The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-06-09

candidate must carry New York with
its As electoral votes. He must carry
New Jersey with its IA electoral votes.
He must carry Connecticut with its Z
electoral votes. To lose these states
is to give Roosevelt a walkover. To
win these states is to win not only sc
of the SS electoral votes that are
needed, but in all probability it is to
win Ohio with 81 votes; it is to win
Indiana with lie votes which is the
historical political ally of New York
and New Jersey; 1t is to give the
Democratic party an opportunity of
victory in Massa chusetts with its 1S
votes, and to bring Delaware with its
3 votes back into the Democratic
column. In other words, II is to elect
q Democratic president of the United
States.
1t is in the east that democratic
victory must be won. 1t is IN the
East that RooseveltiSm must be over
thrown. It Is the east that must save
the country from a third term and
all 1t implies. For that reason the
World regards Woodrow Wilson as
the strongest candidate the democrat
ic party can nominate.
The New Jersey primaries were
vital test of his political strength, not
only In New Jersey, but in New York.
They proved that local opposition to
him Is largely a myth. Although the
campaign against him was well or
ganized and abundantly financed 1t
failed miserably. He swept the state,
and the only four delegates he lost
were lost through the personal eff
forts of James Smith, Jr., a political
boss whom Gov. Wilson kept out of
the United States senate. In section
Of the country where Wall Street and
the political bosses are most powerful,
Gov. Wilson demonstrated that he has
the confidence of the rank and file
OF the party, without which any mans
candidacy Is futile He demonstrated
as well that his political strength is
the kind of strength that is essential
to democratic success in the vitality
necessary states of New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut
So much for that.
During Gov. Wilson's public career
The World has been compelled to
take issue with him on many ques-
tons. We regarded with grave mis-
gfvings his sudden conversion to the
initiative and referendum, reversing
the principles of lifetime. We re-
GREETED his apparent disposition to i'm
itate Mr.. Bryan's sweeping charges
against the socalled money trust
without supporting these charges
with facts and specifications. We re-
GREETED his long campaign tours. his
too eager chase after the nomination
and certain symptoms of instability
which threatened to weaken his pub
lie usefulness. We have not hesitated
to warn him when we thought he was
going astray, and shall not hesitate to
do so again in the future.
But Gov. Wilson's elements of
weakness are vastly overbalanced by
ID IL -
proved his political courage and his
fearlessness. He has proved himself
sound on tariff reform. He has
proved himself sound on the Sherman
law. He has proved himself sound
on corporation control He has
proved himself sound on trust prose-
cutions and personal guilt. He has
proved himself sound against govern
| ment by Wall Street plutocracy. He
has proved himself sound on the indie
| pendence Of the judiciary. He has
proved himself sound on the funda-
| mental principles of constitutional
government. He has proved that he
IL instinctively and temperamentally
q democrat He has proved himself a
free man who cannot be bulldozed by
bosses or influenced against his con-
victions even by his personal friends.
That is the sort of man who ought to
be president
Gov. Wilson has had more public
experience than Grover Cleveland had
when he was elected president He
10 better known to the rank and file
OF the party than Samuel ]. Tilden
was when he was nominated for pres
ident The World believes that he
| would be a progressive constitutional
| president whom the American people
could trust and for whom they would
| never have cause to apologize.
We appeal to all democrats to con-
| slider this matter soberly and thought
fully and without prejudice. We ap-
peal to the delegates to the democratic
national convention to be swayed by
no considerations except those of
principle and the public welfare. We
appeal to Mr.. Bryan to throw his
great political influence upon the side
OF Gov. Wilson and aid the democrat
ic party to meet adequately this great
| crisis In the nations history.
| He has the most brilliant opportun-
ity for disinterested, patriotic leader
ship that has come to any American
/ OF this generation, and he has before
him in Theodore Roosevelt a striking
example of the meaning Of ruthless
and unyielding ambition.
| 1t Is not in behalf OF Woodrow VII
son that The World urges his nomi-
nation. It is not merely In behalf of
the democratic party as a party. 1t
is In behalf OF the American people. It
is in behalf of American institutions.
1t is in behalf OF the republic It is
In behalf of the nation that is now
confronted with the gravest menace
that 1t has faced since the obliteration
OF human slavery and the overthrow
i ~ aaroSefar