The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-18
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER Is. 1911:
WILSON AND THE BOSSES.

Fresh from turning his back on the
leadership Of the New York demo-
cracy at the harmony conference in
Syracuse. Woodrow Wilson nov
comes to Chicago to attend a harmony
dinner for the Illinois democrats.
whose faotfonal differences becloud
an othrwise favorable situation. The
occasion will give the people another
glimpse Of the human side Of the
democratic candidate. which. by the
way. was more distinctly silhouetted
at Syracuse than at any time since
his personality came under the pub
lie gaze.
It was the first time. let 1t also be
said, that his actions have given an
index to the substratum Of his tenn
peramental makeup, disclosing tend
encies not hitherto conspicuously
brought into notice. What he did at
Syracuse must be considered in the
light Of further details. which show
that Governor Wilson had already
aligned himself with the minority side
Of the party in New York. and also
thai he was no in ignorance of the
presence at Syracuse Of the men he
snubbed, as he ..vers. The governor
is frank enough to print a letter
wherein he wrote that his sympathies
were with the antiJTammany W.
ment, while a letter from his secre-
tary to a prominent Tammanyite ex-
plodes the idea that he walked into
a trap.
If Woodrow Wilson were classed as
an everyday politician. these lapses
would come in for nothing more than
placed on such a high pedestal men,
tally and morally by his sponsors. the
truth as to his real self throws US of
our equilibrium for the moment. Ev-
en- hi; most loyal followers are not
chortling over the incident as hap
PLY exemplifying the high qualities
they discern in him as the man and
the politician. However. the COVER
nor himself. to his credit be 1t re-
corded. sees the harm of being ex-
allied to the skies by those who in
troduce him to his audiences. and
prefaces his speeches by entering a
disclaimer to the possession of ex-
tr%aordinary intellectual gifts.
But what is Of more moment in a
presidential candidate at this stage
is a gift for paciication and orsani>
cation. For If he is going from SYRIA
cuse to Chicago to attend a hariuony
dinner under the auspices Of the mi
nority faction there, as the plans for
his trip indicate. his presence will be
more that Of a firebfand than a har-
monizer. A minority harmony din
ner is a snare and a delusion. 1t is
an ofshoot of the heresy Of minority
'rule-'rule or ruin"-the same spir-
it that animates the New York fac
ton that commands Woodrow Will
sons Endorsement. That he is not be.
ing misled by designing bosses" Is
obvious. Did he not supplement his
reputation Of Murphy and Dix by
saying. in his speech to the state
committee that the strength Of a par
ty'lies in its organization, but that or
sanization cannot succeed unless men
sink their own personality and trans
mute through their candidate the
strength Of the democracy OF the
country? In a word, ride down the
state leaders, or bosses" and pin
your faith to the candidate as the
sure thing.
That Governor Wilson is firmly
bent on pursuing elsewhere the same
tactics he has followed in New Jer-
sey and New York is evidenced by
his subsequent remark that his
speech to the committeeman would
"enable anybody who can read to un-
derstand what I stand for and what
I shall always stand for" If Wood
row Wilson's visit to Syracuse Is not
the signal for strife within the party
in states where the Wilson GEN.
timent Is strong and active. it Will
only be because he can be dissuaded
from looking for trouble.