Weekly journal-miner., 1919-01-01


 ward the same recognition, he re- fused to see the inevitable, or to ad- init it after he had seen it. He was candidate for reelection in 1916. and made his campaign on the argu- rnent that he had kept us out of war" and therefore could be expect ed to continue keeping us out; yet things that have since become public property make it impossible to be- lieve that ne expected, if elected, to maintain the peace for many months.
 Had his attitude toward the war prior to the 1916 election been a wig orous one, calculated to prepare the public mind for what was coming, he might have been reelected by an em- phatic majority, as a war President. Instead, he barely won on fluke, as peace President-and then prompt ly took the country into war. The pacifists were angry because they had been nnsled; the war party, when it knew the whole situation, was dis pleased that we had not prepared and got into the struggle earlier. All this did not make for popularity.
 Being at last in the war the ad- ministrative management of 1t for more than year did not command confidence. The aircraft, ordnance, and other exposures of ineffective management, offset the administra- tion's claim to recognition for much of useful work-such as the selective service act. Prejudice grew up gainst too much Southern dominat- ton of the government. Kitchin, Dent, Clark, and others were loads for the party to carry.
 A Surprise for the Democrats.
 Despite it all, the great army was sent to Europe, and in the glamour of military successes abroad the po- litical campaign at home opened. It looked to most Democrats like a walkover for their party. As the cam paign advanced 1t became increasing ly apparent that the party was some what weak when it had expected to be strong. People were looking be- hind the events of the battlefields; they had the earlier record in mind, and were not lining up for the party Misgivings developed into panic, and in response to many urgings the President wrote the unfortunate ap- peal for election of Democratic congress.
 Along with this, and likewise un- fortunate in its effect on the public mind, was the correspondence with Germany, preliminary to the armis- tice. Hast in war, first in peace" was a vicious gibe; but it reflected the bitterness widely felt that the President should have lent himself to the purposes of the central powers when they were. near collapse. Peo- pie harked back to the anti-war at titude of the President during the first half of the struggle; to failure to prepare either public morale or military material-,and they did not like it.
 Democrats hoped to the end that the curious superstition about the Presidents great personal strength 1 with the country would be justified | in the results. There really was never any basis for that superstition, The convention of 1912 did not show him strong with his party; the cleo lion of that year counted fewer votes for him than Bryan ever boiled; the 1916 election was saved by a false issue and a fluke; and not till the election of 1918 did this remarkable career come to the real test of fair .ryout before tne people, with issues reasonably clear and no adventitious circumstances intervening to prevent disaster. A series of accidents had given rise to the tradition of the Will son popular hold, which, in truth lever existed. One straight-out test ,n a record and set of plain issues proved 1t had never existed.
 An that is, very roughly outlined, he explanation the politicians are living for the Wilson collapse. 1 PIONEER GOLD MINE
 NOW IN NEW HANDS.