| Show CAMPAIGNS AAD PRESIDENTIAL PERMS For the last four or five months business busi-ness has been practically suspended in this country while we elected a president presi-dent We shall not have to undergo this again for nearly four years but four months out of every four years is too much to give up to such engrossing politics The presidential term ought to be lengthened or the campaigns ought to be shortened So says the Louisville CourierJournal Every presidential election no matter what the issue be it great or be it small disturbs business It does this not so much because business itselfis threatened threat-ened adversely or otherwise but because be-cause the campaign absorbs public interest in-terest and draws attention from all I other matters to it The result must be that business suffers in that it languishes lan-guishes Very much is being made by those who were < J opposed to the policy for which Mr Bryan stoou of the fact that there has been a marked revival of business since Major McKinley was elected This revival is very largely but the reaction from the intense dullness dull-ness that pervaded all departments of business prior to the election Those who supported Major McKinley claim that the revival is the result of his election Such claims are a political right andall parties make them when victorious It is simply the human nature na-ture that is in all of us and makes us claim all the virtues while denying responsibility for any of the sins The presidential term may be lengthened some day and the eligibility of the Incumbent limited to one term There is very much to be said in favor of this view of the case but against lit are practice and prejudice The truth of the matter is we Americans rather like a frequent change in our public officials for changes sake and not merely for the sake of turning the rascals out It is a very easy matter to shorten the official time of the campaign by I making the dates for holding the national na-tional conventions later than has been the practice heretofore But this would have little effect on business Itself because be-cause from the beginning of the fiscal year the depressing influence of an approaching ap-proaching presidential election is always al-ways more or less potent It would be almost an impossibility to make a presidential campaign of less than four months duration Until the presidential presi-dential term is lengthened the country I must be content to give four months I I every four vears to a discussion of I presidential candidates and the issues I I for which they stand l j |
