The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-07-09
THE PRESIDENTS GREATNESS

"In regard to Mexico. the President
of the United States has shown an
element of true greatness by frankly
announcing that he has changed his
mind" says the Washington Post. If
frankly announcing that he has chang
ed his mind is an evidence of true
greatness it must be conceded that
President Wilson has few equals and
no superiors.
He has not only changed his mind
once, but he has changed it twice in
regard to the Mexican situation. In
May, 1914, he declared his intention
of securing the removal of the de
facto head of the Mexican government
and of interfering in M exican affairs in
other respects, particularly in the
control of the public land policies of
that government. A few months la
ter, in his speech in Indianapolis. he
frankly stated that he had changed
his mind and asserted that there must
be no interference and that Mexico
must work out her problems without
the assistance or influence of this
country. Now he just as frankly an
nounces that he has again reversed
himself and proposes to exert an
active and aggressive influence in con-
trolling internal affairs of that afflict-
ed country.
But it is not with regard to the
Mexican problem only that President
Wilson so frankly announces a change
of mind A few years ago he was
writing books in which he denounced
the initiative and referendum. When
he became candidate for President,
he frankly announced that he had been
mistaken that he had changed his
mind and that he advocated those
principles of popular government.
Since his election, however, he has
evidently returned to his former opin-
ions, for his voice has not been once
raised in advocacy of direct legisla-
ton. Prior to his election he was a
devout advocate of the Presidential
primary law. but in recent months he
has made known his opinion that leg
islation of this kind is impracticable.
On the stump, when he was seeking
the votes of the American people, he
was an out-spoken advocate of free
tolls for American coast-wise shipping
through the Panama Canal, but soon
after he had come into a position Of
power he frankly announced his
congress law repeating the free tolls
provision.
AS candidate for the favor Of the
electorate, he was a champion of
civil service reform and for many
years was vice-president of the Civil
Service Reform League, but as a dis
penser of patronage he has resorted
to the spoilS system to such large eX-
tent as to indicate a complete and
astonishing change of mind.
AS a candidate of the Democratic
party he denounced extravaganza in
public business and pledged himself
to an economical administration but
in an address to Congress he frankly
announced his change of mind by
saying that in his opinion the Ameri-
can people did not care how much
money was spent provided they got
something for it.
Truly, it must be conceded that in
frankly announcing changes of mind,
President Wilson is unsurpassed and
if this be an element of true greatness,
as the Washington Post assumes, he
will go down in history with scarcely
peer.
To be the Chief Executive of a
hundred million people-the super
vising head of ten administrative de-
partments with 100000 employees
the final sponsor for the expenditure
of over a billion dollars a year, is
some job, It's bigger job than be-
ing head of the largest railroad sys-
tenn or the largest factory or the larg-
est bank in the world.
The prescribed duties of the office
of Chief Executive include the trans
action of international business, the
appointment of several thousand Fed
eral employees, and, most important of
all, care that the laws shall be en-
forced
Most men would consider that a
task big enough to occupy all one
mans time without his devoting any