
or in spite of governmental action.
The questions underlying the coming
campaign are whether the recovery
attained thus far is to continue be-
cause Government will permit the
breathing spell" to be extended or
whether recovery 70 be impeded by
further adventures in Government
spending and by competition with
private business.
Business has a big job to do in
1886. 1t must incidentally. learn to
discount the effect of the elections
and get itself in shape for the prob
lens of 1887 and 1888, when rigid
economies by Government will be
forced, no matter who Is In power,
and when the danger of social up
heaval will really come if the unem-
ployed have not been absorbed or if
prices have skyrocketed, due to lack
of faith in the dollar.
The trend of the country IS toward
liberal conservatism-not radicalism.
The Literary Digest poll shows it. The
Southern primaries next Spring will
confirm it. The election in November
of Congress of non-radicals In the
North and South would seem, to be
assured, irrespective of how the top
of the ticket goes.
The thing to be remembered is that
the people are sovereign and that
the Congress really can take away
overnight power it has bestowed on
the Executive. Congress has been
and can be Influenced and controlled
by the wishes of the American people
as whole.
Anybody who doubts the operation
OF this principle need only reflect on
what public sentiment has done since
the Summer of 1888 to correct ex-
cesses which the brain trusters" were
projecting.
No better proof of change in
point of view at Washington during
1885 and of the country's insistence
on recovery within the Constitution
could be cited than President Roose-
velt's hesitancy to suggest any con-
crete amendment to the Federal Con-
stitution to increase Federal power.
Business will be better in 1896 than
1885 for the simple reason that there
is big replacement market available,
that things wear out. new industries
come into being and obsolescence will
again furnish q market for new de-
vices and new businesses.
Government policies can slow down
the recovery processes, but cannot pre-
vent their triumphant march to that
inevitable balance between produc-
tion and consumption here and abroad
which has yielded many periods and
epochs of contentment and prosperity
during the last $50 years of our history
Copyright. 1850