Evening star., 1938-08-17

newspaper files of that era, there can
be little doubt of what the atmosphere
was in the Democratic party sur
rounding the then Presidents inter-
vention. even though his efforts were
confined only to letter writing. 1t
was widely resented.
Mr.. Wilson, even before entering the
White House and just after the 1912
election, was inclined to favor a
purge" of conservatives in his party
and seriously considered a fight on the
traditional seniority rule whereby COM
mittee chairmanships in Congress go
to the oldest in point of service. The
President-elect was dissuaded by his
political advisers from adopting such
a course and the result was that he
had the active cooperation rather
than the enmity of the conservatives
in his party in Congress.
Made Issue of Opposition.
After six years in the White House,
Mr.. Wilson became very indignant over
the opposition of Senators who had
tried to prevent American entry into
the war He made an issue of it.
These incidents merely served as a
preliminary to the fatal mistake which
prompted Mr.. Wilson, while the war
was still on. to call for the election of
Democratic Congress. The people
resented the plea, and though the
Republicans up to the time of the
issuance of the appeal felt they had
bare chance to win one house, the
November elections showed them VIC
tors in both houses.
From November, 1918, till November,
1920. public sentiment against one
man government was constantly in
creasing, until 1t was reflected in the
victory by relatively unknown Re-
publican candidate. Warren Harding,
In 1920. The verdict was essentially
q verdict against the one-man gov
ernn1ent idea, even though concentra-
ton Of power was necessity growing
out OF the wartime emergency.
Where the Democrats made their
mistake was in continuing wartime
restrictions after the Armistice. and
likewise in breaking down the other
wise harmonious union of Republican
and Democratic parties in fighting the
war. Mr.. Wilson had the idea of
Leadership" ingrained in his mind,
however, and felt that, having been
elected twice to the presidency, he
had earned the right to use the pres
idential ONCE in public appeal for
support for his party.
Today's "War" Nonpartisan.
Mr.. Roosevelt has lately been con-
STRUNG his mandate of two election
victories as giving him the right to
engage in party primary contests,
and no doubt this autumn he will
make public appeal for the election
Of a pro-New Deal Congress. In some
respects, the present-day situation is
parallel. The taxpayers billions are
being collected in nonpartisan man
ner for the disbursement of relief to
millions of unemployed. The emer-
gency is one of national rather than
party concern, and the attempt of
Harry Hopkins and the w. P. A. to
make partisan capital out of the relief
situation is almost on allfours with
the mistaken address of Mr.. Wilson
to the American people to elect
Democratic Congress during wartime.
The feeling prevalent then against
one-man government was partly an
outgrowth Of the resentment which
the people generally felt after the war
came to an end. Many groups be-
lieved that Mr.. Wilson alone had
plunged the Nation into war and
that the League of Nations would be
q one-man affair in which decisions
would be made by heads Of states
rather than by the people While
these views we're, of course, exagger-
ated and misrepresentation, there is
no doubt that the exercise of almost
dictatorial powers during the war
emergency left a residue of feeling
which, the moment the war seemed to
be approaching an end, took form in
q wide protest vote. Mr.. Roosevelt
may therefore, gain some victories
here and there in his party primaries,
but he is unwittingly building up a
sentiment against one-man govern
nent which is even more dangerous
as an issue today than 1t was in 1918.
(Copyright. 1889