Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-23
Candidates in Comparison


tion period and subsequently observed him IN the
White House. Many things have happened since
1912. Some pledges have been fulfilled, others
have been broken. Some hopes have been dashed,
others have been realized. Some men will fight
to the very end, believing in Woodrow Wilson as
figure in history comparable to that OF wash
ington and Lincoln. To posterity they are IN
cned to look for an honest verdict not to the
ephemeral emotions Of prejudice and passion.
But the president has abiding faith in the PEG.
ple-he is confident that even today they will
judge fairly and retain him in power.
thing, as president he became another. Whatever
may be the justification for 1.-THE stress OF un-
usual problems or extraordinary events that re-
CURED secusion-the fact is that Mr.. Wilson dur
ing his administration did not keep alive that en-
gagng democratic personality which he revealed
from the back platform Of his car in 1912. Only
rarely has he gone forth among the people. When
he has, something of the old fire has come back.
He could not help rekindling it because basically
it has always been there, no matter how much the
atmosphere of the White House may have seemed
to obscure it. Wilson is a human being. At heart
he feels for the people with as deep passion as
has any president of the United States, but he pre-
fers the solitude Of his study, the dictates OF his
own conscience and his own remarkable intui-
ton to the open counsels Of large groups of men
or that freedom OF intercourse which is bound to
inspire and yes, even teach the most infallible OF
minds.
Let US take concrete example: In campaign
days, Wilson did not hesitate to mingle with the
newspaper men, to think about them and their
work. Some Of them even travelled in his own
private car. When he became president, he with
drew himself from these, friends and foes alike,
forgetting that, as rule, the men who write tell
the country through their phrases and their infer
ences exactly what kind OF man the president is.
At first, Mr. Wilson received newspaper men
twice week. He chatted amiably, answered
questions good-naturedly. Later he became irri-
tated, lost his pose and stopped the conferences
altogether year ago. He didn't hurt the news
paper men. He simply deprived himself of the
TO reach the hearts and votes of the American peo
pie. He took himself out Of the picture and left
everybody surmising as to his habits OF thought,
his plans, and his purposes. If at times, an i'm
preston Of chaos and indecision has gone out to
the country from Washington concerning Wood.
row Wilson's foreign policies, it can be traced
directly to the uncertainty of the correspondents
themselves as to the lines in which either the
president or his administration was travelling.
Few correspondents have talked with President
Wilson in the last year-they might be numbered
on the fingers OF the hand.
Taft, by the way, did somewhat the same thing
He began holding open audiences with the CORE
spondents, but shortly quit it. He was impatient
and irritable under the FIRE Of questions, and be-
meet the fixed engagement He too lost the
human touch with the men who color the peoples
impression OF the man in the White House, and
thus threw away his best medium of access to
the minds and hearts of the people.
Now as to Hughes: he has begun with winning
frankness and cordially. This thing is not new
to him. When he was counsel to the New York
insurance investigating committee, he was in close
touch with the newspaper men who reported the
hearings; after each days session he met with
them, explained the purport of the days testi-
mony, and painstakingly answered questions.
While governor at Albany, he met the reporters.
twice daily; always punctuay keeping the en-
gagement and not infrequently nterrupting i'm
portant hearings and conferences in order to do
So Even while justice of the supreme court he
received the correspondents with unfaing cour-
tesy He observed scrupulously the prophecies
of his Office He did not permit them to send
out dispatches purporting to reflect his views. He
inspired no stories, but he was candid. He real
lied that in sense the newspaper men but repre-
scented a curious inquisitive electorate.
Charles Evans Hughes made many friends in
the newspaper fraternity while he was on the su-
preme court bench You couldn't sit in his library
FIVE seconds without saying to yourself-""why,
inspiring, and aoof.' But after you heard that
contagious laugh, that wholesome good humor,
that aptness Of phrase and irresistible logic, you
wanted to sit back in your chair and let him talk
on and on. Only you wished usually that some
one with dctaphone was taking it all down.
Here at last" have heard many newspaper
men say who have come to know him intimately
here at last is statesman Of fearlessness and
sustained courage"
Yet there is something poisonous about the
atmosphere of the White House, something de-
bilitating, something Inflated that changes the
personality Of its occupants Some of them change
early Others later on in their respective admins
tratons. Woodrow Wilson rode triumphantly
pointed to as symbol of determination, OF mill
fancy, OF aggressiveness. His contempt Of parti-
sans and political opportunists had been proved in
| New Jersey. He would not compromise with
| the selfish nor would he touch the tainted in
| politics.
The end justi6es the means is the argument
now OF his defenders; the country is prosperous
and at peace, they say--a constructive program Of
domestic legislation has been begun, and there
| should be an opportunity to complete it. They
| admit Mr.. Wilson has made mistakes, but these
they argue are. outweighed by his achievements.
The experiences of Woodrow Wilson, the
difficulties he has encountered in the White
/! House, the problems Of the most perplexng char
acter that have beset him on every side, and the
manner in which he has met or9 tried to meet
them cannot but shake ones faith after all in the
power Of any one individual to conduct the Office
OF president or himself in it to the satisfaction OF
large numbers of his fellow-cltizens. Hughes is
man OF wonderful ability, brilliant penetrating
mind and blunt courage He may be the super
man Of the hour. He may not. He too, might
TAIL The White House might chill him, as It has
Others For curiositys sake, ii would be interest,"
| ing to see how Charles E. Hughes would stand
the test as president of the United States.