New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-02
A MISREPRESENTATION.

Our friend and ncighbor The
World" suggests that we have done
something unfair and unworthy De-
cause we called attention to a curious
perversion Of Judgment in Colonei
George Harvey's recent chilling analy-
sis of Governor Woodrow Wilson
chances Of election TO the Presidency.
II saws that we are trying ito stir up
1.-The animosity Of people Of foreign
birth and blood against Governor
"Wilson and his party" inasmuch as
we expressed surprise at Colonel Har-
vey's effort to explain away the Gov
ernor's responsibility for certain pub
lished opinions as to the relative de-
STABILITY as immigrants OF Poles.
Hungarians, Italians and Chinese.
Colonel Harvey maintained that the
trouble caused by Governor Wilson 5
historical judgments was chargeable
not to the man Of letters who original
w formed them and offered them to
the public as authentic history, but
10 the newspapers which have merely
reproduced them as matters or current
interest. He says regretfully that at
tempts to convince the Poles, Hun
sarians and Italians. whom Governor
Wilson described as on the whole in
feriOr TO Chinese coolies, that the pas
sages quoted from the Wilson history
were gross perversions' of the au-
tbor's real belief and sentiment,
have ayailed little because the pas
sages themselves have been inconsider-
ately kept before the public instead OF
being allowed TO pass into oblivion.
"The World" now adopts the Harvey
argument and censures The Tribune
for holding that the blame for what
ever dissatisfaction may be felt by
Poles, Italians and Hungarians at the
opinions expressed I'm the History OF
the American People" must attach e1-
clusively to the eminent publicist who
expressed those opinions and who Is
still circulating them unamended I'M
der his own name.
The very fact that Governor Wilson
still allows his History OF the Ameri-
can People" to be sold without altera-
ton is evidence that he has not modi-
fed his views and that the passages
relating to Polish. Hungarian, Italian
and Chinese immigration still repre-
sent his "real belief and sentiment"
If he had been prepared 10 repudiate
those passages nothing would have
been easier than to paste foreword
or postscript stating that fact in every
volume Of the history offered after the
change of views had occurred. No
notice OF retraction having been given,
we can see no ground whatever for
believing that the passages which
have caused so much bad feeling do
not still represent the Governors fixed
Judgment. Can It not be fairly as
sumed that he. Is standing pat" on
his history when he permits his pub
fishers in n recent circular to say
that at Is the result Of twenty years
"of study and its authoritativeness
"has never been challenged
The Tribune is not trying to stir up
the anlmosity Of people Of foreign
birth and blood against Governor Will
son. 1t merely cannot understand the
attitude Of those who say. that his
deliberate and unrepudlated historical
judgments do not represent his real
sentiment We should be glad to
give publicity TO any assurance from
the Governor that the Authoritative
ness" Of the "History Of the American
People" does not extend to the pas
sages relating TO the immisI alton into
this country Of Poles, Hungaians,
Italians and Chinese.