The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-11-18

difficult to conceive of more formula
BILE task than that which confronts
the only man ever promoted from the
senate to the white house.
To those great problems, however,
Mr. Harding brings traits of mind and
character which suggest that he may,
after all, be better fitted to cope with
them than an individual of more ag-
gressive personality. If his tendency
| is toward compromise, it may be said
that few statesmen have been able
otherwise to accomplish things in
democracy. There is about him none
of the intellectual snobbery so char
acteristic of the present administra-
ton. He is willing to seek counsel and
to take it; he has the trained news
paperman's passion for facts; and
above all he has the patriotic desire to
submit himself to the terms of the
constitution. So far as may be judged
by his utterances during the cam
paign, his ideas with respect to the
presidency accord very we'll with those
of most Americans, and if he shall
suit his action to his words, America,
while she may not indeed have chosen
spectacularly, has chosen safely and.
on the whole, well.
Persons of just mind cannot but
regret that our war administration
leaves office so thoroughly discredited.
However vigorously one may dissent
from what has come to be known as
Wilsonism-and our readers are ia
miliar with our own views on this
subiect-one cannot but realize that a
historic figure will leave the white
house in the person of it's present in
cumbent. Mr. Wilson played famous
part during the war and the peace ne
gotiations, and, whatever we may
think of his work, none can fail to
concede the tremendous impress he has
left upon the tale of these stirring
} years. Statesman Mr. Wilson is not.
The statesman is judged by his
achievements-and Mr.. Wilson's
: achievements are stamped with re-
pudiation that is positively appalling.
, But we can afford to recall that there
, was time when Mr.. Wilson's voice
was the most powerful voice on earth,
, and to agree that if he had elected to
~ +Lo ,o,,lx>;t I;e. olo; ~ ,,oo,, bic
; tory would have been secure. But Mr..
: Wilson came down into the market
place and took part in the bargaining
and he was not good bargainer. He
? offended his associates at home, and
: duped those abroad, by the assump-
ton of authority he did not possess;
= he made Of his office first consulate;
he treated the legislative branches of
r the government with ill-concealed con-
r tempt and conducted the presidency as
: he might have conducted class in
0 political economy at Princeton. AS a
consequence he finds his party crush
: ingly beaten, his whole work set at
e naught, his international association
o of nations complete ruin and his own
: health fairly wrecked. One recalls
s few more pathetic episodes in history
n Whatever other conclusions may be
: drawn from the election, the outstand
n ing fact, we think, is that the Ameri
e can people have made an end of rain
! bow chasing, and have turned back tt
r the political faith of their fathers
o Whether the proposal be Wilson
e league of nations or something else
C the verdict of America is unmistaka
: ble-it must square with the constitu
: ton or we will have none of it. The
y great and solemn referendum was mo-
$. indeed upon the league but upon al
e those measures wherein we have de-
t. parted from the spirit of our grea
d charter, and the answer is plain
n There is to be no further straying from
It the wide path down which we hav,
It marched together in happiness ant
IT high honor for 144 years-and will
c that decision, what sound-heartet
% American may quarrel?-St. Pau
e Dispatch.