Show BUSINESS AND POLITICS A presidential campaign is in progress yet in violation of all the traditions business refuses to become alarmed in previous campaigns so far back as the quadrennial political struggle has always been the occasion of business dullness and often worse for six months or more before an election the business machinery of the country simply marked time it was an axiom that a presidential year was always a dull year this ness does not seem to care a continental about the november result there is no hysteria no slowing pulse of production no alarm at a possible change in national politics the manufacturer with orders booked for a year ahead at the limit of production the distributor with his facilities taxed to the utmost and the laborer who finds insistent market for his work alike appear to be indifferent to the appeals of the politicians of both parties the full order book and the full dinner pail are never deeply interested in campaign oratory it takes economic unrest empty bellies and red ink balance sheets to make presidential campaigns really interesting later events may put a little more pep and punch into the campaign but even the weather is in the conspiracy against politics now As a matter of fact americas business conditions taken as a n whole through the whole range of industry and business were never better the great basic industries are having record breaking years of prosperity they are in such a position of supremacy that all conditions condit ioas point to continued prosperity for several years at least after the end of the european war devastated europe must be rebuilt to a great extent by american industry goods valued at from to must be furnished by american factories and american labor throughout the land labor is in sharp and increasing demand there is no idleness unless it is voluntary nearly every enterprise is working to its capacity and the farmers are buying more automobiles than ever before both business and labor understand der stand that neither the reelection election re of wilson nor the election of hughes would materially effect the present condition of affairs and consequently refuse to become excited politic adli tic ally it is rough on the orators but it is a hopeful sign of the times |