Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-07-01
CRITICISM OF PRESIDENTS

The Oregonian printed first page cartoon a couple.
of days ago in which President Wilson is pictured as
'the man who got us into the war At that time it
seemed as if with Mexico almost certainty a.
fact that inspired the cartoon Previously the Oregoman
and other political opponents OF the president had been
ampOOning him for not pIunglng into war and their
change of attitude accomplished quickly in order O
carry out the policy OF opposing any course the admin
straton might take Also may be safely predicted that
the same newspaper will be demanding war with Mexico
within week should the situation change to such an eX
tent that peaceful outcome is among the possibilities
This is only another instance of history repeating IT.
self In all great crises of this government the men who
directed the affairs of state have been subjected to storms
of adverse criticism only to be vndcated by subsequent
events and accorded due credit in the pages of history
President Madison bitterly asSailed for his policies
which led up to the of 1872 and Polk and his party
faced similar conditions during the war with Mexico
Lincoln severely criticised for his handling OF the
civil war that there many who really believed Nc
Celan would defeat him for president until the count
ing of the votes indicated that large majority Of the
people were backing the much abused president
President Wilson is being damned if ne does and
damned if he doesn't by the OregOnian and many other
newspapers of the country which have taken position
which resembles that assumed by the cOpperhead press
of civil war times. Nothing the president does suits
them although they may have been advising that partc
uar coulse---unti they find the president is about to
adopt it. when they flop to the other side.
1t is deplorable that such conditions are the out
growth of partisan feeling in this cOuntybut it may
be one of the attributes of popular government which
cannot be avoided The president is doubt dong his
best to avoid Wara presidents in similar circumstances
have done So Congress rushed President Mckinley into
the Spanish-Amercan his vigorous protests.
Declaring war which means sacrificing thousands OF
human lives and the destruction of much property, is
grave responsibility 1t is often more farreachng than
at first imagined as the spreading of the European war
indicates and when we begin fighting in Mexico one
knows for certain where when hostities will end
President Wilson realizes this than anyone else be-
cause of his position and he will every reasonable
means of preventing an armed clash despite the adverse
criticism of hotheads and those whose interests would
be advanced by state of war; which would end in Amer
lean domination of Mexico All our presidents have been
big enough and strong enough in the past to place pubic
duty above personal and partisan advantage Ihey nave
all risen equal to the occasion and there every reason
to believe that Wilson will do his conscientious duty.
To carry partisan politics to the extreme that the Ore
gOnian cartoon illustrates is very much to be regretted
by good citizens of all parties and serves no good purpose
unless it reacts in favor of the president just as 1t dd
in the cases of Madison and Polk and Lincoln The Amer
ican people, intelligent and independents are not msIed
by mcaled for abuse of public officials rather they are
disguSted. Sometimes, however unWaranted abuse OF
apreSdent has led to his assassination by fanatic IN the
popular belief The Garfield and Mckinley tragedies are
cited by many as the result of unwarranted abuse OF
chief executives by an unscrupuOuS press
And why should a presidential campaign in the
United States be dragged down to the low level of mud
Singing and personalities? The nation the whole is
prosperous and there are great issues dividing the
principal parties their platforms declaring for the same
things expressed only in different words. 1t matters
little apparently to the national prosperity whether Will
son or Hughes is elected Both are strong, Clean inde