New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-08
The End of Wisconsin

all lNdL was DdSt, lhNiNNi iNiNN'' -
dolent. unheroic and cheaply senti-
mental in the national character.
His reelection would have been a
confession TO the world that the peo-
pie of the United States have become
demoralized, corrupted by tempo
rary prosperity, too slothful and
feeble spirited to maintain, in their
relations with other countries, the
traditions of an honorable past.
Mr.. Wilson came into office four
wears ago next March with the good
will of the whole country. He was
the first choice of the Democratic
party and the second choice Of the
Republican and Progressive parties.
Everybody had worked to make his
election certain. He entered the
Presidency with no enmities and no
partisan obligations. He was IN a
position to serve the country intelli-
gently and Fundamentally. He had
an opportunity such as has come to
few American Presidents.
But Mr.. Wilson did not know how
to use that opportunity. He did not
accept the honors thrust upon him IN
the spirit of modesty and selt-re-
straint in which he should have ac-
cepted them. He became obsessed
with the idea that the people had
given him a mandate to rule in his
own right, to depart from settled
traditions and precedents, to run
riot with crude and sentimental no
tions of craftsmanship not at all IN
harmony with American feeling and
practice.
The President from the first devel-
oped a capacity for phrase making,
Of loose talking and lax thinking on
all occasions, opportune or inoppor-
tune. which quickly undermined pub
lie confidence in his intellectual sta
bility-in his ability to do things in
stead of merely talking about them.
1t soon became apparent that ne
lacked any sure grasp on the reall-
ties of politics-that to him the only
real business of politics was political
window dressing.
The Great War in Europe came
along in 1914 and convulsed the
world. 1t made our foreign rela-
tons more complicated and critical
than they had ever been before. We
in America have been obliged to re-
adjust our whole view of the foreign
relations of the United States to the
new and strange conditions which
have arisen.
But Mr.. Wilson's mind has never
responded to the exigencies OF this
imperative and fateful change OF
front. He has dawdled and lodged
and criss-crossed. He has never
faced clearly the problems which the
great CONFUSION in Europe has
raised. He could not understand the
need of a clear, firm, unyielding ex-
preston of some definite, forward
looking American policy. He could
not appreciate the necessity OF i'm
mediate military and economic prep
aration to safeguard our position,
10 maintain our status in the new
world which was to emerge from the
Great War.
In his dealings with the European
belligerents, with Mexico, with the
new conception of Pan-American-
ism which is to make the Monroe
Doctrine obsolete, he has failed en-
tirely to rise to the height of the
situation. He has failed to repre-
sent the Americanism Of to-day
the Americanism which faces seri-
ously the great and serious tasks OF
the next two decades and scorns
to evade them by proclaiming SICK
" doctrine of responsibility, of
serving humanity" first because
such service costs nothing, of not en-
forcing American rights because we
are citizens of country which Is
"too proud to fight"
Now all that futile and saddening
comedy is over-the comedy of words
without action, of phrase-making
and note writing, of Chautauqua
circuit hippodroming substituted for
craftsmanship. All true Americans
can rejoice that the curtain has been
rung down forever on that depress-
ing spectacle.
( What the country has instructive
" sought in this election is a return
TO the solid ground Of constructive
craftsmanship. The United States
must be organized and integrated.
II must be converted into real ma
ton, with a true sense of nation
atty.
The work will begin next March
under an Administration which
has now been specifically dele
gated TO do it. Mr., Hughes will
ontar office nledoed to nationalistic