The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-12
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 70, 1918.
WILSON And BRYAN.

The Marshalltown Times Repubil-
can, one of the leading republican pa
pcrs of Iowa, warns the republican
party, that 1t will nave to make some
revolutionary moves before it can re-
gain power. The Forum believes Inc
Timcs-Republican is right. Some Oh
the old time stalwarts, are whistling
to keep up their courage, saying that
the democrats are making the usual
mess of things and that 1t will only
be q short time before the public will
get sick of what they term demo
cratic misruIe' and will be glad to
put the republicans back in power
more firmly intrenched than ever.
But it is apparent to the man who
views the situation from an unbiased
standpoint that 1t is not going to be
so much because the democrats mis-
rule, as it will be because the republi-
ans prove their fitness to again be
trusted in the seat Of authority, hat
will bring victory to the republican
party. The democrats are proving to
be quite an agreeable surprise to the
people.
The Times Republican says:
Professor Wilson has been President
Wilson long enough to afford a line
upon his qualifications and the char
acter of his administration. When he
had finally been elected through the
solidarity OF the democratic vote and
the bulIheaded arrogance Of republican
leadership that disrupted it's own party
strength his selection Of Mr.. Bryan as
premier was accepted as evidence that
the president meant to lean on Mr..
Bryan as the principal of schools de-
ponds upon the school board. 1t was
to be a Bryan administration. Bryan
was the strong man in the estimation
of the public, Wilson the creature of
Bryan by nomination and the accident
= of peculiar election circumstances.
1t hasn't turned out that way. This
has been a Wilson administration
quite as effeCtually as ROOSeVeltS ad-
miniStratiOn was ROOSeVelt's. Perhaps
it has been a Bryan administration
ID also, but Wilson has ridden ahead
s with the reins in his hands and Bryan
has ridden behind in his place. The
comparison is not to the discredit of
Mr.. Bryan. He has ridden where he
( belongs and it is vastly to his credit
. that he has given no indication Of
desire or made any attempt to be
president, put forward no claims
& through his friends to be the moving
= power and influence of the administra-
ton but outside of his ridiculous in
sistence upon the necessity of his
-chautalking as a means of livelihood,
has been a very dignitied part of the
Wilson regime. And Wilson has taken
his place as the head of the admins
tration simply as by right Of place and
character and has run things" He
has been not only leader of his party
but master of it as Roosevelt was
master of his party. He has been as
influential with his congress as eVer
Theodore Roosevelt was with his. To
be sure he found a party chastened by
innumerable defeats and carrying
rather q rusty escutcheon. He found
his task easier because of the battle
which progressives had waged through
several previous congresses and build
ed upon that foundation. Democracy
was not only grateful but it was
scared. Wilson came at the right time
to reign: But at hat it requires a
man to reign over parties or peo-
pies.
While Wilson leads and heads his
party as he has been doing that party
will be strong while it follows him.
Let us not minimize truth or forgot
the lesson of experience. A diSOrgan-
lied and cnbattlcd opposition can not
scope successfully with the Wilson
organization along a progressive line
of march. The reorganization OF re-
publicanism must DO effected With this
in mind. The party can not insist on
leadership and issues which defeated
it and gave the democracy a new lease
Of life and power and entertain any
well founded hope Of victory. Will
son has made good. He has proved a
bigger man than expected. And in
stead of losing strength has establish
ed homself as the leader Of the demo-
cratic party. AS between him and the
Barnes and Penroses in our party
there can be no argument to to where
the choice Of the voting public would
fall. 1t is well to remember that.