The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-06-22
WILSON ONLY HlRIQRICAL.

WlLSUN OkLY hlRIURiCAL.
Now that the Republican nominations
have been made and the Democratic
nominations need no occultism to pre-
diet, the Republicans of the country
can estimate the task before them in
its full proportions. 1t will be a task
to unseat Mr.. Wilson and to seat MIR.
Hughes. But this task has nothing
like the portentiousness that might be
specifically supposed. The stars in
their courses are fighting against the
retention of the Democrats in office.
Mr.. Wilson is not simply in the hands
of the voters. He is in the hands of
fate. Fate, in its ordinations. has
made mulhtudes Of men like MIR. Viii
son the disappointed Moses of their
times Mr., Wilson has met the bur
den and the heat of the day. He has
performed service Of which history will
not be Obvious and may approve. He
will be found to have deserved well Of
the republic. There is no manner of
question but that he will receive his
just deserts whatever they may be
from the impartial future chronicle who
takes the long perspective view through
the vistas of time. But the election
will not turn upon what history will say
of Mr.. Wilson. 1t will turn upon what
tho nracant ayInapniao dar,o,1 g.. A.
nation. We're the German controversy
in an active stage there doubtless
would be much present force in the
sdage of Mr.. Lincoln as to the peril of
swapping horses in the middle of a
stream. But in the settlement of the
submarine issue Mr.. Wilson cut the
stick to break his own back. He set
tied that issue in a way that history
may approve. But it will require a
generation to determine whether his
tory will not approve. 1t will only re-
quire the coming election to disclose
that he indeed settled it, but not to
the satisfaction of hosts of the Ameri-
can people. The vote will so register.
To the contemporary view the Mex
lean policy has been of the character of
the Mexican conditions-namely.
mess. History may say that no one
could deal with mess like that and
not get messy himself. This is for
history to determine.
Contemporary opinion is that the
Mexican policy has been reprehensible
from start to finish, with only few
stray CLEANS of consistency, settled in
telIgence and effectiveness. So that
the vote in November will not be the
dictum of history, out the expression of
the people as to the attitude Of the ma
ton in relation to Mexico.
History may approve the sIowness of
Mr.. Wilson to awake to the prepared
ness needs of the nation. In the general
relations of the times it may find that
this was the attitude of superior wis
dom. But contemporary opinion holds
that the slowness of the President in
this respect constituted real peril to
the nation which may not yet have
been abated. The vote in November
will be vote of disapproval of the pre-
paredness Stacking" as contrasted
with the undoubted readiness the Re
publicans would have displayed.
Even in the matter of domestic pol
lcies, history, now inscrutable, NAV
discover some reson in the administra-
tons effort to turn the Philippines
adrift amid the war-churned currents of
the world. 1t may find some support
for the Democratic contention that the
Republican party IN its domestic posi-
lions is unprogressive. But contem-
porary opinion will point to the so-called
war tax, the depleted Treasury, the
blow to American industries and the
falling off before the war created alb.
normal conditions of the nations ex-
ports and the high cost of living, unre-
duced and still soaring. And contem-
porary opinion will be registered at the
polls and this will be decisive.
Thus the contest that will soon be on
will be that of the contemporary iudg-
ment as opposed to an appeal to the
unknowable verdict of history. AS