Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-13
GOVERNMENT BY MAJORITY,
NOT BY PARTY

TUE dOings Of the Republican National
Committee at 81. Louis have been OF
truly national concern. because every pa.
triotic Denocra; as well as every patriotic
Republican desires the Republican party
TO be kept up TO the high plane Of Lincoln.
II the Democratic party went completely
to seed the Republican party would go 10
seed. too. and vice versa. A se.fgoyern!ng
nation is governed by debate and not BY a
steamroller. To have a real debate on
every Issue the parties must be fairly
evenly divided. and "na;ure'-the nature
Of mems m!nds-always tries 10 restore the
equilibrium When one party gets too
strong 1t soon loses its surplus votes be.
cause men naturally feel tha, no ore group
Of erring mortals can be continually and
entirely righ, about everything for eight
or twelve years running.
II Lincoln had been Presden, in time
Of peace he would have encountered a
healthy opposition. His views on the
tariff and centralized national improve
meBts would have been SO threshed out
that many Of his personal admirers would
probably have voted agains; him from
time 10 time 10 balance his progressiyism
with an admixture Of safe conservatism.
Thus il happens tina, President often
loses his majority in the House OF Repre-.
sentatives after his first two years IN
Office. Mr. Wilson has been supported IN
three consecutive elections. those Q: 1912.
1914 and 1916. But each time he lost part
OF his surplus strength in the House At
nrst he had 2s0 Democrats to las Repub.
licans: then go to 20l: and now 2I6 TO
zio The people. while still putting their
faith in his personality, were giving him
at the same time a stronger and stronger
opposition party. .as IL to keep him within
safe bounds
This popular. nonpartlsan censorship Of
party leaders is naturally felt by the press.
Democratic editors have been urging the
Republican committeeman to choose a pa.
triotic and progressive spokesman. al
though they know that II by keeping silent
their opponents should fall into error the
Democrats would gain votes. Republican
editors demand that the Democracy cas-,
on its bosses. although they know that the
Replacement of these men by able citizens
might for a time aid their opponents
cause. But the matter at stake is too
important for either side TO keep sneakily
silent about IL. II is nothing less than the
Government OF the United States. II is
, every mans business 10 keep hammering
~ both parties to put forward their best
men and their best principles When I,
ceases TO be we must cast abor; for new
methods. such as a limiting Of presidential
powers. temporary partnerships adjusta-
BILE to changes in popular sentiment, or
more frequent elections.
e We are governed BY majorit:es. not by
parties. There Is hardly a vote t-ken in
Congress on straight party lines. as Is
usual in other countries. When Winston
Churchill. in the British Parliament, got
up and announced he had changed from
Conservative to Liberal some years ago
there was a tremendous stir In England
II happens every day In Washington and
90 causes no stir: not in IN form OF de-
ssrtins party. but in each Senator and
Representative having an opinion Of his
own. No one was amazed when RepubIi-
cans voted against Taft measures nor
whsn Democrats voted against Wilson
measures. They are all under oath to
yots according to their conscience.
4H II anything unpopular is done by the
handful Of national committeeman at ST.
Louis 1t viii be corrected by the criticisms
~ twenty million voters.