The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-19
HOW THE PROFESSOR
TAUGHT THE COUNTRY

Editorial. in Springfield Republican:
The signing of the currency bill Of
fers a text on which to base "a few
remarkS.'
Newspaper pa~ragrapheTs and car
~toonists have been quite busy OF late
in leveling shafts at "the professor"
in the White House. That constitutes
a phase of politics in the United States
still in evidence. The attacks upon
the secretary Of state, William j.
Bryan, have been continuous, and rep-
resent ancient prejudice. But the gov
eminent in Washington still lives, and
has been doing business in a very
large way. OF this the people have an
understanding that is broader and
deeper than the nagging Of the irri-
tant forces. Let us take a look at
things as they are.
Whether the fact be welcomed or
resented, it is perfectly evident that in
the historic sense We ave in Woodrow
| Wilson a remarkable president of the
| United States. None Of the forebod-
ings which filled the minds Of those
who thought they knew, when the for
mer president Of Princeton university
and the ex-governor Of New Jersey
was inaugurated as president of the
United States, have materialized. Some
who Their imagined that they under
stood the situation better than the
critics have been indicated. The need
was for leadership, and that We are
seeing in a remarkable exhibit.
The impelling force which Mr.. Will
son displayed in New Jersey has been
found adequate to the national situa-
ton. Few believed that the demo-
| cratic party, which had been SO long
divided in pitiful inefficiency, could be
transformed. into an adequate instru-
ment Of government. h new presi-
dent was without experience in ma
tional politics and little acquainted
with the leaders of his party, there
fore he could not be expected to work
tremendously with congress and to
achieve the results which were need
ed, Beyond this was the contention
that the big majority which the demo-
Gratis had in the house would be a
| handicap and not a help. The party
| majority in the senate, on the other
hand, was regarded as 30 narrow as to
be dangerous. In dealing with the
very troublesome tariff question, which
President Roosevelt shrewdly avoided,
| was it not to be anticipated that Will
son might end where Cleveland had
done, in results that were a betrayal
of the democratic promises? The ira
ditional popular fear Of the democracy
yet remained in evidence, and business
lllSll Va LILO OAo Sho SAS 4So
over the outlook. It was difficult to
| expect a reasonable constructive pol
icy regarding the tariff n currency
reform at the hands of a long discred-
tied party.
! President Wilson has COMPOUNDED the
critics and brought to nought the fore
holdings Of trained experts in legisla-
tive action. In nine months he has
pushed through congress a revision of
the tariff, achieved a new banking and
currency system, n meanwhile han
died troublesome questions relating to
the offices and to our foreign relations
under rules Of action that represented
principles to which he to be
true. Here are achievements which
four years have failed Of in the past.
There were many doubters among his
warmest supporters when President
Wilson insisted that the work of franz
ing and passing a currency measure
should be taken up without a mo-
ment's delay. He believed that the ac-
ton deemed necessary should proceed
steadily and without intermission,
while the fear that good results could
not be brought about under such pres
sure was widely and honestly enter
tanned. The outcome is a vindication
of the administration. Perfect results
are seldom obtained in an imperfect