Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-07-30

tunity of annexing Mexico must be a
timid, invertebrate person who had
only to be bullied in order to do what
! he was told. Moreoevr, was Their not
that Great GermanAmcrican popula-
, ton to serve as whip for the Presi-
Dental back?
J 1t was Il fatal bludner,-the blunder
of ii people who have been so blinded
by materialism that they do not seem
to have so much as the conscious
ness that there is such Il thing as
moral strength on earth. No one who
had followed with intelligent under
standing the career of Woodrow Will
son could have dobted that he had to
deal with man of iron, Il man with
a moral passion as fcrvid as that of
his colleague, Mr.. Bryan, but with
that passion informed by wide knowl-
edge and controlled by Il masterful
villa quiet, still man who does not
live with his ear TO the ground and
his eye on the weathercock, who re-
fuses to buy popularity by infinite
handshaking and robustious speech,
but comes out TO action from the sane
tuary of his own thoughts, where
principle, and not eXpediency, is his
counselor.
1t is because no man i'm a conspic-
uous position in the democratic world
today is so entirely governed by prin-
clple. and by. moral sanctions that
President Wilson is not merely the
first citizen of the United States, but
the first citizen of the world.
Couragc-not the courage that gam
bles on the public emotions, but the
courage that takes its stand on moral
grounds-has been the capital note of
his career. AS President of Prince
ton University, he had come to public
prominence by his determination to
save that great institution from being
the monopoly of wealthy idlers. "Doi-
lars are brains"-that was the issue
and he fought for brains. The "dol-
lars" won, and he resigned; but the
millionaires had costly victory. They
had saved Princeton for the princes
of the pork trade, but in the end they
found they had made its president the
head of the nation.
People, in fact, have always been
making the Kaiscr's mistake about
Woodrow Wilson, always assuming
that he was only "a schoolmaster."
and could be used or brushed aside as
the occasion demanded. And his sin
gular simplicity and lack of ostcnta-
ton strengthen the illusion, for there
is nothing that so myStifies the bully.
and the rogue as the uality of modestv
lie cannot always understand that :;
man may be strong without AWAY )
talking about his muscle.
AS President, his achievements in
internal policy have been as rcmarka-
bic for their magnitude as for their
courage and their wisdom
lie has been as conspicuous for
deeds as President Roosevelt was for
words. His speeches have the brevitv
OF Lincoln, something of that great
mans 1orce, still more of the note of
| Burke.
Throughout the war his attitude has
conformed to the historic tradition of
| the United States of nonintervention
IN European affairs. This attitude
lald him open to attack from both
sides. He was assailed because he
dld not enter his protest against the
atrocities in Belgium, and it is at least
arguable that he owuld have done
we'll to initiate a neutral court of in
uiry. But the chief attack has come
from the side of Germany, which has
realized that the neutrality of the
United States has meant, in fact. that
all Its resources are at the disposal of
the allies, who have command of the
sea.
1t is os this policy that the breach
with Mr.. Gryan has come. Mr.. BRYAN
is wonderful son of the plains, pri-
mltlve, elemental, with a great Gift
OF speech, the religious fervor of n
held preacher, certain naivette that
makes him always charming if some
times jest, and n passion for the
undiiuted gospel of nointervention.
mat he has been at issue with MIR.
wilson is long known, but the eXtraor-
binary personal authority of the Pres
ldent has held him in check. When
the hot gospeler of righteousness was
beaten by Mr.. Wilson as the Demo-
cratic nominee he fell entirely under
the sway of his more instructive and
more masterful rival, who subsequent
~ made him his chief minister. Mr..
Bryan, who has the moral passion of
John Bright without Bright's intel
lectual power has borne the restraints
of office with difficulty and the chief
, business of the President has been to
Dring his starry emotions within the
orbit of practical politics. He has
hitherto succeeded, nd | have reason
TO know that the managing" of Mr..
Bryan will make one Of the most
amusing stories in the byways of
politics.
1t is Il mercy for the world, but most
a mercy for the United States, that
IN the struggle for the Democratic
nomination the amiable dreamer was
defeated by the statesman. What
would have happened if Mr.. BRYAN
had won we now see.