The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-03-18
Two YEARS OF WILSON

inaugural. Woodrow Wilson COM
pletcd half his presidential i"rtr.
These two yeas OF Tho " .i,on
administration. hav. hr.prd Ia
make more hist ny than Any other
two years since tin !. !" ~ c 10
ing two years oc III: Wilson adj
mlnlstratlcn must inevitably he
the most momentous period that
this country has known since the
Civil war.
1t is a fact of enormous i'm
portance that this crisis finds i'm
the White House a president who
is completely master of himself.
Being master of himself, he is
master of his party and of his
administration.
There is no kitchen cabinet.
There are no back-stairs adyis-
ers. There are no secret infuen-
ces that pull and sway the poll
tics of the executive. No under
ground wires run from the White
House into Wall street or into the
headquarters of any political
committee. Men may agree with
Mr.. Wilson or disagree with him:
they may like him or they NAV
dislike him; but everybody knows
that he and he alone is president.
Everybody knows that during the
remaining two years of his term
he and he alone will be president,
"A very unusual man, meet to
cope with a very unusual situa-
ton in the affairs of mankind
president who in all his official
relations displays neither vanity
nor resentment, nor anger nor
personal ambition. If he has
friends. their friendship counts
1of nothing in the affairs of state,
ii he has enemies, their enmity
weighs nothing in the balance OF
government. He seeks neither to
reward the one nor to punish the
other.
So evenly does he hold the
scales that the members of the d.
piomatic corps, with all thei,
mighty developed facilities for OBJ
tanning information. have never
been able to learn where the pres
ldent's personal sympathies lie in
tne great conflict that is now de-
vastating Europe. Whatever his
Individual opinions may be, he has
smothered them i'm the responsi-
hllltles of his Office.
AL TINS period in their first term
most presidents have been care
fully calculating their chances Of
denomination and Reelection.
Nobody knows whether Mr.. Will
son intends to be candidate for
rejection or not. Not a member Of
lhe CABINET, not member OF con-
sfess, can say of his own know
ledee that the president desires 2
reelection or that he would moi
refuse denomination. What All
OF them know is that the president
would not stoop from principle (,
WIN either a denomination or 8
reelection.
That is where his great
strength lies. That is where hi,
great usefulness lies in this Girls
rs. 1t is easy to rattle the sabre
II is easy to make the wclkin ring
1t is easy to be spectacular anl
sensational and theatrical. 1t is
easy to be demagogue. It is cas-,
TO Juggle with the fate of a ma.
tioh When no man can forsee wha,
!he next day will bring forth. But
IL Is not easy to be calm and re-
strained and judicial. 1t is moi
easy to face every Responsibilities
without prejudice and without
passion. 1t is not easy to heu
straight to the line of first princi
pies. regardless of applause OF
censure or praise or denuncia
tlon. 1t is not easy to be sane
when the world has given itsol1
over to madness.
The enormous good fortune al
the people of the United States in
the storm and stress of thes.
coming years is that their chiet
magistrate is sane-the sanest
mind today that is intrusted with
the responsibilities of government
anywhere in civilization.