Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-04-09

districts in the next campaign. The
Republican party, it must be under
stood, still has within it two factions,
conservative Republicans The for
mer desire and urge that progressiv-
ism shall be made a part of the Re
publican candidates endeavor and of
the campaign generally in every con-
gresstonal district next fall.
Some of the conservative Republic
ans, too, who have leanings toward
a certain kind of progressivism, say
that this is not only good policy, but
a proper policy. On the other hand,
there are some extremely conserva-
tive Republicans who hold that the
next campaign should be made on the
old lines and nothing should be yield
ed to the new thought.
Difference of Opinion.
These matters are talked about free
" in Washington by the representa-
tfves most concerned Republicans
talk about the necessity of yielding
something to progressivism as long
as it has a small p" while others
talk freely about the folly of yielding.
The Republican congressional COM
mittee which in a way will have an
oversight of the campaigns in all the
districts is inclined to urge liberal
and progressive spirit in all the dis
tricts. Naturally, the congressional
committee feels that if one kind of
platform is used in one place and an
other kind in another, the charge of
the Progressives and the Democrats
instantly will be that the old party is
utterly inconsistent and that if 1t can
not have platforms which are alike
in congressional campaigns, how can
1t hope to have a platform in a presi-
Dental campaign upon which the Re-
publicans of all the districts can
stand.
1t seems to be conceded that the
members of the congressional com
mittee will succeed in inducing the
adoption of liberal platforms in most
Of the districts Of the country. There
are some districts, however, which
III H1Ll1OSS SOulSSLS lOI Lu6 OIlCS vi
representative in congress that will
be conducted by the Republican candi-
dates on lines exactly parallel to those
on which such contests were conduct
ed ten years ago.
1t matters little what the claims are
at the present moment, for it is a long
time until November, but one thing is
virtually certain, the three parties are
going into the congressional cam
paigns as early as possible, are going
to do lot of hard campaigning and
use every effort possible, the Demo
Gratis to maintain their majority in
congress or add to its strength, and
the other two parties to upset the cal
culations of both the enemies"
AS Wilson Sees Himself.
President Wilson's intimate por-
trayal of himself as a man and as
president, drawn for the benefit of the
members of the National Press club
recently, has set men, particularly
newspaper men in Washington, to
thinking. 1t must be confessed at
the outset that most of the Wash
ington correspondents have looked
upon Mr.. Wilson as a man of cold de-
meanor and temperament. In his per
sonal sketch Of himself the president
tore off the mask and showed himself
as he thinks he really is, certainly as
he would like to be, and he disabused
the minds of a good many persons of
forrnpr1v conceived OninioOS
The president said in his speech to
the members of the Press club that
he never had read an article about
himself in which he recognized him
SELF and that he had come ito have
the Impression that l must be some
kind of a fraud, because l think
great many of these articles are writ
ten in absolute good faith.
81 tremble to think of the variety
and the faIseness of the impressions
I make and it is being borne in on
me so that it may change my very
disposition-that l am cold, removed
person who has thinking machine
inside which he adjusts to the circum-
stances, which he does not allow to
be moved by any winds of affection or
emotion of any kind, but turns like
cold searchlight on anything that Is
presented to it's attention and makes
it work. l am not aware of having
any detachable apparatus inside of
me-"
Appearance of Goodness.
1t is probable that men who come
in contact with President Wilson have
thought he was a cold man because
he was self-contained on matters of
public moment, and that even when he
feels he can discuss them freely his
method of discussion is so entirely
dispassionate. There are no evidences
of the warmth of Roosevelt nor of the
smiling geniaIity Of Taft in Mr.. Will
sons speech nor in his manner of
speech. Sparks, however, are struck
from stones, and If there were no
latent heat there never could be even
now and then warm CLEAN from the
surface. President Wilson on occa-
sions has shown the warm CLEAN, but
always it has been quickly Swallowed
as If its showing had been al error.
Now since the president spoke of
himself and Of his restraint of his
emotions men who have come in
almost daily contact with him are be-
ginning to believe that there are fires
inside and that the effort always has
been to keep the cover on. The presi-
dent in his talk to the members of the
press said that he likes human beings
and that both individuals and crowds
interest him. 1t seems that a man
who Is interested in the human nature
Of individuals and Of crowds must
have a good deal of human nature in
himself, and human nature is one of
the warmest things known to man
kind. Some of the newspaper men
seemingly are not only sorry, but cha