The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-12-04
AN ATTACK ON WILSON.

scrutiniZing the methods of those
who attack him. This test may be
interestingly applied to President
Wilson, in view of malicious edl-
torial in the Chicago Tribune, day
or two since.
The Tribune is the head and front,
| journalstically, of the western wing
of the progressives. The progressives
are supposed to stand, heart and soul
| for the reforms championed by the
national democracy and to be at varl-
ance with the dominant party chiefly
on questions of ways and means. In
so far as they are sincere in their
| characterizations of stand-pat repub-
licanism moral responsibility rests
upon them to give approval-if not
!support-to the party which reform
| ed the rules of the House of Repre-
sentatives, revised the tariff and is
now in fair way to reform the cur
rency. However the progressives may
differ with democrats in theories of
the relation of the central govern
ment to the individual, there can be
| no doubt as to where they should
turn when hating between support
of the standpatters and the support
of democracy of the Wilson type.
| Hence the following utterance from
our Chicago contemporary is of deep
interest:
THAT the triumphant march of the
| Wilson administration is not to con-
tinue without serious opposition is
becoming more and more evident.
"A newly elected executive always
! has matters his own way for GER
off \, oil
Woodrow Wilson has been more for
The vital division of the old re-
publican party has prevented serious
partisan opposition, while the disor-
ganization of the democratic party
has left the president almost SUI
preme.
I'm forcing through the tariff bill,
President Wilson clearly strengthen
ed himself with the people and at the
same time dispersed his opponents.
"Whatever the merits of the pro-
posed currency legislation, it has
brought him no political strength. On
the contrary it has aroused wide
spread opposition. 1t has also fur
nished a meeting ground for indi-
viduals and interests opposed to him
for other reasons.
MIR. Hearst also has raised, the
banner of revolt, and affords aid and
comfort to all democratic insurgents.
The murmurs of opposition in the
democratic party are growing loud
er and clearer. Congressman and
senator's will not continue to sacri-
flee individual ambitions for party
harmony of which Mr.. Wilson APP
pears to them to be the sole bene-
factor Indeed, the. harmony of his
cabinet is open to serious question,
and there is more than breath of
suspicion that some of it's members
are making overtures to his enemies.
whether President Wilson can be
checked and destroyed by these gath
ering clans, or whether he can dash
them aside and continue from success
to success, only time will tell.
His greatest strength is in the sep
aration of his enemies, but by the
| same token that his enemies in the
democratic party are combining, he
cannot be sure that his political op-
ponents will continue to neutralize
each other
"One thing, and only one thing, is
certain. His days of easy triumph
are past. His future is beset with
troubles, and if he is to succeed in
the end, it will be by the develop
ment of qualities upon which he has
not hitherto had to call
The first thing that strikes demo-
cratic eye in scrutiny OF this attack
is its utter futility. 1t adduces no i'm
portant facts, makes no definite
charges, begins anywhere and gets
nowhere The Tribune writes as the
Wolfville parson preached. He talk
ed an he talked, but he didn't pint
out; he argyfied an he argytied, but
he didn't show Wherein The near
est thing to a definite specification
furnished in the whole article is the
reference to Mr.. Hearst. In view of
the number of times Mr.. Hearst has
"revolted" from the democratic party
and the equal number OF times he
has like the hero celebrated in song
and story. come marching home,
this is little less than comic.
The general charges contained in
the article are weak and silly. We
are told that the president appears
to be the sole benefactor' of demo-
cratic harmony. We take it that our
agitated contemporary means "bene-
ticiary.' Either way, the allegation
is simply silly. The statement that a
harmony which has resulted from the
exact and literal fulfillment of pre-
election promises could by any twist
of circumstances, benefit the presi-
dent and nobody else could only be
believed by people who were by
chance so constituted as to consume
just that particular brand of fiction.
1t strains the credulty of the person
of average intelligence past the
"elastic limit
We are told that there is more
| than a breath of suspicion that GER
tain members of the presidents cabi-
nett ARE making overtures to his
enemies. The Republic challenges
| the Tribune to give the facts that lie
behind this astounding allegation.
| They will be news in democratic
circles, and ought not, in the interest
of truth, to be suppressed.
His greatest strength we learn,
lis in the separation of his enemies. y