New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-25
Mr.. Wilson Fails to Meet the First
Test of His Courage as
Public Man.

President Wilson's apology for signing the sun
dry civil appropriation act is painfully feepe' 1t
g tho nloo Of man who knows that he is excuSlng
q surrender TO expediency and who has little heart
for such melancholy work.
II is still something to Mr.. Wilson'S credit that
in irving TO condone his backsiding he is so mani
testify I'll at ease He puts his apology forWaru loi
what it may be worth but is evident that ne IeeIS
that he is deceiving nobody, not even himself nc
writes his own condemnation when he says IL
could have separated from the rest of the Dill the
item which authorized the expenditure by the De-
partment of Justice of a special sum OF SooV'VOo
for the prosecution Of violations OF the ANTITRUST
law. I would have vetoed the item, because II
places upon the expenditure limitation which Is
IN nv opinion unjustifdoIe IN character and pr"-
cpIe"
The responsibility for the enactment into law OF
that uniustifabe" limitation rests wholly upon MT
Wilson He could easily have caused 1t TO De
"senarated" from the bill If he had been courageous
enough to indicate to Congress that he would ho'
onnrove such an undetermined attempt TO amend
the sherman antitrust law All he had to do was
n fell the Democratic managers in Congress while
the appropriation bill was being prepared that ne
considered the limitation unjusfable IN character
and principle" and that he would not consent 10 It,
Tho same limitation was inserted in the bill at
.b Ios+ session nv q Congress hostile to President
Taft and eager to make cheap political capl'al at
bs exnense It is beyond question that Congress
friendly to Mr.. Wilson would never have rein
cluded the limitation If 1t had not known III
advance that he would approve it. 1t would nave
been an utterly foolish piece Of politics Tor Coh-
GROSS m invite veto which would have put the
democratic party in the position Of being divided
rs 10 the advisability of trying TO sell goa
brick to the farmer and labor vote.
Even in the very remote contingency that the lead
ers in Congress acted without first sounding the
President the veto power still renamed III Ills
hands He could have used it, as Mr.. Tart dld
not hesitate to use It, TO compel Congress TO repaSS
the bill with the offending rider left on Ihere
was ample time to do this without the slightest III
convenience to the government when the suhur!
civil bill first came into Mr. Wilson's hands
Those who supported the limitation in Congress
were divided as TO its purpose and erect Sone
said il was genuine attempt to enact class lesls"
ton for the benefit OF union aborers ana 1arilerS'
and others held that II wes only piece OF Dunco
which would be useful in placating the labor anu
farmer vote The President leans TO the theory tnat
the alleged exemption is largely frauo. let
whichever horn Of the dilemma he TOOK, ne must
only have pi1ed h1mse1 lot not ha'lus 'iio
TO say: "If this IS honest attempt to give I'M
munty to two special classes Of offenders against
the antitrust law am against it; If 1t is cheap
and fraudulent attempt to curry favor with tnoSe
two classes I am equally against It,"
Mr. Wilson had a splendid opportunity to demon
strate his breadth and fearlessness as pohucal
leader He threw it away by compromising WIN
demagogy, real or assumed 1t will be cause OF
sincere regret to the country that on the first real
test of his disposition to show no quarter to every
thing which IS "unjustifabe in character and prin-
ciple" he so ingloriously failed.