The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-11
Wilson i'm the Campaign.

1t is with great approval, there can
be no doubt, that judicious people
will find their hopes justified as to
Governor Wilson's share in public
speaking during the next two months.
He will not take the stump, but will
cOlfine himself to some half-a dozen
address, well thought out and for
mulated, of a sort to exhibit his fine
intellectual gifts and training at their
best, and will stand the test of read
ing, as well as hearing, a criterion
which some Of the worlds greatest
orators have failed under, such for
example as Charles James Fox, whose
reported speeches were a woeful dis
appointment 70 those who had thrill
ed TO his masterful genius in viva
voce debate. Yet the Democratic can
didate might easily have yielded to,
the temptation To captivate the pub
lie In his way. He has shown an ad-
mirable skill in eXtemporanoO ut
terances during his gubernatorial ca
reer and need not dread to compete
in lucid and captivating power Of
speech even with such past masters as
Mr.. Bryan, whose genius in this re-
spect needs no euIogium. But COM
petent as is the New Jersey COVER
nor, when he needs TO exercise his
power, In the attainments of the
stump his finer capacity of measur-
ed and deliberated speech ranks him
SO much higher as a sagacious think
er that it squares his purpose hap
PLY with high self-respect for an.
eXacting candidate.
Several Of the Wilson speeches.
which have been scheduled, in the
large cities, will be addresses IF &C.
caSion, devoted to non-politicaJ
themes so far as politics is Of the i'm
mediately pertinent sort. They will
not be specifically campaign speech
es. Such as touch the direct issues of
the time, we may rest assured. Will be
conceived on that high plane of expo
sition and compact lucidity of phrase
for which he has won the special es-
TEEN of his opponents. In confining
himself to this kind Of participation.
III the canvass, which may place
him on the White House throne. he
will have demonstrated one sort of
fitness N fill hot
ment and dignity of the statesman. as.
compared with the impulses OF the
politicians. There can be no ques-
ton that the American public will
welcome with extreme interest these
further revelations of the man Of his
ideals with we'll grounded anticipation
of their illuminating quality. Con-
Vncing lucidity and directness Of APP
peal have always been characteristic
of the Wilson intellect In following
the declared policy, which has been
but too frequently violated and will
be smashed into smithereens by Col
Roosevelt, if the latter pursues an an
nounced program of tearing through
the country like cyclone, Governor
Wilson embodies the true logic Of his
position.
The third term candidate, aside
from that temperament Of the prize
fighter which delights in the "guadia
certaminis, and battling on the
plains of windy Troy" has so much
20 explain, that his stump speaking on
a big scale is inevitable. The "intoxi-
cation of his own verbosity," as Lord
BeacOnsfield said Of Gladstone-Heav-
en- pardon the comparison-may catch
in its whirlwind infection not a few
recipient and plastic minds, but it
will need something far more than
this, the batting with sprats to catch
whales, to dominate the greatest
clientage of the nation. Yet there is
nothing left but this for the Saga
more Of Oyster Bay. Mr.. Taft can
stand on the fine record of his ad-
ministration. Governor Wilson can
rest with assurance on his few well
digeSted pronouncements Of principle
which will certainly augment the ad-
miratiOn which his public and acad-
emic career has elected and not less
on the dgnified resources of that su-
pervision which will animate and di-
rect the strategy Of a big battlefield
cut of the thick and fllrv of tho frav
For this reason, in addition to 9TH
ers, the next two months will ripen
experience Of great interest Cover
executive as we'll as an eXpositor of
opinion and student of State-phil-