Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-10
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS
SATIrRDAY..........MAY 10, 1871
GREATEST BLUNDER."

The Roswell Daily Record very
truly says:
THE republican leaders recognize
that the majority of the party voters
of America are republicans and If the
coming election. the presidential cam
naign of next year. can be confined
within strict party lines. the repup-
leans should win
The Record hopes the efforts of
the republican leaders to show the
faillngs of the head of the democratic
party and blunders that have been
made will cause voters to support the
marty which was voted out in the last
election.
That one of his blunders brought
such defeat is admitted in column
of condemnation of republicans for
political criticism. The Record adds:
probably the greatest blunder made
by President Wilson during his point
ical career was his partisan appeal
last year in the congressional cam
paign. 1t is now recognized as proba-
blv the blow that lost the senate ana
perhaps the house to the democrats
There may be poetic justice in
this. since in probably the greatest
political blunder Mr.. Wilson has made
ne ceased for short time to be pres
ident to become the leader OF Hle
democratic party
If the Record will turn its peri
scope and look backward again 1t Will
find that more than once the presi-
dent thought first of ego, then of the
party and less of unity of the nation.
When it was desired to onthuse the
whole country, to enlist troops and
to secure the full man power and
financial strength of the. United States
for war, the president announced
politics adjourned" That it was the
time for all good men to stand to-
gether was the slogan.
The people did not need the urge
but the president was given full credit
for sincere intentions. until it became
evident that he proposed to conduct
the war as if it were a party issue
and responsibility.
In consultations with the peoples
representatives in congress, he studi-
ously declined to call in republican
members of war and naval commit
tees. Yet some of the war powers
he sought were granted only by the
aid of republicans. like Senator Fall.
But to the last the president played
for personal and party credit. Even
after the war was ended he disregard
ed the fact that the minority in con-
gress represented a constituency that
had right to take part in preparing
for the present and future welfare
of the nation.
To prevent the slipping away from
him and his party of one iota of the
machinery and power for adjustment
of matters of vital welfare he appeal
ed as a politician to the people. Which
is to say, the appeal was alsoNto the
republicans who constitute the ma
jority party, as the Roswell paper
admits, to discard certain senators and
congressman, that he might stand be-
fore Europe as the embodiment OF
American views upon all world poll
cies.
Instead of selecting delegates OF
representative men of his own and OF
the opposite party, he picked mostly
persons of no national experience and
ignored constructive statesmen who
could have matched he astute repre-
IA,
president felt personal ability to play
even with the allied diplomats and
through his own personality accom-
plish things he had in mind. was his
reason for choosing vest-pocket dele
gates,
Both due regard for the nation and
political wisdom should have caused
him TO guard against creating division
over a peace treaty and a league OF
nations that the whole country de-
sired to be upon a broad and effec.
tive basis.
Had the president placed upon the
delegation a man like Elihu Root who
was considered able enough to SEND
to Russia upon a thankless mission
or had selected so honored a either
as Hughes. opponent of Wilson in the
last presidential election, the dega.
ton might have accomplished more
And if not, republicans would have al
least felt that they had been given q
square deal.
There probably would have beer
amendments earlier that the president
was driven later into asking. There
would have been no need of the round
robin that convinced him defeat in
the senate might he ahead.
In the end, to avoid defeat Of the