The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-03-10
SILENCE AIDS HIM
WHY PRESIDENT WILSON DOES
NOT SPEAK ON THE: SECOND
TERM MATTER.
CONGRESS MORE TRAcTABLE
Chief Executive Can Get Things Done
More Easily If Democratic Mem
bers Think He May Have
Seven More Years.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington.-The Democrats al
ready are preparing for the congress
sional campaign. and incidentally for
the presidential campaign which is to
come two years later. Thomas ].
Pence, publicity chieftain of the COM
mittee, has been busy preparing the
records of achievement" of Woodrow
Wilson and is putting them into the
mails for general distribution by the
half-ton. Some Democratic leaders in
terpret this early awakening of their
national committee to mean that the
president is certain to be a candidate
to succeed himself in the year 1916.
How about it? There are some of
the leaders Of the dominant party who
have better means than others to get
inside information and it can be said
that some of these men seemingly be-
Heve sincerely that Mr.. Wilson will
not run again for the presidency. In
these dispatches once or twice the
matter of the Democratic succession
has been discussed, and let it be said
frankly that the discussion has been
from the viewpoint of one who thinks
the weight of evidence is on the side
of those who believe Mr.. Wilson will
feel he must abide by the plank in the
Democratic platform on the subject OF
a single term, and that when the time
comes he will utter the word of dec
lination to stand for a denomination.
If it shall be asked why the presi-
dent does not say the word now if he
has its ultimate utterance in mind, the
answer is easy. If Mr.. Wilson today
should say definitely that he will not
be candidate for denomination, nine
tenths of his influence with members
of congress would go down the Poto-
mac on the bosom of the west winds.
Politicians look ahead and if they are
ders will have seven years more of
power they are likely to be much
more tractable than if they think his
power is to pass quickly.
Good Reason for His Silence.
President Wilson wants certain leg
islation put through. He can get it
put through much more easily while
the force of workmen thinks 1t is to
have the same foreman for a long
time to come. If Mr.. Wilson should
say now that he will not be a candi-
date for denomination the Democrats
in congress might play ballywhack
with his trust legislation and with
other legislation which he has at
heart.
The present president is in the
same position in one respect that
Theodore Roosevelt was in when he
was president. There ares conserva-
tive Democrats in congress who do
not like the trend of the presidents
activities in the least. They were
forced to give way in tariff legisla-
ton and in some degree to currency
legislation and now they are under
compulsion to give way in trust legis-
lation. Theodore Roosevelt managed
to secure the passage of liberal leg
islation, although the conservatives of
his party were as antagonistic to it
as some of the conservative Demo-
Gratis are today to several heart
measures" of President Wilson.
If things shape themselves satisfac-
torily and no extra issues" arise
there will be only one more long ses-
sion of congress before Mr.. Wilson
leaves office. 1t will be time enough
for him to declare for or against an
other nomination for himself when
that long session is in the middle of
its course less than two years hence.
A president whose power it is known
soon is to pass cannot get things
done easily.
Monument for Gen. Lawton.
Senator Elihu Root of New York
has succeeded in getting the senate's
sanction for bill appropriating S.
900 for a monument in Arlington Gem
etery In honor of the memory of Mai.
Gen. Henry Ware Lawton, who was
killed by an insurgent sharpshooter
at San Mateo in the Philippine Islands
fifteen years ago. 1t is expected that
the house will approve the bill and
that President Wilson will sign it.
Members of congress finally came to
| the conclusion that it was about time
that memorial in Arlington was
erected to commemorate the services
| of the brave Lawton.
The writer of this dispatch feels a
personal interest in the matter Of
final recognition by congress of its
duty in Lawton's case In the fall
of 1908 l noticed that the grave OF
| this hero of high service was un
marked except for the little govern
ment recognition tablet" which Uncle
Sam places above the graves of all
soldiers. officers and privates alike
Next to Lawton's resting place was