The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-01-20
{Fron Equity

t"eSTeNt WlSON eNtuph!ly K
.ev,, thpt the majnrit@ opinion
= american people @ill now SUI
-, the. proposal s.f half-billior
collar program Of Increase for GU
.,.uay and navy establishment. El'
re would never have presented tt
recommendation to Canoress whic
~, did IL his address Of December Z
IT; Pr sident may be right in hi
ii, ion ahou. thi+ matter and, unds
y present system OF government
e; IS his Official rrivi'ege to recon-
ecnI action by Congress committing
, - nation to such a program. Bn'
~ s far from admitting that the
=. asart Congress has any mora
G ht TO take such action
II IS over a year since the mem
= : of this ConQreSs were e.. c+e1
ID more ;han q re@r and h9H
:, 80 ~ were nominated by rhei'
ras.. Give party groups Still fnrth-
:. c9l n the past was he Presiden'
.---.t~2 to his off cisl post by thu
-, .1ai electorate.
PARTIES NOT ON RECORD
:: g or'r f~rn"a' ard off;cia! method
nth tie voters Of the Ute
,ts.--= have FL, expressive :. their viii
-. ..asirra' questions 70 their chosen
-.-s--s tatives II Cnnuress. AID q
.,..r e hsi' xecu'ive, is through the
-es4a si0n~ fcrmu' aSed + the pla
--,o7s Of the rational political par
- =unn'euen ed by the declara-
.en o. he opposing caudsdates
E e W'lsoe after his
- re4zsse-z, 3f.ssle53.. To the .si,asa)
~ g-ess a 70Wnward revls on Of the
IF. he x as voicirg the declaration
70 = q =. mocratic party platform.
+-pte9 at Baltimore. When the
t.Gr,l Coreress enacted the Under
--c ia, # measure it proceeded on
= same p-rtv authority and on the
{ c'araiicns Of congressional district
.cventiors.
..?ut 40 such party platform au
.,,or;ty can be cited for the proposed
.oicssal program Of prepared
1.ass;" President Wilson can have NJ
lit ars Of knowing what majority
even of his own party thinks abou
it, and no member of the presen
so Congress can possibly know
lat majority of the voters in hi
district think about it. All that th'
PRESIDENT can know in this regart
II al that members Of this Con
-esss can know is that since the out
..-an of the world wal in 1914
--se ana powerful group of Amer
~. citizens has carried On an exten
I've campaign in favor Of militar.
,reparedness, working through new
Papers, magazines, pamphlets, an
pnb,ic meetings; and that at. tn
same time another large group Q
cur people have opposed on exten
s.ve increase in our arn,anuent an
- ave laid their emphasis on variou
''ans for international action to pre-
ra0t future wars.
PUBLIC OPINION is STILL CRYSTAL
g.EG. UNDER THE PRESSURE FRO
"HEsE TWO OPPOSING GROUPS Q
.'EnFLE
That isa that President Nilsa
- any rnr.a oer Of Gyng, ess o1 aI7
,ler person eau possibly know ;
iIne concerning what the ni
:, 1T. Ii If the American people
vii be on this important nations
i-sue.
u E;NoWN HOW THE PEOPLE sTAl,
= oX ,ilg n.i.E@s ne maj ,rity OPP
=. O his own party. nor has ot ii
AcD 2 as whole. how can Executl'
=; Ms ,fTicIal capacity !ust,fiau
90 % great a depar II : from t
n, in. d policy IF he nation?
=. le argued that he d es SO as i
1:f,,:ial e4der Of the Democra
:, h ping hat thus he will eau
-. party to favor military pr
.cp,ines5. Had he confined his g
,."ess;ous on the subject to commu
J.. .tion5 vii h his party associates
Nuuid be entirely within bis prop
r~Aare. Subsequently he did so 2
{; 'ess himself to the National Col
.!t;tee Of his party, which was {
r.feiy proper.
IT is, however. the special functi
IF Congress TO first officially form
,ate this policy in concrete legis
zion, But by what right could CO
- L Az1