Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-16
WILSON'S Ne WARK
SPEECH RENT By
CLOSE ANALYSIS
Political Student Shows FalIa-
cies of Governor.eIect's
Views.
rule OR RUM POLICY
WILL BRING DISASTER
Attitude of Chief Executive Is
Criticised by Observer of
Men and Affairs.
iF'rom a staff Correspondent.

lF'rom a Staff Correspondent
TRENTON, Jan. 16.--With the hope
Of getting dispassionate review of
DR.. Wilson'S speech in Newark last
night, a staff correspondent of the
STAR carried a stenographic COPY of Il
to an old acquaintance In this city last
evening. The man sought out is not a
politician In the avowed or assertive
sense, but 1t is admitted that he has
been something OF political student
and man of broad reading. He has
never held political office nor has he
ever been a political candidate, but he
has Kept pace with the movement OF
political events in New Jersey for fully
half century. Always gracious and
willing to oblige within reasonable lin
itations, he greeted the STAR man
courteously and said he would read
DR.. Wilson's Newark speech. He did
80 and presently said, beginning with
quotation:
VIII Attitude Wreck Pnrtyt
rs this to be another Bolingbroke
and oxford quarrelf That shattered a
ministry; this may shatter party. At
least DR.. Wilson's course seems to me
TO be likely to shatter his party and
eventually, when he has done being
governor, dernaterialize himself 1t is
one Of our American characteristics to
be enthusiastic In this we are more
French than Puritan, and more's the
pity. We are ready at an instant's no
dee 10 follow @ leader who has one OF
the momentarily great but transltory
qualifications OF leadership-the gift of
persuasion, which belongs to plausiDil-
ity as next OF kin. Rhetoric, eor the
moment, swims like translucent bub-
BILE. But, sooner or later, 1t collapses,
and logic, In politica and in govern
nent, as In physics or mechanics, re-
turns to and claims It's own.
"PrOfOund Egottat."
From DR. Wilson'S Newark speech
critical reading Will doubtless estab-
llsh In analytical minds that he Ia
skilful master of rhetoric and pro-
found egotist; this In kindness and
without passion. The coldness Of a
fact should pardon it's want of en-
thusiasrn. In DR. Wilson's mental
makeup rhetoric and egotlsm are so
closely allied and so neatly adjusted
that they are difficult to divide, but
they show that he is the master Of enc
and the subject Of the other What
ever he says In this speech is sAid
with rhetorical gmoothness which is
winning, but read studiously IT ,1ust
TSF 14 al Nv 10
rounded out in every important peslod
-sweetly, 1t Is true, but sugar coated.
In cajoling and coddling he is a most
accomplished nurse. but although the
bottle is full the nipple attachment is
unmistakable. His spoken words have
the gloss but not the substance II fact,
and the ear ls often the most deceptive
of counselors, as DR.. Wilson appar
entity knows, since he speaks so con- /
stantly to the ear and not to the mind
To me- reading between the lines, 1t
would seem that DR.. Wilson is engag-
ing all of his rhetorical talent to lead
the people whom ne addresses by a cir
cuitous route toward his own political
aYnbltion--to lndorse him for higher, (
even the highest, political honors. But
II does not seem to have occurred to
him that while he has grown TO the
full stature OF his persuasive powers
the people are always growing, and
that there Is q possibility that when
their minds have had the opportunity
of time TO work they will have out
grown him. 1t may then come home
to him, as 1t has to some of our great
men, Blaine and Douglas, for instance, |
that he has misused his best mental
gifts to the ultimate disaster OF his
paramount ambition. The overthrow
of his party would be the downfall of
himself, and his tendency is to do both. .
Possibly what was said Of De Quincy
applies, in degree, to DR. Wilson, He
Is an unreliable critic but as a
rhetorician he is unrlvaled. If rhetoric
alone we're required he would be Pres i
ident. But his egotism cannot be
missed for more than moment, nor
can II finally mislead.
His View Of Greatness.
Il have been impressed by reading
this speech that he believes he is great
because his associates are little He
places the people all around him in q
circle and presents each OF them with
a garland, but invariably he puts him
self, ill-concealed, In the centre OF the
group, crowned with laurel and bay.
He fails to see--as egotists generally
fail-as Carlyle suggests that to New
ton and Newton's dog Diamond there
is q different pair of universes. To him,
all are but parts of one
stupendous whole. of which he is stu
pendously the aperture. He person
ally attacks, but falls TO provide for
his personal retreat. He Is not abusive
his mastery Of rhetoric saves him
from being SO; but 1t does not enable
him to escape being insinuatingly Of
fensive against private character. He
assumes, between his lines, that he has
absorbed all the political virtues which
the people passed to him when he was
elected, and that even those who were
most instrumental in bringing about
his election in his own party are un- /.
grateful to him because they want
something for themselves. while the
fact is, as will in time be seen, he Is