The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-14
Possible First Ladies' of the / .anel
BY JOHN ELFHETH WATKINS.
Washington, D. c.
|, MONO; canafdate, for +ha .-,,,oa


~ station of 'frst lady Of the
land" for the 19i3-i7 term)
there are. besides aIrs. Taft. seven
American women who now loom upon
the political horizon as possibilities
to say the least.
All OF them. like Mrs. raft, arc wo-
men OF great culture. An appreciablc
share OF their husbands chances for
SUCCESS In tho race for tho presidential
domination depends upon their own
tact, diplomacy and ciiurm. The lofty
rank to which their husbands wish To
elevate them IS not reached entirely
through tho accident OF marriage.
a vast source or many great mans
power Is the Virtuous. contented and
Industrious consort who quickens his
,dcisism and reflects upon him that
peace. tranquility and calm which oils
the wheels of effort Tho most sordid
ana lnnal OF practical politicians will
admit the priceless value of Dolly
Madison on Finnces Cleveland as M
asset 10 tho presidential candidate
Scholar und Book Reviewer.
Two names now familiar to readers
OF tho current newspapers and periodi-
calls arc Mrs. Woodrow W!luon and Mrs.
Wilson Woodrow Ecach of these ladies
ts beth scholar and Wrltcr, although
tho name Of the former is seen moro
V'tSII III tnc pOuS Oh u puullSuGu uTllGlc
than ut the top. AS the wife OF tho
Governor Of New Jersey and one of
the most active candidates for tho
presidential nomination. she Is better
known than for her literary works,
which have ucarly all been anonymous
contributions TO the deeper magazines
book reviews mostly and jottnSs
which have been inspired moro by tho
love OF industry than the love of glory.
n Iza nd Mpu Md nygs
Wilson is Il scholar by instinct, and II
Full Quartcr-ccntury spent at his side.
when he was college professor and
college president. has loft her keen in
tcllect sharp. During all OF these years
when she lived In college towns ana
participated in the intellectual life OF
college faculties she has kept abreast
or the deeper problems that interested
the world OF art, ecience and letters.
As Crock and Latin scholar she has
developed a special pcnchnnt. and she
can read tho ancient classics In those
dead languages as readily as she can
browse through current fiction In Eng
ltsh.
Another parallel between her hus-
band Is that she is the child OF Il
Presbyterian minister. Moreover. she
~ a granddaughter of a divine of tina.
faith. II waa at The homie OF her
grandfather. the Rev. DR.. l. s. X AK
son. Of Savannah, Ga. that She mar
rled, In juno, 1856. Thomas Woodrow
Wilson. who has since thought best TO
cancel the first third of his name. Her
rather. Row. Edward Arson. died be-
fore her wedding day. and her grand
father at the time wns pastor OF the
Independent Presbyterian Church of
Savannah.
PiaIu ..sIr. wilson Then.
IL was q quiet wedding. the next
mornings paper bearing the simple an
nouncement that Miss Ellie Lou Az.
son. had been married 10 "Mr. Wilson.
Hon OF Rev. i. Il. Wilson, OF Whining
ton. \. c." The reporter who had thus
taken liberty with the bridcs given
name. Ellen Louise. had ovid entity for
totten that OF the groom. for the words
Woodrow Wilson had not u familiar
twang in those early days. Although
remarkable. in the reportorinl opln-
ion, merely AZ the son of a clergyman.
he wac at the time of his marriage a
young attorney Of twenty-cight years,
who had lately relinqushcd a law
practice at Atlanta, Ca, TO write q vol
umo entitled Congressional Govern
ment-A Study in American Politics"
The nuptlals were solcmnized by
both the groon,'s father and the brides
grandfather: then. following their
honeymoon. the young couple went to
I'VE In pennsylvania, %hcrc Dr. VIII
son commenced HIS pedagogical career
eo professor Of history and political
economy at Bryn Mawr College.
In the teachers colony of this ia
nous. woman's college Mrs. Wilson
spent the frs, three years Of her mar
ried life. which were followed by tour
years of life in tina, OF Wesleyan Uni
versity. where Woodrow Wilson held
the chair first OF history and political
Jo+ thot nf {,,,-
dence and politics. IT was In the late
summer OF 1902 that the little family
moved TO the professors alma mater,
Princeton. to assume the prcsidency OF
that university. Thus for twenty five
years Mrs. Wilson lived in the c6llege
atmosphere. in which she reared her