Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-21
A Moral Issue Again
Prom the Nov YORK World

Tho political stustion confror'.no
presidcnt Wilson and Governor f'0r
when they rnrt ~ the White H0urr ~
Sunday. fescfnbled that which abraham
lincoln faced IN 1884 Through r-pn'ar
wearjuess With war AMI the persie'ef
attacks Of politicians, a cnuqe ior ~'frf
great sacrifices had tocn made go
threatened with abandonment
n the leading Republican, and thflr
newspapers were 20 be believed in l-'f
diseontenf AZ the North had rcaehefi
point where thing maftercd any more
The country was Staggering under thn
awful lOsscg in the wilderuesq AMI U
Atlanta. n was not believed that Linen'n
cOuld be reelected and party eheitain-
werr recommending desperate cvLe1iefi-
~ various kinds 70 Tncsf thcir deientl@'
views
20 profound was the depression thaf
Mr.. Lincoln himself dcsi1airod n sucee7a
AZ the polls and drew up a paper indioe'-
ina his horclessness which was n .r
published after his evpscted defeat II
tyas At his time that George " Julian
sajd that not ten Republicans in ConFrc7s
favored Lincoln. and y haddeus -tevrn-
made the more sweeping statement ihaf
except for Arn0ld 81 lilin'pis. The l'rrgi'ieni
did not have a political friend 70 eithef
House
What these di-cordaTt elements pre-
tended 70 believe and sought ~ prove
was. ike the contentious, q theu slfofr-
sors today. that, u the hnguage III
Wendell Phillips, the 'cvIc and miNiafh
failure u the Administration Was ai-
evident. Greeley was sfOuting ior ieafr
on almost any terms, and Fremont .nn
his followers were 90 inpatient over 1eiaN
in u,ftfipg Characterization into the tonstl-
tuition that they regarded the pre@erva-
ton 70 the ITnion a. a sscOndAry matter
Other factions. then a. now. were ae-
no,lnring the President becEuse ~ Do
views on finance and tariff. his condurf oi
the war. his distribution Of 1ihce-
especially in the Cabinet. hls failure ~
appoint their favorites tOinzn commands AZ
the army, the belief thai be was likely n
he too IenIent with reDe-s, and me
charge that he had berume Tedded in
militarism and was euHclslng despotir
powers. All TINS detu.ctIon prOcee'ien
from Republicans who proies-ca % speaA
for the loval North, aHai % course gave
great satisfaction 10 sllcn lJeinOcrill- &C
were not ardentiy enlisted Tor the war.
In the face 81 this usmpest ui llsap-
proval and despair. Abraham Lincoln A
1854. ike Woodrow Wilson % lls art.-
tude toward the League % Natlons &
1890. held 10 ms IDEAL 20 rrlnite-l
country prospering n peace ana diveete'4
by legal forms OF the eunie oi slavery iif
wanted 20 finish the wOriI that be nnd nf-
gun. whatever the cost. lie Was p.ecE-u
to the living and the dead that me nl'l
should endure. That WIS hls lrst rDlcr
and it was with hope rather tnan taliA
that he awaited enc verC.lct Oi hls eui.n.rh
men.
since the armIstice Of 1918 the prcsti.'
administration has encountered the sii-'
slanderOus opposition from tne -ii.l
source. Mr. Wilson suEu has necn
finish the work undertaken when Ne .UD>
arms in q war to end war ~ ever -.e.
he has b.en mIsreprvscnted ana ou-tr'H
ed for the most unworthy purpr-
There have been periods when y seemed
that the honor of the Repubhc sna
vital material interests a so we're Ase,
be sacrificed. IS was .he prospec
Lincoln's day 20 grc,sd, mAl0c s.-
cowardice.
Thanks to the resolutc spirit " l'r-.-
dent Wilson, lnyaliy supported at .-
successor as Democratic leader. l.hce.
America IS 10 stand fast on d mora -~
as il did in Lincoln day lt s .or an.
people to say whefher for The tirst um,
their history an appeal IN that behalf
be rejected because they are trci a..
timid