The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-25
TELLS NEWSPAPER MEN THAT
HE is NOT a MERE THINKING
MAN.
Cnoos0ms His Thoughts on Wilson
as Prpsidcn' at Press CIub-Says
he Is Not Merged in Office, but Eli
Ing 1t for Present as Peoples
Choice.

as president Of United States. how
difricult 1t was for him TO imagine
himself as the chief executive with
the formal amenities of the position,
and how he had struggled to be as
free as the ordinary individual with
out the restraints of his office.
1t was an intimate picture of
Woodrow Wilson, the man, drawn by
himself, on the occasion of the
house warming" at the Press clubs
new quarters. The president did not
intend to have his remarks reported,
but later, at the request Of the club,
the unusual speech was made pub
lie 1t follows:
Il was just thinking of my sense
of confusion Of identity, sometimes,
when read articles about myself. /
never have read an article about my
self in which I recognized myself, and
have core to have the impression
that i must be some kind Of a fraud,
because think great many OF
these articles are written in absolute
~ good faith. l tremble to think Of
the variety and falseness in the inn
pressions l make--and it is being
borne in on me SO that it may change
my very disp / am a cold
and removed person who has a think
ing machine inside which he adjusts
to the circumstances, 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 his at
tention and makes it wrong.
II am not aware of having any de-
tachable apparatus inside Of me. ON
the contrary, If l were to interpret
myself, ! would say that my constant
embarrassment IS to restrain the
emotions that are inside of me. You
may not believe it. but ! sometimes
and il the lava does not seem to spill
over it is because you are not high
enough to see into the basin and see
the caldron boil. Because, truly,
gentlemen. i'm the position which |
now occupy there is a sort of don't
know how else to express it than to
nected with my fellowmen in a pc
culiar relationship Of responsibility.
Not merely the responsibility of Of
| fee. but God knows there are
enough things in this world that need
| to be corrected.
Il have mixed, first and last, with
all sorts and conditions Of men
there are mighty few kinds Of men
| that have to be described to me, and
periences that have to be described to
me---and when think of the number
! Of men who are looking to me as the
! representative OF party. with the
hope of all varieties of salvation from
the things they arc struggling in
| the midst of. il makes me tremble
sense of my own inadequacy and
weakness. but as if l were shaken by
! the very things that are shaking
them. and IL ! seem circumspect, it is
because i am so diligently trying not
to make any colossal blunders. If
you just calculated the number Of
blunders fellow can make in "a
hours If ne is not careful and il he
does not listen more than he talks
I you would see something of the feel
ing that have.
81 was amused the other day at Il
re,uark that Senator Newlands made.
had read him the trust message I
was To deliver to congress some 10
days before I delivered it, and | never
stop 'doctoring' things OF that kind
1 When he heard it read to congress
he said, i think it was better than
when you read it to me said, Sen
atOr. there is one thing which | don't
] think YOU understand. | not only use
all the brains | have but all / can
borrow. and | have borrowed a lot
! since | read it To you first
! That, l dare say, is what gives the
! impression of circumspcctneSS am
listening; ! am trying diligently to
collect all the brains that are bor-
rowablc that / may not make more
blunders than it is inevitable that Il
man should make who has great linn
4 itations OF knowledge and capacity.
And the emotion of the thing is SO
great that ! suppose must be some
J kind OF Il mask to conceal it. | really
feel sometimes as if | were mas
qucrading when catch II picture OF
myself in some printed description.
In between things that ] have to do