Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-08
WOODROW
WILSON
Tie Story of His Life
crOm the Cradle to
the White House
By WILLIAM BAYARl HALE
Copyright 49,. 1872, by Doubleday. Pag'
a. Co

run" for years by the allied corpora
tion interests
The way IN which a situation so dis
couraginG was forced 10 yield the sur
prislng results it did yield is full of
promise To men OF hope
Governor Wilson relied from the start
on the merits OF the bills. on public
sentiment in favor Of them and on his
power to force the open discussion of
them. He would not permit them 10
be done for in secret conferences; there
should be public debate. He would
make his own arguments for the bills
so that all the state should hear him.
I and he would compel the opponents TO
give the reasons OF their opposition
publicly. The doors OF his Office stood
/ always open, and he encouraged sena
tors and assemblymen to make It
habit 10 come 10 see him and talk
things over-familiarly, but never Sc
cretly. Those who did not come he
sent for on one pretext or another, and
the matter Of the bills naturally came
up. He told them that he had no
patronage to dispose OF. no promises
TO make and no warnings to issue, but
he should Ike to have them consider
the bills on their merits and let him
know where they stood.
Heretofore Republican governors
had consulted Republican members,
and Democratic governors had consult
ed Democratic members. Wilson CON
suited members of both parties He
talked to them all alike Of the good
Of the commonwealth. To Democrats
he added arguments based on the plat
form promises. he made It clear that
he considered himself chosen party
leader. but be gave no orders-he
would not be boss. The nearest
that he ever came TO threat was in
the suggestion to n few stubborn op-
ponents that they debate the question
with him In public In their own dis
tricts. From time to time the COVER
nor issued public statements regarding
his measures. In one he expressed the
fear that he might have to name the
men who were preparing to be faith
less to the platform promises and TO
betray the people
On the opening OF the legislature.
Jan. 10. 1911. it was with difficulty
that sponsors could he found to intro
duce the governors bills. Few bellev-
ed that single one OF them could be
forced through before the end Of the
session. Very well. then. we shall
have to have special session to do
it, was Governor Wilson's undiSmay-
ed reply. However, let us hope that
b won't be necessary"
First In rr .- rIme up the primary
elections -hich an assembly
man fr.r 18th county had al.
lowed his u.., 10 be Siven-the Geran
bill.
This revolutionary piece Of leGis!a
. ton contemplated the turning over of
, both or all political organizations 10
the people Conventions. 40 easily ma
. nipUluted by nominating bosses were
done away with. All candidates for
Office from that Of constable to presi
dent were to be nominated directly toy
, ballot Of the people. all party officers,
I committeeman. delegates 10 national
conventions. and the like were to be
SO elected by popular ballot
To those who understand the siCnifi.
o eanre Of the great movement for the
: resumption by the people OF the direct
z powers OF government II would have
5 been sufficiently astonishing that a
q governor OF a state like New Jersey
, should have thought IL worth while to
make 10 his legislature such an an,
daCiouS proposal as the direct primary
= with popular selection Of United States
senators. popular nomination of presi.
dentia' candidates and popular chui..-
Of parry officers This meant the kill
ing Of she bosses: II meant the eE
tiugti,n Of corporation controlled or
Eaa.za-ions. it meant everything thai
New Jersey had never had and thai
the professional politicians and the bis
business interests could never perrnit
IL 90 have
No wonder there vas q battle ROYAL
James Il. NureuS was in active di
r.ctiun OF the opposition. Ex-senator
Smiths relation. he urged the in
! CRATE" argument. Wilson knew NJ
2 honor and would knife the men who
assisted him; state chairman. lie W.,
officially in command OF the party or
|, gauization and could promise ant
threaten with the prestige Of 6fteer
, long years Of almost unopposed party
! supremacy against this new governor:
= bare month OF troubled experience.
NuEent easily arranged coalition
: with the Republicans. Their organiza
= ton was equally threatened. and fsl
greater than the fall of the minority
1 party bosses would he that OF IL,
!. Republican board Of guardians" L
p; the Republican majority still in con
troll Of the senate stood pat the GeraI
: bill would fail there. but Nugen
, wanted more; he wanted the Demo
J cratic lower chamber TO repUdiate til
!. governors plan. He was so cOnfden
: that this could be managed that h
! arranged for a conference on the bil
as q preliminary test.
Ii was fatal error
: The governor heard OF the confer
/. ence and Gonia'Iy suggested that b,
e be invited. II was unprecedented fol
! a governor 10 attend a legislative eau
l.rre