The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-05
WILSON'S HEADWAY

means but without any experience in poll
itics, threw himself into the fray; and
Ralph Pulitzer and host of other mex
perienced but thoughtful men, generally
young in years but old in common sense.
Joined the professions They were for
Wilson and what Wilson represents, and
in his nomination took an active and sue
cessful interest 1t did not matter to them
that Tammany was opposed to their plans
and their candldates-they did not know
the game" But they got what they went
after. and got 1t in spite of tho fact that
they were all of the mollycoddle type
measured by the standard of professional
politics.
A great deal of interest centered in the
New Jersey situation. Wilson, who was
the favorite of the practical politicians"
of that state in his race for governor. did
not get along with them we'll after he
had been elected, but elected without
pledges to them. In New Jersey it was
the old machine against the new or the
old political workers against men who
had not been very active In the political
AFFAIRS of that state. The only man of
any large experience in political affairs
was Judge r.. S. Hudspeth and it must
be admitted that his experience was worth
a good deal in the conditions; but the
rest were of the newer order. There was
former Judge John W. Westcott, for ex-
ample. who placed Governor Wilson in
nomination at Baltimore, and he was
never heard of before in national poll
tics. Then there We're Otto Wittpenn,,
mayor of Jersey City; and Fred w. Dom
nelly, mayor of Trenton; and J. Warren
Davis, state senator from Salem county
republican county; and Col. Thomas II.
Birels of Burlington county, and State
este
ty, all good men and true, but none of
much experience in politics. Among the
other Jerseymen who were hard and eff
fective workers for Wilson, was Elmer
Geran, the maker of the primary election
law of that state, which Is said to be
the best that has yet been framed, ana
Joseph p. Tumulty. the governors pri-
vate secretary, who was described yester-
day by Josephus Daniels as of the Dan
Lamont type.
In Minnesota, the old supporters OF John
Johnson, the most remarkable man of
generations in the public life of the north
west. were for Wilson. under the wise
leadership of Lynch and Weiss. In Cali
fornia the Wilson cause was promoted by
men like James d. Phelan and Garvin Nc
Nab in Louisiana Senator Broussard and
Robert Ewing were working side by side
for the schoolmaster; In Florida. f. l..
Mayes, the Pensacola editor, made the
W Soh III ZIG hiiuev NoOu Idilhs III tDdL
state; In South Carolina the demand for
Wilson WAS so general that, Gonzales and
Tiilman and the factions represented by
them were united In his support, and
united. 1t should be added, without in
structions. In South Dakota the anti
Pettgrew people We're for Wilson and
the old Pettigrey crowd were for Clark
There was contest, and the Wilson del
egates were seated. the old giving way
to the new.
Since the peerless one leaped forth from
the Chicago convention 16 years ago, full
armed, for the presidential struggle, there
has never been anything like the cam
paign that was made for Woodrow Will
son. How the young men will make out
with the real contest which Is now at
hand remains to be seen, but they are
confident in their strength. and the bull
moorse is playing beautifully into their
hands. The American people take a great
deal OF comfort In the reflection that if
the next President is not Woodrow VIII
son he will not be Theodore Roosevelt