Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-02-09
me ,Iofo,d,n< Of woodrow wilson.


From an editorial in the Philadelphia
North American, the following is
taken:
"About week ago the fine sensIbiii-
ties of large number of Americans
were shocked by the publication Of a
letter which had been written five
years since by Woodrow Wilson. 1t
was not that the letter was in any
way reflection on the honor or the
intellectual honesty of Doctor W ilson.
For what he had ritten was but an
expression Of his private judgment,
which, whether correct or otherwise,
he hid a perfect right to make. But
he had made it In confidence In pri-
yate letter written to Adrain H. Jeline
a man at that time his friend and an
associate IN the affaire Of Princeton
university. And five years afterward
Mr.. Joline had so far forgotten the
tsnets of good taste and Of personal
honor as to publish letter written to
him in the confidence Of intimate
friendship. The appearance Of the
letter in the newspapers caused some
thing Of political sensation. For its
verse to William jennings Bryan, and
rather forcibly and automatically ex-
pressed in Doctor Wilson's wish that
Mr.. Bryan might be "knocked into a
cooked hat" The publication Of this
letter after five years, during which
time Doctor Wilson had evidently
changed much 10 his attitude toward
political devices and leaders, though
not at alltoward principles, was plain
Y intended to cause an enlargement
between Mr.. Bryan and Governor
Wilson, hurtful to the latter's chances
a. a presidential candidate. The big
ness of Mr.. BrJ an Is charaeteris forcibly
reflected in his refusal to make this
letter an issue between himself and
Governor Wilson. But this fact docs
not mitigate the meanness Of the spirit
that caused its publication. That was
return to the ancient politics, which
consisted in personal abuse and be-
trayals and the trading on honor and
condolences. Such was the politics
that obtained IN this country during
period when no vital principle COM
manded the attention OF the people
and when elections were only fight
for spells. Those who were so fortunate
as to have read William Bayard Hale's
article in the January number of The
Worlds W ork-"Woodrow Wilson,
Biography" it 10 entitled would
hardly have noticed the incidental re-
ference to Mr.. Joline. The article 10
an inspiring story Of the translation of
q great democratic mind from the
narrow field of university life into the
broad plain Of national action.n
The North American then describes
DR.. Wilson's work ut Princeton uni
versiy particularly his Fefusai 10 per-
nit donor of s500,000 to dictate the
policy OF the college. successful in
this contest he was defeated in another
one and The story is told by the North
Americas IN this way;
"After he had won the fight, another
endowment--this one Of more than
SO 900, 000--was left to the graduate
school. President Wilson was beaten
by the mere weight of money. In the
hour of his defeat, he scored one Fabian
victory. Adrain FL. Joline, who had
run for alumni trustee as an anti Will
son candidate, Was over whelmingly
beaten. That accounts for the publi-
cation of the Joline letter. Woodrow
Wilson was defeated in the battle for
democracy in the little world of Prince
ton. But his fight had uLfoIded his
mind. de had always been for demo-
cracy, bat be bad hoped to achieve it
through the old govern mental machin-
cry. He stepped from the field of de-
feat in Princeton with broader aud
deeper knowledge of the problems Of
democracy, Out of that defeat he was
called to leadership in his state and
nation.n