The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-12-13
Mr.. WILSON'S DILEMMA

President Wilson will not have long
to wait for an opportunity to prove
his mettle, if we are to accept view
of the situation outlined by some of
the Washington correspondents and
reflected less definitely in many edi-
torial columns. The fact that he car
ried some forty states and captured
some four-ffths of all the electoral
votes would seem to be a sufficiently
unite the progressive and the con-
sentative elements of his party at the
polls. But as president he will be
confronted with the vastly more diff
ficult problem of holding mistaken
the confidence and support of both
these antagonistic factions And
while even papers in the republican
and progressive camps admit that he
is exceptionally equipped to accom-
democratic organs do not blink the
difficulty of it. What tact he will
require, mingled with what firm
ness." exclaims the New York Even
ing Post, which allied itself with the
democrats in the late campaign. And
it adds, "he might we'll feel almost
crushed by the responsibility of it."
In the opinion Of some observers this
particular problem is only made more
insistent by democracy's overwhelm-
ing dominancy in the house, and its
probable control Of the senate. Mr.
Cleveland in 1892 also came into Of
fee with a democratic house and
senate, notes the New York Tribune,
and within two years his administra-
ton was wrecked by the uncontroll-
able elements in the party in the two
houses" The country will watch
With interest and with not a little
anxiety" adds this republican paper,
Mr.. Wilson's attempt to drive the
team of wild horses which Mr. CIeve-
land failed to handle"
In spite of the inspiring manner in
which his party has, for the time be-
ing, rallied around him, thinks the
Washington correspondent of the
New York Globe (prog), Woodrow
Wilson is confronted by problems
more difficult than any that have fac
ed a president since the days of Lin
coin" 1t goes on to say:
Seemingly united the democratic
party is today we'll nigh as badly
divided as the republican party.
Widespread doubt prevails whether
the new president will be able to
keep it from being hopelessly split in
the next four years.
The thing put up to Governor
Wilson, and put up to him hard, is to
keep his party from breaking to piec-
es, as the republican party has done
/ in recent months, and at the same
time accomplish enough in fulfllment
of democratic prediction promises
10 satisfy the country.
"On the face of it. an achievement
of this sort seems almost impossible.
How Wilson can conduct his office in
way to meet the demands of the
progressive elements Of his party.
and not have a hopeless falling out
with the reacti0naries of that party
few are able to discern. Many be-
lieve he will be at war with one wing
OF his party in congress before he has
been in office six months He can
not run things to suit Bryan and the
Bryan men. and at the same time
get along with the conservatives. If
he tries to trim between the lines
and placate both factions his political
fate may be as disastrous as that of
Mr. Taft"
The information here is that while
Wilson has tried to placate all ele-
ments since the Baltimore conven-
ton, he is going 20 be his own mas
/ ter when he gets into the White
Fouse. Many believe he will WELD
the big stick as relentlessly as ever
! Colonel Roosevelt did, and that he
will speedily be involved in party
broils as bitter as ever Grover Cleve-
land had"
| Already we find evidence of these
conflicting lines of pressure in the
advice and admonitions extended 20
the president-elect through the edito-
rial columns. While the conservative
pulls at one elbow, the progressive
tugs at the other. Thus the New
York Sun, a one-time democratic pa
per which supported Mr. Taft this
year, can think of no more timely
wish for Mr.. Wilson than that "he
may sieze upon the windpipe of Bry-
| anism at the very start. and with all
| the strength that the sinews of long.
! lean fingers possess, throttle that
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