Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-29
20,
THE ISSUE is CLEAR.


The people should not he confused
b. President Wilson's personal APP
peal for the election of democratic
congress, az 10 the real issue in the
coming election. The president, in
words. appeal for continuance of
Ggmocratie congress to aid him in
winning TIE wal, Bu, the president
nG,; has behind him for the winning
Of the war not only a, democratic ma
jority in congress bat also the repub
liCans in congress, not only the dem
UCra,s Of the country, but all the re-
pubicans of this nation. He has and
viii continue TO have a free hand, alb
solute power and united nation be-
hind him until this war has been won.
What the president really asks for
is the election of a democratic con-
gress so that he may have free hand
and autocralic power in determining
the conditions upon which peace is
made and equally unrestricted author
ity in working out the after-war pol
icies and problems of this nation.
Consciously or unconsciously the
president has asked the United states
TO continue, after the war; the prac-
tically autocratic powers conferred
upon him by congress for the conduct
Of the war and for that purpose only.
That is the meaning OF the presidents
appeal, when analyzed. The meaning
is so cloar that it cannot be misunder-
sood.
In addressing the republican state
convention on the occasion of his re-
nomination for the senate, Senator
Fall forecasted precisely the situation
and the issue now raised for determ-
nation by the American people by the
presidents appeal. He said:
This is q democracy. and the
republican parry. believing that
ours Is q government Of laws and
not Il government of men, passed
Iaws-assisted in passing laws.
comforting upon the president Of
the United States power beyond
all precedent, that he might deal
with the great crisis with which
we were confronted, without the
necessity of consultation with or
authority from tho legislative
branch--KNOWING AS THEY
DID, THAT THE GREAT sPIR-
IT OF THE AMERICAN PEG
pLE, BORN IN lT76, CRYSTAL
lied INTO THE UNION IN 81
TO IS, WOULD TAKE BACK
INTO THE HANDS OF THE
PEOPLE THEMSELVES, WHEN
THE EMERGENCY NO LONG
ER EXISTED, THIS VAST
POWER TEMPORARILY PLAC-
Ed IN THE HANDS or THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE. THEY
KNEW THAT THIS IS A GOV
ERNMENT OF LAWS AND NOT
A GOVERNMENT OF MEN AND
THAT THE REPUBLICAN PAR
TY WOULD RISE TO THE DE-
TENSE or THE CONSTGTU-
TON OF THE UNITED STATES
AND ITS LAWS AT HE END OF
THIS WAR, AS THEY DID
ONCE IN THE MATTER OF AN
ENSLAVED PEOPLE, WHEN
THEY PRESERVED THIS
UNION BEFORE"
Now that the president has raised
this issue, viii H. Hays, the chairman
u
has met it and defined it with clear
ness and force, and while his is ma
turally partisan statement, it isl
bound to have powerful appeal not
only to the members of his party ev-
erywhere, but likewise to the great
independent vote; these citizens whoI
are not active partisans but who are
firm in their conviction that ours Isl
laws and that it shall not be permit
ted to become government of men,
We are electing a congressman for
two years and senator for six
years. Before either of their terms
shall have expired. Germany will have
been defeated, the war will have been
won and the time will have arrived
when the American people must de-
termlne whether they will take back
into their hands and exercise through
their rrpresen Mat YES in congress the
extra constitutional powers willingly
conferred upon the president for the
eondtct OF tho war None of those
) powers will ba r~callca r0til the war
has been won and a defeated Ger
many has yielded in unconditional
surrender. But the democrats know,
the republicans know. the president