The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-09-05
WOODROW WILSON
NEXT PRESIDENT
(By Herman A. Metz)


the world-a four-year term, with priv
ilege of renewal, of the presidency of |
the United States-an Office which. |
however, republican" may be the
methods and conditions o fits attain
ment, or democratic" the time-limit |
of it's tenure, is really, while is endures
practically as powerful an executive
sovereignty, as anywhere exists not,
indeed, in respect of the literary theory
of it attributes, but certainly in view
of the variety, extent and importance
of the interests and affairs which it
can affect and the degree in which it
affects them.
This year, for the first time in many
years, the really noticeable contestants
for this prize are not two, but three:
one of the two great parties which
have traditionally been the only ones
to be seriously considered, having it.
self suddenly become two parties, as
though by "fissiparism," that physio-
logical process which high authority
defines as follows: Reproducing or
multiplying by fission, or spontaneous
self-division, a mode of asexual gener-
alton by division into two or more
parts, each of which, when completely
separated, becomes a new individual:
it is a usual process among the pro-
tozoans, protophytes and other low or
ganisms." To the same effect the En-
cyclopedia Britannica says: There
are organisms which are fissiparous,
and when cut in two form two fresh in
dependent organisms, so diffused in
the vitality of the original organism"
Some such rather excruciating exper-
fence having been undergone, appar-
emily, by the republican party, of glor-
segments, pretty completely separ-
ated." an deach of which accordingly
(and particularly one of them) now
forms a fresh independent organism
confronting its twin, an dalso the dem
ocratic party in the stricken field into
which these three champions have now
all been noisily ushered by their blat-
ant heralds, to fight out the great tri-
angular duel of which the presidency
is to be the prize.
If my metaphors are mixed, the con-
fusion may pass as a not inappropriate
feature of an informal comment on a
situation than which nothing could
well be conceived as exhibiting more
bewildering, grotesque, topsey-turvey,
acknowledgement of it's elements;
one widely noted symptom of which is
one which we might most suitably des5
ignate by Mrs. Malaprop's delicious
phrase: "a (mad) arrangements of
epitaphs." For it may be as political
"epitaphs," post mortem memorial
characterizations, that the epithets,
which Messrs. Taft and Roosevelt have
been lavishing upon one another, may
soon, in the light of events, come to be
regarded.
After what is perhaps the shortest
and speediest political career on rec
ord, and after contest in the eonven-
ton perhaps unexampled in respect
of length intensity and bitterness, the
present governor of New Jersey, Wood
row Wilson, has attained, under what,
to many, appear to be on the whole
decidedly auspicious circumstances,
that near-climax or high stage and de-
gree of political success, of political
ascent which consists of the official
candidacy for the presidency of the
United States, as the nominee of the
democratic party, that one of the two
great parties of tradition which, un-
like its recently "fissipared" quondam
rival, to all appearances still preserves
it's integrity" in the sense, at least,
of its continuing to be one party, un-
broken, undivided, with substantially
Lu6 WHOl6 Vi lIS HOTIudl NOJ6 at ledSI
presumably available and likely to
prove actually forthcoming, for the
electoral benefit of it's candidate, dur
ing the interesting crisis which is to
occur on next election day.
In this situation, everything consid-
cred, what of Wilson's chances of be-
coming president? Should he be elect
ed, what of his chances of real success
in being president of his so serving
us in that high Office as that he will
have won glory for himself and pro-
cured real, important, lasting benefits
to the country?
My own opinion is that our candi-
dates chances of success, both in be-
coming and in being president during
the next term, may without irrational
ity and quite sincerely be pronounced
to be gratifying good This, let me say,