New-York tribune., 1920-09-15
WEAKNESS

Many factors, of course, contrib
uted to the astonishing election re-
suit in Maine, but it seems possible
to merge them all in the one word,
WEAKNESS.
The country is weary, unutterably
weary, Of the sort of administration
it has had during the last seven
years, especially the last four. Gov
ernor Cox appears before the public
as pledged to continue its policy and
spirit. Political exigency, as he saw
it. forced him to be its indorser, it's
slsvish apologist, its abject "me-
too" echo.
When he was nominated it will be
recalled that the White House, its
plans having gone awry, was men,
acingly silent. It showed it's teeth.
Not until the candidate came in and
capitulated did it take him to it's
bosom. Talk not of Senator Har-
ding catering to Borah! His foot
caught in the trap, MI. Cox has not
been able to escape (has not much
tried), and is properly held as one
who would keep the country in the
Wilson umbrage.
The WEAKNESS, as intense in its
bone-aching as the first stages of in
fluenza, springs from many causes.
knowledge of the spiritual made
quacy of the President during the
early stages Of the war dwells deep
in many hearts. This man ordered
us to be neutral in thought as we'll
as in act. He did not know what
the conflict was about-it did not
concern us and could not affect US"
1.-THE obscure fountains from which
its stupendous flood had burst we
are not interested to search for or
explore"
There is weariness over the Ad-
ministration's course in the peace
negotiations. A great international
unity had been born in the trenches
and the glorious days of 1918. The
President set out, as if with fixed
purpose, to create distrust. He de-
veloped mutual suspicious, coldly in
different to the fact that thus he
destroyed the continuance of that
give-and-take union which was the
hope Of the world.
There is weariness over the fatal
manner, when half a league was
launched, the Administration de-
feated it's acceptance by denying to
others freedom Of Judgment. For no
better apparent reason than stub
born pride he ordered his Senatorial
tools to vote "no" and had no COM
promise to offer. The people Of
Maine know who slaughtered the
treaty and have lively sense of the
: smallness of the motive.
There is weariness with an in
capacity without parallel in our not
too efficient national history-a
knowledge Of the refusal to prepare,
OF the insistence on narrow parti
sanship when every other nation had
suspended domestic differences. Of
the unveiled attempts to substitute
an autocracy under "my leadership"
for constitutional government, of the
mad aversion to advice and common
counsel, Of the substitution Of words
for acts, and Of a financial and eco
nomic policy which meant, and could
only mean, a higher cost of living
and industrial decentralization.
There is also special WEAKNESS
with regard to Candidate Cox-with
the kind OF political character he
has displayed; his efforts 10 befcol
the public by pretending /, be the
champion Of q league issue which he
will not define; his Bryanitic effort to
create prejudice by making charges
OF corruption and then avoiding the
witness stand; his political trick Of
getting a nomination by playing up
the legend that he IL a "wet' and
then becoming "dry'' when beyond
che lights Of the corner saloon. Ac-
eursssly 46s good people Of tho Pine
a