The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-01-16
Governor Wilson Receives
Many Notable VISITORS;
Is 10000 Listener. J"
By JAMES A, EDCERTON,


ed neckties they wear and
how they are knotted, are informed
Of their habiliments, idiosyncrasies.
sports, manner Of handshake. their
families, their sayings. their avoirdu-
pois, color of hair and eyes. the man.
ner in which their boards or mustaches
are trimmed, if they possess such
adornments, and other personal mat
tiers in kind. We have not been told
so minutely Of our president elect, pos
sibly for the reason that there has not
been sufficient time to gather and i'm.
part the information. The defect will
be remedied in due course. This sort
Of gossip is entirely amiable and harm
less, and if it interests people there is
nothing in the constitution forbidding
it. Moreover, the loquacity Of the
country is not confined to constitution
al lines. The freedom of speech and
of the press is still wide enough to COW
er multitude Of sins.
The life of Woodrow Wilson presi-
dent elect is not largely different from
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
Zee at Trenton he receives distinguish
ed Democrats from all corners Of the
land, today senator, tomorrow cam
paign manager, the next day a fellow
governor, ETC., only he receives them
at the rate of more than one a 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 as 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
at 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 IA
vorites. Shortly after his confab with
the peerless leader he called in Speak
er Champ Clark, who since the Balt-
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 intrude. There
are rumors that not all of the talks
are deadly serious. The next president
has already made a reputation as a
story teller and may become the most
famous in that line since Lincoln.
But, while he can tell stories. Mr..
Wilson can refrain from telling Sc
crets. In other words, he is a good
listener. hears all sides and all pleas
and does not commit himself. One of
his recent visitors was Representative
A. Mitchell Palmer, the new Demo
cratic leader of Pennsylvania Mr.
Palmer was Wilson's floor leader in
the Baltimore convention and, some
believe. may be in the cabinet. It
would naturally be supposed that the
president elect would unburden him
self to a man so close. but from a re-
mark of Palmer after the interview
the unburdening process was not no.
ticeabe.
TELL you what l know?" repeated
Mr.. Palmer when the reporters saw
him after his interview. II am re-
minded Of what prominent states
man in Washington said after an in
terview with Governor Wilson. He
said, If I were to tell the reporters
everything know-everything mind
you, and nothing held back-they
would set me down as an ignoramus' p"
One day the interviews were with
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia and
Senator Thomas P. Gore of Oklahoma.
The president elect was asked. in
view of the prominence of both Sena-
tors Gore and Smith in the proposed
plans for a reorganization of senate
committees and the abolishing of the
seniority rules. whether that subject
was discussed.
II don't bring that matter up unless
my callers do" he said. Senator
Smith simply said he thought they
were in the way Of satisfactory solu-
ton in the senate of the difficulty
They make point Of not involving me
in the natter
From all Of this and other things the
politicians and newspaper men have
concluded that those who think of
woodrow Wilson only as a schoolmas-
ter and writer of books should go of
in secluded place and do some more
thinking. The New Jersey governor
has not only shown the ability to keep
his own counsel and get that of the
other fellow. but to meet the old politi
cal stagers and correspondents on their
own ground
Helping Johnson Saw NOTHING.