The sun., 1916-09-21
Portrait Of an Insincere Politician
BY the New York "Times."

We are more or less indebted 10
our neighbor the Times for the inter
est IL Is manifrsting In TIL SUNS
support of Mr.. HrGHEs for President.
IL seems to think that we are too
enthusiastic In u approval of Mr..
HrGHEs's attitude with regard to Inc
main Issue NJ the campaign. II also
seems to think that he goes too far In
condemning the abject weakness or
the calculated Hypocrisy which are
the alternative explanations Of MIR.
WILSON'S surrender to the Brother
hood bosses. At the risk Of appearing
u%ngraciOus. we venture to advice nur
esteemed contemporary m c"ncen-
trate Its attention upon the subjoined
remarks from Its editorial columns
on June -. 1913. just after Mr.. WILL
SON had signed the rider" IN the
Sundry Civil Appropriation bill which
forbade his Department Of Justice to
employ its appropriation In p%rosecut-
Ing crimes by labor organizations or
farmers associations:
"Physical weakness is pitiable. but
such moral weakness as the President
exhibits in signing the Sundry Civil! bill
rider arouses other feelings han those
Of compassion. Mr.. WILSON'S %explana-
tion-it Ii not an EXCUSES a better one
than we thought he could make. But
that only heightens the discredit. There
10 natural distrust Of a man who can
command so adroit q pen for the de-
fence OF so bad an act.
president WILSON weakly submits.
He insists that the law shall be un-
equally enforced, he permits Congress
TO control his will and his act .
II the enactment OF the rider was a
public crime he is an accomplish. Yet
he assures the country that he will evade
this new law which constrains him to
the evasion Of an old aw. Seeking pal
iiation he thus plumbers into a double
offending.
President TAFT denounced this legis-
latlon as vicious and vetoed 1t. With
what stern condemnation GROVER CLEvE-
LAND would ave resented such an inva-
sion OF his ~prerogative President WILL
SON takes himself out of the company
Of these honorable men.
"when during the campaign Mr., Will
son publicly accepted and preached doc
trines condemned In his early teaching
It was hard to maintain belief in his
sincerity. BY signing This vicious bill
he has made it still Ia rider"
The act of cownrdicp or worse here
50 justly characterized by the Time,
was Number One in the series &C .ai
liar s%urrenders by the same politician
In high Office:
!. His approval Of the "rider" Il
the Sundry Civil Appropriation ac
OF 1913. preventing the Department, y
Justice from using amy part NJ IT.
regular annual appropriation in pros
ecuting crime when committed b.
labor unions or combinations Of az
ricultural workers:
Q. His signature Of the Clayton bill
the measure intended specifically +
exempt labor organizations and thei
individual members from prosecution
for conspiracy In restraint of trad
under the general provisions OF tn
Sherman Antitrust net:
3. The exercise Of his executive al
thOrity to induce Congress to pass II
act, at the dictation Of the f0n
BrOtherhoOds, which were impudentl
threatening to combine and cOnspir
to tie up the nations t%ranspOrtatiO
systems, raising the wages Of n q
the most highly paid classes of labO
under the false pretence Of legislatio
10 abridgc tho hours Of labor.
The vigor with which Mr., HrGHE
Is now pressing this foremost Of Il
sues IL not pleasing to our conten
pOrnry, Notwithstanding It's own T.,
corded opinions on the subject.
1t was the rich assortment of sue
moral i~nadeQuacies, of such insincer
ties, Of such pitiable moral wNbbling
Of such discovered weaknesses an
calculated hypOcrisies. which lmpelle
u esteemed contemporary to say
the Hon. WOODROW WILSON ms r.
Gently as January 10 Of last year:
'Thcrc is one idea about which Pres
dent WILSON will d. well to take ser
Gus thought, for 1t has become We
rooted In this republic. and which sirik,
its roots deeper as the. opportunity
given for a careful study of the comp
3ition. the capacity and the aims Of Il
Democratic party. 1t Is the idea, h
belief. that on the whole the people
this country are better OFF, more pr,
porous. and have less cause for ankle
under a Republican than under a Dem
cratic Administration
II seems to - that the Times to