Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1919-05-20
The American Legion

has strong editorial discussing the
probable part that this organization,
which held its first meeting at st.
Louis recently. is going TO play In Amer
lean politics. With reference to what
II Is likely to he able to do next year
the Times says:
Composed. as it win be, of the more
than four million men and the women
nurses who served in the army. the ua-
Wy and the marine corps, at home or
overseas, in the world war, IL is not be-
yond the range Of possibilities that the
organization, properly directed. may he
powerful enough TO nominate and elect,
not only the president, but every other
high officer in the 1920 election
To my mind there lies the danger OF
such formidable organization. Men
are likely to he nominated and elected
TO Office not because OF any peculiar
fitness or qualifications TO discharge
the duties of the office but because
they belong 10 and have the backing OF
this powerful body. Congress and the
state legislatures have been flooded
with weaklings for years because they
were hacked by organizations repre-
senting certain classes of citizens in
stead Of the whole people. The result
Of this has been TO I'LL our statutes with
discriminating laws favoring one class
to the detriment of all other classes of
citizens. A conspicuous example OF
this evil was the enormous pension roll
resulting from the civil war. While
part of these appropriations were all
right. going to worthy men, but so few
congressman had the courage to take
any risk Of mourning the enmity Of the
"Grand Army Of the Republic" that
little or no effort was made to discrim-
mate in making up the vast pension
roll. The result was that more mere
camp followers got on the rolls than
real soldiers.
Another evil that may result Is put
ting at the head Of the government
man for president on account OF his
service in the war. and here again we
have a conspicuous example Of such a
mistake following the civil war. No
one would undertake TO say that q. s.
Grant was not great general. But as
president he was such a miserable fail
IRE that although elected president on
the Republican ticket over Horace
Greeley in 1872, four years later the
Democrats elected Samuel J. Tilden.
not only by a majority Of the electoral
vote. hut by a majority OF the popular
vote Of over 100000. II is true Tilden
was not seated. hut. no doubt on ac-
count Of a powerful organization. the
people were cheated out Of their choice
OF a chief magistrate by the most dam
nable outrage ever perpetrated upon
free country. Thus was Hayes. a weak
ling. but soldier. elevated to the pres
itHfI over Iliufiis u StuttNiuuu anu
the choice of the people.
Let us hope. however. that the peo-
pie OF this generation win profit by
the experience Of the past, and while
giving soldiers the preference, other
things being equal, demand fitness by
everyone aspiring or offered for the
place. and let us hope that this power
full organization may be able to carry
out its purpose as outlined by the
Times:
"Attemps Of politicians Of both the
major parties to get in on the ground
floor was uniformly unsuccessful and
1t was openly stated the organization.
when 1t gets underway. will he strong
on policies and short on politics. II will
be patriotic rather than political. and
win wage relentless war on bolshevism.
anarchy and the I. W. w. and similar
organizations OF disloyalists. as well as