New-York tribune., 1912-01-12
WILSON FINDS DEFENDER
The Rev. Or. Mclaughlin Refers
to Letters of Great Men,"
INCONSISTENT, HE SAYS
Governor Falls in Line with
Brooklyn Preacher at Com
mission Mems Dinner.

Governor Woodrow Wilson addressed the
National League of Commission Mer-
chants at their annual dinner In the Hotel
Astor last night on the subject, Business
and Politics. repeating for the most part
the substance Of his address last week be-
fore the National Democratic Club
The Rcv DR.. r. w. Mclaughlin. of the
Park Slope Presbyterian Church. of Brook
Iyu. lent point to the Governors address,
however, by drawing, i'm a word picture
Just preceding the Governors speech,
model Of what the leaders of government
ought to he. In the course Of his descrlp-
ton of this ideal the clergyman said that
the great leader who would stand at the
frCnt of the EZRA OF protest" which he
thought was about to open must be pfu-
dent and an expedicnt man.
There IS a group of people in this coun-
try" said DR.. Mclaughlin, ''who think
they have scored on great leader when
they discover something in his past Which
does not coincide with his present.
imagine there were men in other days VINO
we're searching for letters that great men
| had written"
/ BY a series OF parallels DR.. Mclaughlin
outlined opposing positions taken on VarI-
Gus public questions Of their time pE
! Washington. Jefferson, Webster, Clay and
| Lincoln and said that If consistency was
! 10 be the measure of greatness America
! had produced no great men.
! "It was lust now said, very truly, IN
your presence" said Governor wilson APP
! parcntly in response to the thousht put
! forth by the clergyman, that man VINO
cant change his mind gives the most COM
! pIetc evidence OF his profound ignorance.
The world is changing, il you cant chanSe
with it you can't keep up. II m going 10
he part Of the procession I've got to keep
! up with the procession.
! Bringing the same argument arouhd 10
/ business and particularly 10 the business
! Of his hosts Of the evening the Governor
! said they must study the needs OF the worid
Of tomorrow To keep up with the business
| procession OF to-day. The Panama CanaI,
| completed i'm 1913. would mean that busi-
ness would have TO readjust itself in Amer
! lea and a. the mddlcmen Of the country It
! behooved them TO study on what that re-
adjustment would bring to their business.
| II am no prophet but I wonder II New
York is going TO take toll Of America and
of the world when that big ditch Is opened,
I anu ldf'ls WIEN pti 'bh'AiN - A'''NNN'
with inland waterways over which trans
! portation Of goods and supplies will be han
| died in the cheapest and best method OF
] transportation
/ Commenting on his introduction, which,
on account Of the latencss Of the hour, was
made as brief as William H. Bahrcnburg,
! the toastmastcr. could make H. the Cover
nor said that he had been a most fortunate
/ man both with regard to his "intrOducers
and his traduccrs." The former had al
| ways treated him well, he said. and az TO
! his traduocrs, ne thought he couldn't have
chosen them more wisely II Providence
had given them to him.
As In his speech before the National
Democratic club. Governor Wilson said
that tho great fault OF American business
had been that II was wastcful and neglect
ful Of the nicely of Industrial detail The
period when waste would have TO he eimi-
mated To maintain supremacy was upon us,
he thought, and he warned his audience
that II would apply 10 them, tho middle
men. just as much "a 10 the producer aud
the manufacturer
You can't do a great thing unless YOU
! finish what YOU do he said, and | hope
We haven't finished great many things In
Amcrica-our cities. our streets out water
ways. FOR instance Ne haven't been care
/ ful OF anything except To- make haste"
The Governor was moderately applaudcd
but there was 10 political enthusiasm ram
pant. and the remarks OF DR.. Mclaughlin
were the only words spoken AT the dinner
which oven sayored OF politics.
t. r. Carhart, president of the New York
Produce Exchange, cXtOled the virtues OF
the middle mo- In the handling Of the
couutry's fooIstuffs. and incidentally said
that business men in produce lines were
sincere believers in the pure food laws and
I'm the sincerity OF the man who cnforccs
them"