New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-01

oy an overwhelming majority, the DIS
appointment is naturally keen.
LAS IN all such cases. the result is
more easy to explain than it had been
to foretell. The appeal made for Mr..
Wilson was one which would tell very
strongly with good, honest citizens
whose preoccupation with their own
pursuits was such that they could not
be expected to look deeply into our in
terrational relations and the general
world conditions. This appeal was in
its essence that we should vote for Mr..
Wilson because he had kept us out OF
war and because we were prosperous.
IL would have been highly creditable TO
the average man IL he had possessed
the vision and disinterestedness to dis
regard such an appeal; but the fact
that he did not disregard it merely
means that we were not able to make
the issue clear to his eyes. II does not
mean that he would remain morally
ootuse II he could be shown in con-
vincing fashion where his duty lay.
Why They Kept Wilson
"No sensible man wishes TO go 10 war
if he can honorably keep out of it; and
when to this natural inclination is add
ed the fact that the man is very busy
and is puzzled about the issues in
volved he is certain to cast his vote
on the side that he is told will guar
antee peace. Evidently people tend to
look at the dreadful crimes committed
in Belgium and Armenia, in the sinking
of the Lusitania, and in Mexico, as
analogous TO disasters such as an
earthquake or fire; as properly ex-
citing a discreet sympathy, but not as
calling for any action which would
jeopardize the comfort and wellbeing
of those not Immediately concerned.
81 do not approve of this attitude. |
am merely stating il. In so far as our
people permanently preserve 1T, they
will steadily tend to the Chinese level.
IT may need a serious shock TO wake
them from it. Yet am sure that il is
possible to wake them, and that when
thoroughly reused they have the fur
Their possibility of showing the great
qualities of the men and women of the
Revolution and Of the Civil War.
again, every man does, and ought
TO. prize material wellbeing. To
prize il is only wrong when il is per-
mitted to get out Of perspective and
to become the sole end Of life, instead
of merely one Of the means TO the end
important. but to be sacrificed with
out hesitation by all lofty souls when
its retention is clearly incompatible
with some higher good. We are at the
moment we'll off. The cost OF living is
very high, and the government is rap
idly becoming unable to pay it's debts,
but business man. farmer and wage
worker are all proftably busy.
Broken Pledges a Factor
Under such circumstances only men
of unusual insight and foresight will
make political change because OF
just concern about future conditions.
They do not pay much heed 10 the
forecasts of politicians. We have per-
mitted our politicians, our candidates
for public Office, TO treat the promises
made in party platforms and on the
stump with cynical indifference
which now reflects itself in a similar
indifference on the part of the voters.
When public men are readily pardoned
for making any promise which they
think will secure public favor before
election and for repudiating any prom
Use which they think II inconvenient 70
keep after election It is impossible
to expect that the voters will not
finally grow skeptlcal about all prom
ises, prophecies and statements made
during the course of campaign.
"In addition to these counter claims,
there was the fact that the Adamson
bill unquestionably produced a great
effect in Mr.. Wilson's favor in all
labor circles. II was taken as an indi-
cation that, in any conflict between
capital and labor, Mr.. Wilson would
support labor, without an over-nice
scrutiny Of the merits OF the case or
the future effects OF his action.
Blurring Of Issues
Moreover, there was real blurring
Of the issues, because for the first
three years OF Mr.. Wilson's term the
leaders among his nominal party oppo-
nents either feared 10 criticise him at
all or else split, half of them assail-
ing him because on some given policy
he had gone too far, and the other half
because he had not gone far enough.
When a public man who had for three
years praised each Of Mr.. Wilson's
acts separately. turned round and dur
ing the campaign condemned them all
collectively, he did not carry convic-
ton. Nor was il possible to exert
the full opposition strength against
him when the leadership for three
wears had been such that until the
campaign opened il was not possible
To- foretell exactly what ground the
opposition would be asked 10 take.
I'VE who supported Mr.. Hughes will
always be glad that We supported him.
We believe that his triumph and the
national welfare were closely inter
woven. We now. for the sake of the