The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1916-11-17
WILSON'S ELECTION.


In the face Of tremendous odds,
against reunited and militant repub
lican party, backed by all the powerful
financial interests of the country
Woodrow Wilson has been reelected
He has also carried his party to vic
tory in both houses of congress, al
though the margin is narrow. 1t was
q wonderful triumph. 1t was a per
sonal victory for Wilson. In the
doubtful states he generally ran ahead
of his party His victory probably is
more of a personal one and less a
party triumph than has been the case
with any president elected since po'
litical organizations were perfected in
this country.
Wilson won, despite the power OF
the forces arrayed against him, be-
cause majority of the people of the
United States approve his splendid
record as chief executive; because
they are thoroughly satisfied with his
magnificent direction of the old ship
of state. Wilson's achievements in
domestic legislation have been voted
approval, making them permanent. A
four years additional trial of the Will
son policies will so firmly engraft
them into the American system that
no candidate will dare suggest re-
peal.
Wilson won again because the peo'
ple of the United States believe in
peace with honor. Efforts to defeat
him by attacking his foreign policy
fell fiat. 1t is true that many demo-
Gratis would like to have had a bit
more vigorous policy in dealing with
the Lusitania and the submarine is
sue, but after all the president
achieved by the slow processes OF
diplomacy and without the cost OF
single life, what he might have had
to fight months, at tremendous cost
to obtain. Germany reluctantly &C.
cepted the presidents definition OF in
ternational law. Some democrats
thought that the president should have
more emphatically protested against
indignities suffered from the allied
powers, but they also appreciated the
fact that the sympathies of the over
whelming majority Of the people OF
this country were with those who are
pouring out blood and treasure that
human liberty might not perish from
the face of Europe and that we are
getting rich from the golden stream
the allied powers are pouring across
the waters in exchange for our prod.
ucts.
The great majority, the sane, think
ing Americans realized that whatever
Wilson's mistakes might be he had
safely piloted this country in peace
through a veritable world of blood and
devastation and suffering for more
than two years; that he had averted
a panic when other countries resorted
to moratoriums that he had ruled
over the most prosperous people upon
whom the sun ever shone. They were
content. Whatever some might think
of the abstract theories OF interna-
tional laws and national dignity they
were altogether too sensible and too
hard-headed to sacrifice what they
bad for some theory about which they
cared little and for which they really
would sacrifice nothing.
Wilson won because he has been
the champion of the rights of the
people. Legislation, which by his
force and power he forced through
someN hat unwilling congress, had
broken the hold of the powerful finan-
cial interests upon the throat of gov
eminent. He had talked less about
and done more to secure the square
deal for all than any president in his
10 - rpi1
WELD in the councils of the nation the
power that it formerly exercised, due
to the courageous and far-seeing
craftsmanship of Wilson.
Labor has better opportunity; the
farmers have secured from govern.
ment rights long denied them; little
business" has obtained some Of the
things heretofore monopolized by big
business" because of Woodrow Wilson,
the real democrat, not the democrat in
the narrow partisan sense, but the
democrat in the best sense OF the
term. His election, too, is blow at
sectionalism. 1t is blow at the small
Eastern section of the United States
that has for so long had a monopoly
of the privileges of government that
It has grown rich and powerful and
insolent and boldly proclaimed the
doctrine that the South should be de-
MED all share in the control Of the