The Washington times., 1912-07-03
HIS ENEMIES MADE HIM.

The two worst things Governor Wilson's enemies
could say of him proved his strength. The charge
was made that he is schoolmaster and a theorist,
therefore unfit for the duties Of President. This
charge was based on the ancient proposition that
only practical politicians should hold Office and
only practical politicians qualified to administer
the affairs Of government.
But the people have learned that the practical"
politician looks after himself hrst his friends and
hackers second, his party third, and-if he has any
time or talent left-the people last The practical"
politician is not concerned about theories, which in
his vocabulary is synonym for ideals. The "prac-
tical politician is interested in the loaves and fishes
He is interested in the ideals Of government, in the
betterment Of the condition Of the men who lay the
brick, who work at the forges and who follow the
plow only during the heat Of campaign when he
ascends the platform and rings in all the changes
about the common people" and the rights of men"
in order to get the votes.
The man in the ranks has become aweary Of the
practical politician and wants his government re-
stored to the control of men Of ideals, who do not
believe honest ends justify dishonest means, who do
not believe in packing conventions making private
deals with bosses or promising special legislation for
Special Privilege but who hold that all government
derives its just powers from the consent Of the gov
erned and all government is directly amenabe to the
governed
The other charge that he is an migrate. This
based upon the fact that after he had accepted
the gubernatorial nomination at the hands of the
New Jersey Democratic machine under the direction
Of Jim" Smith, and had been elected governor Of
New Jersey by the aid of that machine he refused to
permit Smith to own him and dominate his admin
istration
Here again his deep damnation assumed the form
of virtue in the eyes of the people. 1t is DID, ole
trick of the bosses and corrupt machines when the
people begin to rebel against them, to select their
candidates men who are clean, whose records are
unassaable, and usually men who are inexperienced
in practical politics. 1t is then urged that the
chine has reformed that it has bowed to the will OF
the people. If victorious then the bosses begin to
demand of the successful candidate the right to run
his administration upon the ground that they elected
him.
This is exactly what happened to Wilson. But
when he became governor he insisted that the bosses
did not elect him-that the people elected him. He
insisted that he had meant every word he said in the
campaign when he pledged the people of New Jersey
clean administration. He pointed out the fact tina
the nomination had been rendered him without any
strings to it, any secret deals upon his part HI
pointed out that his election had been accomplished
in the same way.
| Because he refused to be made the tool Of Bos
Smith, according to the rules Of machine politics
because he refused to be governor in name only,
puppet, thing of clay, he was denounced as an in
CRATE An migrate in the dictionary of the practica
politician is man who promises the people decen
government in order to be elected and then lives Vi
to his promise. Because Of this charge the peopl
believed that Wilson would make President VIII
would stand steadfast and four-squared against al
efforts of bosses to wheede or browbeat him.