Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-05-18
new LEADER
IN POLITICS.
Woodrow Wilson Hailed as
Possible President"
PROGRESSIVE AND A FIGHTER

HhSiSSNH9 Sluo Il9HtS OF SoNcTnor
Of New Jersey, Who Forced the En-
actment of the Peoples Will Into
Law, Despite Political Dietators.
Woodrow Wilson, Possible Presi-
dent" is the title of an interesting arti-
Gle in the May Worlds Work by Will
liam Bayard Hale concerning the per-
s0nality and record of the militant
governor Of New Jersey, whose sue
cess in obtaining popular reforms from
an unwilling legislature has focused
upon him the eyes of progressives of
all stripes and parties throughout the
Mr.. Hale has to say about the man
who may be the leader of the fight
against President Taft in 1912:
There may have been fercer po-
litical battles than that which was
now joined between the Democratic
old guard of New Jersey and its new
governor, but few have been in their
issue of greater possible significance
to the political future of the United
| States.
"The quiet gentleman who had just
emerged from the delectable groves of
Princeton academy, his garments
odOrous with the vapOrs of Parnassus,
his lips wet with the waters of Helicon
this long haired boOkwOrm of pro-
fessor whoI had just laid his spectacles
on his dictionary came down to the
Trenton statehouse and licked the
gang to a frazzle.N
1T appeared that he did know the
difference between a seminar and a
caucus, a syllabus and a New Jersey
corporation that he did know Hobo
ken and Camden politics pretty nearly
as well as he did his Burke. and his
Bagehot and that, able to write book
on constitutional government. he was
just as able to handle a governors
job, constitutionally or otherwise.
"This is the fact that makes Gov
ernor Woodrow Wilson a looming fig
ure in the world today. This is the
reason 1t was worth while to 90 to
Trenton to observe the advent Of a
new type Ct man into the arena of
politics.
Here is the pen picture of Governor
Wilson as painted by Mr. Hale:
CDR. Wilson's face is familiar-a
high forehead, gray eyes, long jaw,
very long jaw. He instantly recalls
Joseph Chamberlain as that British
statesman was in other days. The
prOfles Of the two might be ex-
changed almost without detection.
DR.. Wilson is of good height, sturdily
built, with square shoulders. He
stands erect and on his feet. If you
want mannerisms you note that his
hands seek his trousers pockets; that
he changes his glasses with much care
when he looks down at a document
or up from it; that every time he has
used his pen he wipes it carefully
with cloth taken from a drawer,
into which he painstakingly replaces
it, closing the drawer. There is a GER
tain trained precision of habit in mat
ters Of routine and a free spontaneity
In others There would be a gray
grimness about him except for the
pOcketed hands, a frequent sunburst
of smile and voice like music.
You learn in the course of a few hours
that man with stiff jaw and a SEN
sitive mouth is pretty sure to be mas
ter in any situation. Governor Will
son Is a man of positive opinion, re-
lieved by an eager sense of humor.
BE moves and speaks with unfailing
poise with good natured certainty of
himself"
The story Of Governor Wilson's fight
with the bosses and the special inter
ests is Interestingly told by Mr. Hale
Here is one Of the governors quoted
statements, which Pives clear idea OF
his attitude on nopu ar government:
Back of all reform lies the means
Of getting it, Back of the question
what you want is the question, How
are you going to get it? We are all
pretty well agreed. | take it, that GER
tain reforms are needed But we find
that the first necessary reform is one
thar will render us able to get reform.
I'VE have been calling our govern
ment a republic, and we have been
living under the delusion that it is
representative government That is
the theory But the fact is that we
are not living under a representative
government We are living under
government of party Bosses who in Sc
cret conference and for their private
ends determine what we shall and
shall not have The first, the imme-
diate thing that we have got to do is
to restore representative government.
There has got to be popular rebel
lion for the reconquest and reassump.
Iion by the people of the rights of the
people too long surrendered"