The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-05-03
Lost
A Government
An Editorial From Lsslie's
Weekly Of May /, 1870

fefred to' ne Hersid,s view 81 ~
Nss demand that f5e.lden, wi,.en
where on this paeel
Can n n tcli ~ what has he
come OF our government u seenl.
to hive suffered shlpWrcck IN the tos
81 postwar bemddlicment. Or, per
mans. IL has been sunk without
race BY some malirn and un-Am
erican aeency working 10 the dark.
Whatever the explanation, there
can be no doubt as 10 the facis our
nntlon ~ drifting rapidly to"Hfs
SERIOUS disaster; and, 20 FAR as tic
rxsss1litr bfanch az the government
D. concerned, wc arr witlsOut lender
ship OF onlciai coutrol.
When the afmisticc vns signed tho
limited Stntca wns dhc moral, cco-
monte and political leader of u
world. We occupied a position
among the nations without parallel
IN the past. The war-weary peoples
looked TO IN a. the great, con.
siructive power stili LETT In h world
measure AZ least. what We had done
Tor Cuba.
This MAGNIFICENT position % lead
ership has been lost. With blunder-
Ing, careless hands we have thrown
away the trust and Affection or man
kind. No darker tragedy has ever
shadowed the pages Of history.
We came out 81 ~ war with q
truly splendid record OF industrial
sncni. Our people yer united In
feeling and purpose. Large and hb-
oral ideas had found a place for
themselves In the relations OF labor
and capital Every ono expected that.
with peace. We should enter upon a
great new era OF Internal growth and
prosperity.
These hopes. too. have been shat
tered. The economic genius exhibit
"a by our leaders Ia handling h vast
ana complicated problems 81 the var
has gone into eclipse. ia the place
VI strong anu statcsmanliko leader
ship we now have "a confused babel
OF bewildcring echoes. The general
idea seems to be that since We were
exceedingly virtuous M unalfiSh dur
Ing the war n Is IN order now for
each one To get his while the getting
Is good
Our Industrial situation Is growing
worse cycry hour Strike -ucrtSsiS
strike. each one more unreasonable.
disastrous and cynicaily brutal tilan
the last. Organized labor keeps
breaking away from It's own leader
"NNANNH ANA Nv RNNNAN NNAAhA ~ ~
latest thing. A vast and
rcsticssncss dlsturbs the ignorant. the
alien. and the naturally rcbeilious
among our mixed population. Am
bilious dcmaEOguus. seeking private
gain by public leadership. Influence
these elements with lying promises.
russyfooting demagogucs In places Of
political power use their position 20
endnnEcr the nation. Everywhere
So. ....s FN.. N..a.U.N HlH ...N. s.n.
shorter hours aud less work u takes
two men now TO do what n used
to do. and they do n half az well Tor
twice the pay. Thousands al farms
are ging out Of busincss because there
- no one TO work them. The widest
kind Of extravaganza has succeeded
the patriotic thrift OF the liberty lou
days.
Recently every great railroad was
practically paraiyzed by an unauth-
nrized Outlaw strike among the less
skilled. but very essential. railroad
WORKERS. Hundreds OF thousands OF
people who earn their living In Vari-
Gus cities could not get to or from
their homes. Freight was piled ny
with no way % moving g. The mails
were delayed Trade was restrained.
Food was rOtting on the piers me
railroad sidinRH Millions OF persons
we're inconvenienccd. their property
destroyed, their business injured or
ruined, and in many eases their lives
endangered.
After a delay OF 40 days. the presi-
dent appointed the railroad labor
board. The department Of Justice
made a few bclated arrests OF strike
leaders. But public opinion. not ad-
minisiration action. made the walk
out "a failure.
To whom shall the suffering people
OF this country look a. "a times Tor
guidance and protection, Who b. re-
sponsihlc for the enforcement OF law
and The maintenance Of order?
u u TIM attorney-gencralf The
secretary OF iabur7 The president
himself ~ it is the president. why
docs he not function an supreme head
Of the nation
To ask this r. 10 raise "a serious
issue. We regret that the gigantic
burdens ana difficulties placed on
Mr. Wilson by the wat and Toy tho
prublcms Of peace have broken ais
health. We join with tho whole ma
ton la the fcrtent wish and hopn
that he may make r. speedy aud com b.
ulctc recovery aud We are glad tu
give him aud hiH advisors fun credit
Tor all they have done or have tried
60 do as soryants Of the nation. boz It's
hour on Trial
But Ne have come Co a time wlicn,
A. a nation, Ne must have leadership.
No matter What uur relations with
the rest of the world may develop la.
10, We must taxi care of our own at
fair. II iH impossible 10 10 ON as we
have been going for the last year.
ghe nation b. at this m1mcn ylrtu-
ally in a state Of civil war. Aud this
condition Is due mainly TO Lack OF
governmental control n guidance.
During the critical months follow
ing the armistire. when great CON
ftruCtiyc policies for tho safe and
speedy restoration Of our social and
economic lie 20 q peace footing
ought TO have been devised by the
president ne persisted Boo absoutug
himself nom Inc country.
while Dee HHH Zoe France. no one
could act as president In the direction
OF our domestic amalrH.
When he returned tho president
was plunged into ID prolonged and
bitter struggle with the senate over
come under the normal progres,
eminent. It is always difficult
calmly ia the heat Of a presidents
IL -. 800