Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-03-13
WOODROW
WILSON
The Story of His Life
From the Cradle to
the White House
By WILLIAM BAYARD HALE
Copyright. 1911. 1912. by Doubleday. Page
CHAPTER XII.
The Presidency Looms Up.

EsN--17 ing toward Mr. Wilson,
G1@I@zJ nomination for the presidency
was abroad in the nation The sug
gestion had been made long ago scv
eral years ago-but 1t had had ne
more than faint interest Till the COVER
nor's mAstcrful grapplc with the din
cultics Of practical politics AT the New
Jersey capital had focused country
wide attention upon him ANA led t.
the general discovery Of his grasp Of
political problems, the yIR0r and orlgl
naIlty Of his thought and his devotion
to the cause Of government by the pco-
pie. In all parts of the Union, from
It's populOus eastern cities to remote
corners OF the west, people seemed sud
denly to become aware that there was
man named Wilson who looked more
like a great man than any who had
been seen OF late days
The time soon came when Invitations
to speak in cities clamorous to see
and hear grew so lnsistent that It would
have been vain pride longer to dlsre-
gard them, A few friends took II upon
themselves to arrange an itinerary
among some OF the cities that wanted
to see New jerseys governor. and he
put himself In their hands to the cx
tent OF agreeing to get on train with
the itinerary In his pocket.
Before he returned he had Travelled
5000 miles, made twenty-five speeches,
addressed thousands OF people and
been acclaimed in eight states as the
next president
That was the beginning of 1t. On his
western journey Mr.. Wilson had re-
piled to all questions by saying that
the presidency was too big thing for
any man to set about to capture, rs It
was too big for any man to refuse.
Now, however, there set In n spontane-
GUS movement which overnight made
him candidate, willy nilly, and which
within few weeks had put his name
apparently ahead Of all others In popu-
lar favor, for the movement was dis,
tinctly movement rather of citizens
than of politicians, rather of the people
than of party leaders.
Early in January, 1912, Governor VIII
son was present as guest at the Jack
son day banquet, attended by all the
members of the Democratic national
committee and the most prominent men
Of the party from all over the country
gathered In Washington. and there
made an address SO commanding In
power that he fairly swept the 800 of
Hal 20 x,,it VII Of duty a n
opportunity which beckoncd the party
of the people In this hour of national
crisis.
From that day Mr. Wilson's life has
been lived In the fun light of publicity
The press has given daily record OF
his acts and words and has brought to
an end the work of this biography
whose purpose 1t has been to trace tn,
course of not widely known events
which, in ways not unusual In our pc
litical history, has slngularly equipped
Woodrow Wilson for n chief part in tn,
political life OF the nation.
The campaign for the nomination
developed unusual bitterness. Private
letters We're published and private con
ferences aired IN the effort to boa
Mr.. Wilson Despite these hetraynls o
confidence he steadily gained hefor,
the people. A combination of the iielC
against him was the last resort of hi,
enemies When the convention me
at Baltimore, however, he had NOR,
than 300 delegates, and these ncyr
waVcred.
On the forty-seventh ballot after til,
longest struggle ever witnessed II
American political conventions, Wood
row Wilson was named for presidcn
of the United States. He had game,
constantly from the beginning, pas
the 400 mark, past the 300 mark, pas
the 600 mark until Mt last there cam,
scramble to get aboard the ban,
wagon, The mounting of the vote wa
Hike that of the mercury warmed by tn
breath of popular demand throushou
the nation.
The election campaign was n rcpeti
tlon of that seen two years earlier IL
New Jersey, Everywhere the canddat
spoke he proved revelation TO h
audiences. In the result he aChieN,
one OF the greatest triumphs in Anne
lean history-more than 1000, 900 pop
lar plurality and 435 electoral vot,
out OF 53l. The "schoolmaster COVE
nor" had arrived.
So brief narrative as this could +
veal but impcrfectly the personalit
whose development 1t essayed 10 traC
nor could any assessment of 1t, in clio
ing, do much to remedy the imperfe
ton. Some few matters OF fact mig
be added little to round out the pi
ture.
Mr.. Wilson's face photographed
ran0sa Is familiar hui Il Is NOT L