Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-11-18
THE PRESIDENTS NEW RESOLVE

The president was quoted in a
Washington dispatch of yesterday as
saying that he is now more interested
in action than i'm talk. If such a
change has really been worked in
him, it will not fall short of a meta
morphosis. The charm of Mr. Wilson
was one of words, wherewith he could
induce writer's of platitudes TO feel
that his charm was universal. 1t was
never that his words were many, or
weighty, and there was always an in
definiteness and vagueness in them to
leave the ordinary mind guessing at
their inner meaning. But they held,
always a beauty Of texture, and of ar
rangement. which, for time, con-
WINGED the man out of job that there
was a good time coming, and left the
children of light. enchanted with the
illumination of how the most prac-
teal problems can be made interest
ing by a weaver of words who aims
only TO make them interesting with
out reference to their practical solu-
ton. We have had our era of gov
eminent by felicitous phrasemaking.
The children of light may still be daZ-
Zled, but the man in the street has
awakened out Of his dream The
tapestries have been torn down. Van
dal hands have plucked down the pic
lures of silver framing golden apples
Of words fifty spoken, but turning to
ashes at the touch.
1t was in answering a question of
what he thought of election results
and how they may affect the future
course of his administration, that the
president said that acts, and not
words, will hereafter express his poll
cies. The main fact to be seen in the
results, he added, is that they leave
the Democratic party still in control
of the government. A conclusion
might hastily be drawn from this that
he considers that fact, in itself sufii-
cient answer to the great majority of
people who recently expressed their
dissatisfaction not only with words,
but with such acts of that party as
have had time and opportunity to
demonstrate their ineffectiVeness for
public service. lie might be under
stood as saying that the large major
ity which condemned the party record
has really acclaimed it, because of
congressional appointments, distri-
button of seats, and other Fictitious
causes But this may have been only
another lapsing into the artistic use
of words, from which, in spite of his
expressed determination to reform
we fear that Mr.. Wilson will never be
able to escape.
1t might be interesting to speculate
on what line of action, to replace a
charming phraseology, Mr.. Wilson
contemplates entering upon when he
is called to face the new conditions
which will confront him with the
opening of the new Congress. He said
nothing to indicate it. But is it worth
while to ask, probably year in adj
vance of the event? 1t may be more
profitable TO attempt anticipating how
many and what sort Of words he will
use if he chooses to again appear in
person before Congress for the de-
livery of another Of those rounded
and polished addresses which, until
now, have left statesmen wrapt in
contemplation Of their classic beauty
and with the immediate duty, of re-
ferring them TO the proper committee
for translation into terms Of law
There must surely be a change in
feeling, however courteously, or po-
litically, concealed. Many Democratic
members Of the House who have said
they saw the sun at night, when the
president said ii was noon, have since
seen their sun eclipsed. They are now
in darkness, and most shining verbal
textures may fail to make them see.
Mr.. Wilson is wise in his resolve to