The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1920-05-15

IL Is JIlc ITtSlucIlt, Willy uOCo IOt iuiiS
ton as supreme head Of the nation?
To ask this is to raise serious issue
We regret that the gigantic burdens and
difficulties placed on Mr.. Wilson by the
war and by the problems of peace have
broken his health. We Join with the whole
nation in the fervent wish and hope that
, he may make speedy and complete re.
covery, and we are glad to give him and
his advisers full credit for. all they have
done or have tried to do as servants OF
the nation, in its hour of trial.
But we have come to time when, as
nation, we must have leadership. No mat
ter what our relations with the rest OF
the world may develop into we must take
care Of our own affairs. 1t is impossible
to 20 on as we have been going for the
last year The nation is at this moment
virtually in state of civil war. And this
condition is due mainly to lack of govern
mental control and guidance.
During the critical months following
the armistice, when great constructive
policies for the safe and speedy restora-
ton of our social and economic life to a
peace footOing ought to have been devised
by the president, he persisted in absent
ing himself from the country
While he was in France no one could
act as president in the direction Of our
domestic affairs.
When he returned the president was
plunged into prolonged and bitter
struggle with the Senate over the Peace
Treaty and League, and this again made
it impossible for him to give attention to
80 IL ~ n
Then came his tragic illness. and for
over seven months he did not meet with
his Cabinet. True. the Cabinet held a
few informal meetings. but when Mr..
Wilson found it out. he dismissed the Sec
rotary of state ostcnsibly for calling the
Cabinet together in the Presidents alb
Sencc.
The only conclusion to be drawn from
this painful episode was that, although
the President could not attend to the
business himself. he was not willing to
permit his official advisers to attend to
it for him. -.
With the Presiden away or ill for more
than year the country has been left to
drift like captainless ship. Congress has
enacted important legislation covering
the return of the railroads to their own
ers, and other nations connected with the
peace. But the nation needs more than
this. We have come to new age and we
must have great leadership The Consti-
tuition gives us President who. in times
like these is supposed to stand above
party and the whole people Clothed with
unique authority he is expected to guide
his bewildered and burdened people into
teh broad way of united national thinking
endeavor and ideal. Without such lead
ership our whole political structure is
subjected to dangerous strain
If the President is incapacitated for
the discharge of his great duties the peo-
pie have right to know it. The Consti-
tuition provides that in case the Chief
Magistrate becomes incapacitated, his
duties shall be taken up by another. Is
it the duty of Congress to determine
whether the President is in condition to
discharge his sworn Obligations or not?
If it is, why does not the Congress act?
If both the executive and legislative
branches Of the government fail to act.
while the country drifts into chaos, how
can the people help themselves? The time
fol polite phrases is past Either we
hHvn q government or we have not. If
W. lave, the fact can only be established
by firm enforcement of law,b adequate
protection of life and property, and by
the putting down of all lawless attempts
to enforce the purposes of revolutionists
against the rest of the people. This is
l. E. IL. q II