Evening journal., 1918-10-31

The persistent confusion in Mr.. VIII
6on's mind lor ate least In his execu-
4ve words and acts) OF two entirely
different and separate and not consti-
tutionally related functions Of leader
ship Is becoming with every passing
day more apparent to his fellow coun-
trynlen. He told his fellow countrymen
long ago. In his book on constitutional
Government In the United states, that
these two functions which we regard
ne properly distinct are in his own per-
sonal conception Of public duty ana
political opportunity inseparably ana
inextricably interviewer. The who.e
burden Of his philosophy OF govern
msnt under American institutions Is the
chance of mastery" which the leader
Of a party enjoys when occupying the
White House: mastery for party adj
vantage obtained by an adroit and dis
cernlng use Of the powers and oo-
rsslons incident to that occupancy OF
an exalted post.
This almost denantly expressed view
has already been exhibited by The sun
IN extracts from the Presidents writ
lngs al a time when his interest IN the
subject was academic. For the present
VIC add only one further extract, taken
rom page 202 OF Nr, Wilson's treatise
$50 far as the Government Itself is
concerned there Is but one national
voice IN the country, and that IS the
voice of tho President. His isolation
has quite Unexpectedly been his exalta-
ton. The House represents loea.ltles'
IS made up Of individuals whose inter-
est Is The interest Of separate ana
scattered constituencies, who are drawn
together. indeed. under a MASTER the
Speaker. but who are controlled by no
natural force except that Of their party,
force outside the Government rather
than within It. The Senate represents
In lie turn regions and interests dis
inrlished hv many conflicting and
rontrasted purposes. united only Dy |
exterior marty organization and a party |
spirit not generated within the cham
Der itself. Only the President repre-
sents the country as a whole, and ine
President himself Is co-operatNely
bound 60 the houses only by the ma
chlnnry and discipline Of party, not as
a person and functionary, but as
member OF an outside organization
which exists quite Independently Of the
executive and legislature
The doctrine Of Presidential mastery
by personal qualities and for personal
exallation was interesting enough IN
time OF peace and when impersonally
considered. In time Of war, with every
executive power immeasurably expand
ed throueh the practical, II temporary
necessities Of abnormal situation, II be-
comes OF supreme importance to know
whittier it is tending and whether 1t Is
to he curbed for the sake Of the re-
nuhilos future by the free suffrage OF
! free people. This aspect Of the Presi-
dents attitude toward constitutional
limitations and the ordered balance OF
governmental powers prescribed by the
tonstltution has been made by his own
nholce the issue Of the coming cleo
tlon OF the peoples representatives. IL
ls clearly perceived and forcibly pre-
sented In speeches Ike those OF ex-
President Roosevelt night before last IN
Carnegie Hall, by Senator Knox In the
Senate on Monday AFTERNOON, and ny
former Senator Beveridge at South
Send Indiana, last evening. Ono week
rom now we shall know TO what
rxtonl Our people accept the VIII
son doctrine Of Presidential mastery.
Like a translucent cross section from
study on a microscopic slide, we set
rom the Republican National Commit
ee's catalogue raisonne Of United S
tates Explosive Inspectors a typical II
lire Of the Wilson Administration p
ystem Of dual leadership in war time
his little census Of proflteer spoils- b
len assembled for partisan proht I'D ei
he name OF war efficiency comes TO q
and at exactly the right moment g
here could be no more nearly perfect II
Illustration Of Mr. Wilson's doctrine is
described. II shows with cl
aptlvating simplicity and directness !,
he texture OF his unllateral concep~
ion OF adjourned politics. We com Is
mend it to universal attention before n
he voting begins. lt supplements the n
reminder TO us that in grim Il
limos like these no scruple Of taste D
must bo allowed 10 stand IN the way I
N plain speaking. a
A year ago this month Congress pass
Cd as a war measure, in accordance n
with executive request, an act to regu- !
ate the handling and sale Of explosives a
turing the period Of the war. The 4
Ict authorized the President to appoint 1
n every State and Territory a Federal !
Inspector Of Explosives at a yearly
alary of 50. 400 During the consider 4
tIon in the House OF this Administra- ,
on war measure doubt was expressed =
V several members that the real pur- J
ose was entirely national and alto :
,ther non-partisan.
For example, Representative Guardia, Z