Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-19
PARTIES BLOCK PERSONAL
GOVERNMENT.

10 MAKE Il lldIlOn WIN safeguards
against individual entertainments
by a man or men who might be
aGroit and ambitious enough to be-
come dominant to an undesirable
extent.
While there ever was a tendency
& for a president with an organiza-
ton to which he belonged, in the
in congress, TO coerce the
legislative branch or vice versa, it
was usually the president who had
the advantage, because of a myriad
OF appointees giving him control of
party and patronage.
While any strong-minded execu-
tive like Wilson. republican or
"a democrat, might have been as COM
plete a dictator as Wilson has been.
under similar circumstances, that
but goes to show that a president
may go away beyond the bounds
intended to limit the executive
power and prevent other branches
of government in one way or an
other. sharing control provided for
by the constitution, if the people be
lax in allowing Representative bod
les to surrender initiative and habit
of resistance.
'ht That the present executive and
departments went the limit and
far beyond was due so far as the
war period was concerned not SIM
ply because he had a majority that
regarded him as bob president and
party leader; but largely because
'sthe minority consented through
'a patriotism and national necessity
r. to practically making him sole di-
rector of governmental affairs to
win the war
Congress, while now open to the
charge that it is combing for po-
litical results, is restricting the
power that was exercised under
war needs and seeking to make
government actually representative
through cooperation of various
branches instead of personal gov
eminent.
President Wilson, or another
president, may be wiser than any
senator, and than any majority,
but it was not the wish of the
founders of the government or of
the voters at the last election TO
maintain government by any one
=. official
And when the war was about
ended the American people began
to hedge and elected a congress
not pledged to support the execu-
tive, despite his plea for such a
body as being vital to help him
maintain hisprestige in Europe
during the negotiations and en-
tangling alliances that were being
woven in many strands.
In establishing this government
Americans endeavored TO erect ev-
cry safeguard against the dangers
of personal government. such
was the purpose in providing three
coordinate branches. the legisla-
tive, the executive and the judicial
BY providing two houses of con-
gresr. the action of both being
necessary to the passage of bill,
the trainers of the constitution
made impossible the hasty enact
ment of laws BY Vesting the veto
power in the president, one more
safeguard was established for the
protection of the people against I'M
~ wise legislation. BY giving the leg
Z sislative body the power of impeach-
a nient Of the executive, and by pro-
hibiting appropriations for the
maintenance of an army for more
than two years at a time, with the
/, further provision that appointments
to office must be confirmed by the
senate, precautions were taken
against the establishment of such
relationships as had oppressed the
peoples of practically all nations
in previous time.
Representative government, as
= distinguished from personal gov
I, eminent, was the desideratum. And
in securing representative govern
!, ment some of the essentials were
responsibility and accountability
Undoubtedly, government could be
more efficient in time of emergency
If there were more personal power
and less accountability, but the
thought, and correctly, that
the preservation of liberty required
limitation Of power and respon-
sfyeness to public will. If men were
perfect in knowledge, judgment,
and integrity, unswerved by self
interest, and free from the influ-
~ ence of friendship Or fear, personal
government would be ideal Under
slch conditions there would be no
danger of misuse of power for the
qualification of greed or the sat-
isfaction OF ambition. But since all
history shows that most men are
Y both selfish and ambitious, and
that there is no intoXication so
~ overwhelming as the intoxication
of power, it was the desire of the
founders of this government TO
make personal government impos-
sible.
o. This constitutional principle of
responsibility and accountability
was strengthened by the people
4. through organization of political
parties. 1t was found not only de-
sirable but practically necessary
to form political parties for the
nomination of candidates, so that
men set UP as candidates should
<-