Evening star., 1918-08-07
TOKEEP HANDS OFF
IS NOT WILSON IDEA
President, "Adjourning Poll
TICS" Not Abandoning His
Party to Defeat.
WILL AID 1T TO COME BACK
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

expressing n1mSeLI on tne SUBJECT VI
domestic politics in Michigan and
West Virginia or Texas, and he has
been strongly suspected of wanting a
democratic Congress elected next fall.
Such suspicion is well founded. The
President doesn't see why Chairman
Hays of the republican national COM
mittee and Col. Roosevelt and former
President Taft should be pointing out
that the country can be kept out OF
ruin and disaster only by electing a
republican Congress, while he, as
leader of the democratic party, which
they hope to oust should have to re-
main absolutely silent and without
means of defense.
Pronouncement in Due Time.
Certainly Mr.. Wilson will want a
democratic Congress elected. When
the opportune time comes in the
autumn no doubt he will say so in his
own way and give his reasons.
Just what the presidential policy
should be toward the congressional
campaigns has never been determined.
When he went before Congress re-
Gently and said that politics was "ad-
journed." due to the war, his, phrase
was promptly seized by his political
of all participation in domestic poll
tics. when, as a matter of fact, Mr..
Wilson's effort was then, as it must
be in the future, to urge that in all
war legislation petty political advan-
tages for the individual should be
superseded by consideration of the
nations interest.
Mr.. Wilson is no more able to con-
troll the desires of those democrats
who believe they deserve reelection
and Senator Penrose and Mr.. Taft
and Mr. Roosevelt from attending re-
publican conventions and crying out
for the return of the republican
party.
Visions there have been of nom
partisan election, but only as between
candidates whose loyalty has been
questioned When the aspirants have
been loyal in every sense and have
pledged themselves to a winning OF
edly will be fought on partisan lines
as before.
Precedent Of Roosevelt.
But If the administration has any
precedent for this course, it can be
said to have agreed for once in its
life with the words of Col. Roosevelt
When the United States was still at
war with Spain he was a candidate
for Governor of New York, and said:
Remember that, whether you will
or not, your votes this year will be
viewed by the nations OF Europe from
one standpoint only. They will draw
no fine distinction. A refusal to sus-
tain the President this year will. in
their eyes, be read as a refusal to
sustain the efforts of our peace COM
mission to secure the fruits of the
war.
"Such a refusal may not incon-
peace negotiations. It will give
heart to our defeated antagonists; it
will make possible the interference
of those doubtful neutral nations
which in this struggle have wished
US ILL.,
Former President Harrison pleaded
for a republican Congress to support
Mckinley in November, 1898, declar-
ing that:
"If the word goes forth that the
people of the United States are stand
ing solidly behind the President the
task of the peace commissioners will
be easy, but If there is break in the
ranks. If the democrats score a tell
ing victory, il democratic senators,
representatives and governors are
elected, Spain will see in it a CLEAN
of hope" etc.
Nobody suspects that the republicans
of today are any less anxious for
Americas program to succeed than
were the democrats in 1898, but the
impression abroad is something which
the present administration is as
anxious about as were Messrs Roose-
welt and Harrison twenty years ago.
Both sides, of course, claim to be
supporting the President in his war
program. but the democratic view of
republican support has been that it is
qualified by a partisan jealousy and
an ungovernable party impulse to de-
lay and battle the administrations eff
forts by cavil and criticism. making
cooperation and support often a mat
ter of reluctance and difficulty.
Strictly speaking. there are repub-
licans who have felt that way about
democrats. They have openly claimed
that the President would get further
ahead with a republican than with a
democratic ,ngress.
But of this the leader Of the demo-
cratic party, the President will want
to be the judge. If he deems that a
democratic Congress is necessary to
his effective conduct of the war he
will put his plea on that basis.
After-War Problems.
Certainly there will be after-the-war
problems coming up during the life
of the next Congress which would sit
until March 4. 1921. Mr.. Wilson may
want to put through domestic pro-
gram of liberalism which is abreast
of the liberal movement in other parts
OF the world, growing out of the reye-
| lauons of the war.
So far as the administration is con-
cerned. I have heard no opinion ex-
pressed that would prevent the re-
publicans from making a campaign
on the ground that they would be
better able to manage the war than
the democrats. This, the republicans,
| it is recognized, have perfect right
| to do, as well as the right to call
attention to democratic mistakes.
If these errors, and If the short
comings Of the democratic party in
| Congress are sufficient to cause the
American people to o6st the Presi-
dents party from control of the legfs-
| lative' branches of the government
nobody will be more willing to ac-
cept that result than the President
himself. If, on the other hand, the
democratic party, to which was in
trusted. in 1915, the responsibility
of caring for the. nations welfare, has
| executed that trust efficiently, the
| administration doesn't think the re-
! publicans should begrudge it the
chance to serve the people once more
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