Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-11-07
The Close of the Campaign.

concerned have known their like never before in
all the record of nation. Their decision.
which will be made at the election next Tuesday,
is crucial therefore with the weight of our future
destiny.
The War of Many Nations turned their own
particular part of the worlc upside down and
josled the people the United States out of their
parochial bearings out of their customary grooves
of domestic interests, and brought them face to
face with the interlocking interests of for
eign nations and the world problems smitten from
these nations at strife.
II found President Wilson and the Democratic
administration, without thought of other vexa-
tions. hard at work bringing into being the
promised program of domestic legislation. And
since its very beginning it has leveled at the pres-
dent and his administration a series of acute, I'M
precedented problems like a continuous curtain
of fire. Mexico, too, has added its quota of harass-
ment. And what has been the result of it all?
Why, with a patience that has been as rare as 1t
has been courageous and with an intellect that has
been as cool it has been penetrating, President
Wilson has redeemed his pledges of domestic leg
islation by erecting them into an amazing struc-
ture for social justice and has steered the country
past involvment in the world conhagration and has
brought it up to this good hour weighted with
prosperity undreamed of before
The issues of the campaign that has just closed
notwithstanding all the Babel that has been raised
to confuse them really come down to very simple
things and the simplest expression Of them ts
Has Wilson guided the nation right and shall he
be retained to guide it still further? For, indeed,
Hughes and his campaign a negation. They
represent nothing constructive for which anyone
may vote. They are merely anti-Wison. THE
Republican party" said w. F. McCombs, Demo
cratic candidate for senator from New York in
recent speech to voters of his state, wants the
people of the United States to sign blank check
and then let them fill it in they see fit after
ward" Blind voting thus never so patiently
solicited.
More particularly the campaign has resolved
itself in the questions of peace versus war, priv
ilege versus the people. There only two ways
of settling disputes between nations. One is by
diplomacy and the other is by war. There is no
third method Notwithstanding the fact that Mr..
Hughes claims to have discovered one, namely,
firm, state of mind which will scare nations great
and small, into immediate compliance with his
demands President Wilson chose diplomacy and
his success not only kept the nation out of war
but it added bulwarks TO the continued ex-
istence of international law. Back of everything
Mr. Hughes has proposed, if indeed he has pro-
posed anything capable of formulation, that differs
from the course of action purs1ed by President
Wilson is war and only to give it sanction. If
the people want war with Germany, England
against Wilson. If they think that he has honor
ably led them past the entangements of a quarrel
not of their own making, then they will recon-
mission him and feel safe under his guidance for
the next four momentous years.
II is useless to recount the Wilson achieve
ments in behalf of the great mass of the people
against the privileged groups. There the
vision of the tariff downward the Federal reserve
system the eight-hour law, the child labor measure
h.
given in detail The platform of the original pro-
gressive convention designed to express above
everything else the superiority of the social rights
of humanity as opposed to the special privileges of
property Sixteen OF the original trainers of this
platform of another party have accepted the Will
son achievements a practicable fulfllment of
their ideals and have allied themselves with the
forces moving for his reelection. No tribute could
be higher.
The simplicity of the issues of the campaign so
far as the great heart of the nation is concerned
seems well-nigh to have crossed out party lines.
And if Wilson is reelected it will doubtless result
in the REORGANIZATION of the old parties on new
alignments The impulses that would seek to hu-
mamie more the processes of government and the
operations of industry will find congenial anchor
age with Wilson and his administration while the
forces of reaction will line up against him more
sharply than ever.
If Hughes is elected the nation will be thrown
into confusion both in regard to its foreign rela-
tions and it's domestic policies The country will
move always against a background of war; with
either Germany or with Mexico, with both The
old Republican bosses will come into power once
more. Greedy after long starvation they will
pass even the excuses of the days of Mark Hanna.
Government by the bosses and the machine will
once more come to full flower. But then not
for long we contemplate because the very insoence
of their acts will bring swift retribution at the
hands of the voters.
The reelection of Wilson cannot be stated as
certain but the drift all seems to be toward him.
Evidence continues to accumulate that he is the
greatest American of half century and that the
people, regardless of party, to reward his Her
culean achievements in their behalf with another
term.
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