The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-07-03

teaching political economy to. the girls
Of Bryn Mawr. From this institution
he went to Wesleyan University
Princeton in 1890 to occupy the chair
of Jurisprudence and politics In 1902
he was elected president of Princeton.
President Wilson made it clear at
the start that conditions at the Univer-
sity were to be changed, and. whether
for better or for worse, to be changed
radically. He stated that colleges
needed to be revolutionized and went
so far as to say he would endeavor
Ito graduate students as unlike their
fathers as possible
His policies kept him in almost con-
tinuous conflict with the University
trustees and professors. In fact, the
bitterest controversies in the insttu-
tons history marked his term. Will
sons friends say it was conflict be-
tween progressive and democratic
president and the forces of privilege
and aristocracy.
In May 1910, the Graduate College
Of Princeton University became the
legatee of three million dollar estate
which could not be accepted without
sacrificing Wilson's policies. The mon
ey was accepted. The presidents res
ignation did not come, however, until
after the New Jersey State Democratic
convention, on September Is, 1912, had
nominated him for the governorship.
Jr ha fol
sey went Democratic for the first time
since 1882 and elected Wilson by a
large majority.
The spare, wellformed, gray-eyed
man started his campaign by ordering
the state chairman of his party out Of
his office, never to return. He also
forced through Democratic Assembly
and Republican Senate a direct pri-
mary and election law which takes
the organization of both parties in
New Jersey out of the hands of the
bosses.
Governor Wilson's twenty-five years
of teaching had qualified him, he
thought, to be a beneficiary under An
drew Carnegie's fifteen million dollar
foundation fund for the support of re-
tired college professors. He applied
for the pension, but did not get it.
When the news of the application and
its refusal became public, Gov. Wilson
made this statement:
"The Carnegie Foundation for the
advancement of teaching is not plan
for old age pensions, but for the grant
ing of retired allowances on the
ground of length and quality Of SER
vice. When l had just entered the un-
certain field of politics, I applied to
ance, to which I understood myself to
be entitled under the rules adopted by
the trustees,
Il have no private means to depend
upon. A man who goes into politics
bound by the principles of honor puts
his family, and all who may be Deepen
dent on him for support, at the mercy
of any incalculable turn of the wheel
of fortune, and I felt entirely justified
in seeking to provide against such
risks. particularly when I was apply
ing for what I supposed myself to be
entitled to by right of long service
as teacher under the rules of the
Foundation and not by favor
Il understand that upon receipt of
my application the executive commit
tee of the trustees of the Foundation
restricted the Interpretation of their
rule and declined to grant the allow
ance"
AS Governor, Wilson changed his at
dunn and recall. For twenty years"
said he in discussing the matter, 81
preached to the students of Princeton
that the referendum and recall were
bosh l have since investigated and |
want to apologize to those students.
They are the safeguards CT policies.
They take the power from the bosses
and place it in the hands of the people,
want to say with all my power that
favor them
The earliest recorded mention of
Woodrow Wilson as a presidential pos
sibility is in the form of letter writ
ten by someone in indianapolis to the
News Of that city at the time of Will
sons Inauguration as president of
Princeton. The faint boom was reviv-
ed on February 3, 1906. at the Lotus
Club, New York, where Mr.. Wilson
was the guest of honor. On that occa-
sion Col, George Harvey mentioned
him as a possible candidate for the
presidential nomination.
Col. Harvey's magazine, Harper's
Weekly. for time gave ardent sup
port to Wilson's campaign for the NOM
nation; but at the beginning of 1912
this support was withdrawn. Harper's
printed this explanation:
The name of Woodrow Wilson as
our candidate for president was taken
down from the head of these columns
in response to a statement made to us
directly by Governor Wilson, to the
effect that our support was affecting
his candidacy injuriously."
In the famous Wilson-Harvey contro-
versy which followed, Col. Henry Wat
terson sided with his fellow editor and
declared that Wilson who he had hop
ed would prove another Tilden, had
turned out to be merely a schoolmas-
ter.
1t was as an authority that Mr.. Will
son first achieved a degree Of fame
outside of Princeton. AS an author he
is now least known. His largest lit
erary achievement is his five volue
aLiStory of American pappIa