The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-10-26
WHEN AN IDOL FALLS.

To one who has admired President Viii
sons mentality and his craftsmanship,
with an enthusiasm that was almost hero
worship, his plunge into party politics
yesterday was like a revelation that our
idol has feet of clay.
His letter Of yesterday, urging the elec-
ton Of Democratic House and Senate
will do more to lower the Chief Executive
in the minds and hearts of the people of
America, than any one act he has com
mitted since he has been in public life.
Deliberately, he steps off his pedestal and
lowers himself to the level of those who are
playing party politics. He is willing to
use even the splendid spirit of patriotism
and cooperation he has done so much to
inspire, for mere partisanship. He is will
ing to "play the game" of the politicians
about him.
He closes his eyes to the unselfshness
that has marked the career of so many Re-
publicans in House and Senate. lie ignores
the fact that to them, more than to the
Democrats, he owes the success of so many
of the administration war measures Take
the record on any of the Eacid test" meas
ures or on suffrage, the most recent bill
for which he appealed, and it will be found
that the Republicans have given him
freer measure Of support than the mem
bers of his own party.
But all this is forgotten, and all Republi-
cans are classed as undesirable and all
Democrats as desirable, in effect if not in
so many words. There is no fine discrim-
ination such as that which is supposed to
have marked his interference in state and
Congressional elections to date. 1t is a
generalization, in which he asks for the
election of Democrats and the defeat of
Republicans, and bases his plea on ''sup-
port for the war" Ism It it possible for a
Republican to be loyal these days It
would seem there must be number Of
good Republican soldiers in the ranks, and
a number of good Republican bond buyers
and contributors to the various war funds
Yet we mustn't elect Republicans to
Congress for fear of the effect abroad, to
say nothing of the Opposition it would
create to the Presidents policies at home
The letter undoubtedly will prove a
boomerang. For example, in this district,
there are hundreds of good Republicans
who are planning to vote for Fred Bartho-
lomew, Democrat, because they are op-
posed to the Socialist doctrines of Con
gressman Baer, and because they remem-
Der too wildly the record of the league
leaders on the war. IF the President s letter
has any effect locally, it will be to stir
the anger of these Republicans and drive
them into the camp Of Congressman Baer,
the Republican candidate.
Those who want to follow Mr.. Wilson
example might play politics and advance
the claim that President Wilson urges the
election of Mr.. Bartholomew It would be
timely argument against Mr.. Baer, whom
The Forum has consistently opposed. But
we think less of the defeat of Mr.. Baer
than we do of the blow President Wilson
has dealt the splendid spirit of Ameri-
canism he has done so much to create.
Mr.. Baer's fate is a matter of no impor-
tance compared to the discovery by mil
lions of Americans that the man they have
placed upon pedestal can descend to
petty, party politics.