Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-24
Governor Wilson Receives
Many Notable Visitors; ;,
Is "6ood Listener.
sy JAMES A. EpeERroN.


w presidents. know what color
ed neckties they wear and
how they are knotted. are informed
of their habiliments, idiosyccrasies.
sports. manner Of handsEake. their
families, their sayings. their avoirdu-
pois, color of hair and eyes. the man
ner In which their boards or mnstaches
IRE trimmed. If they possess such
adornments and other personal mas
tiers in kind. We have not been told
so minutely Of our president elect. pos
siby for the reason that there has not
been sufficient time to snther and i'm
part the Information. The defect will
be remedied in due course. This sort
OF gossip is entirely amiable ana harm
less. and If it interests people there is
nothing in the constitution forbidding
it. Moreover. the ioquacity of the
country is cot confined to constitutions
al lines The freedom Of speech and
Of the press is still wide enough to COW
er 4 multitude of sins.
The life of Woodrow Wilson presi-
dent elect is not largely different from
that of Woodrow Wilson governor. ex-
cept that it is buster. for he Is still
Governor Wilson and is closing up his
work in the state the while he is pre-
pairing for his work in the nation.
Nearly every day in the governors Of
fee ut Trenton lie receives distinguish
ed Democrats from all corners OF tho
land. today Il senator. tomorrow cam
paisn manager the next day fellow
governor. etc. only he receives them
mt the rate OF more than one day.
The first Of these conferences. which
are all arranged by appointment and
at the request OF Governor Wilson.
was with William Jennings Bryan.
Thereupon the newspapers started
guessing contest US to whether or not
Mr.. Bryan would be the next secre-
tary OF state. No light on this point
was shed by the two distinguished con-
ferees Bryan can speak and does so
ut times. but he can also refrain from
speech. as many reporters can testify.
Wilson probably knows half dozen
languages. but. as was said OF some
body else, can keep silent in all OF
them.
A Good Listener.
The president elect is playing no In.
vorites. Shortly after his confab with
the peerless leader he called in Speak.
er Champ Clark, who since the Balti-
more convention has not loved Colonel
Bryan as one Democrat should love
another. Likewise Oscar W. Under
wood was invited to Trenton. and he.
too. does not always agree with the
commOner
At these conferences the door TO the
governors Office stands wide open. but
no one ventures to intrnde. There
are r,I.nors that not all Of the talks
are deadly serious The nest president
has already made reputation as 4
story teller and may become the most
famous in that line since Lincoln.
But. willie he can tell stories. Mr..
Wilson can refrain from telling Sc
cre.s. In other words he Is good
listener. hears all sides and all pleas
and does 10, commit himself One OF
his reccn. visitors WIS Representative
4. Mitchell Palmer. the new Demo
cratic leader of PENNSYLVANIA. Mr..
Palmer was Wilson's eour leader In
the Baltimore convention and. some
believe may tie in the cabinet. 1t
would naturally be supposed that the
president elect would nnburlen him
self to man 80 close. hut from Il re-
mark Of Palmer aftc. the interview
Che unlpnrdcning process was not no
ticenhie
Tell yon what | know" repeated
! Mr.. Palmer when the reporters saw
him after his Interview. II am re-
minded of what a prominent states
man in Washington said after an In
ferview with Governor Wilson. He
/ said. If l were to tell the reporters
everything l know-everything. mind
f! you. and nothing held bacl:-they
would set me down as an ignoramus.
One day the interviews were with
] Senator Ho:e Smith Of Georgia and
Senator Thomas r. Gore OF Oklahoma
! The president elect was asked. In
i view Of the prominence Of both Sena
/ tors Gore and Smith In the proposed
| plans for u reorganization Ut senate
committees and the abolishins Of tbs
seniority rules. whether that subject
was discussed.
ri don't bring that matter up unless
| my callers do" lie said. Senator
Smith simply said he thought the!
were in the way Of a satisfactory solu
ton in the senate OF the difficulty
They make point Of not involving I'M
In the matter"
From all Of this and other things tn
politicians and newspaper men have
concluded that those who think o.
Woodrow Wilson only as schoo!mas
ter and writer Of books should 60 OF
in secluded place and do some more
thinking. The New Jersey governor
has not only shown the ability to keel
his own counsel and get TINT OF tn
other fellow. but to meet the old poiiti
cal stagers and correspondents ON thei
own ground.
I Helping johnson Say Nothing.
i Two Of the recent visitors to Tren
ton were Senator johnson and Repse
aentatirA Mc(Siflicuddv az Mime Tn