The Washington herald., 1916-02-02
Wilson and the One-Time Plank.

4
term plank in the Baltimore platform to President
Wilson. The article. in part, reads:
II Solomon had Mr. Wilson in mind when he
defined the good name" as rather to be chosen
than great riches" we but believe that he also
ghmpsed Our Colonel when, he added, "and loving
favor rather than gold and silver" The distinction
becomes clear and its unfairness manifest when
one stops to think that thing done by Mr..
Roosevelt and laughed away as mere idosyn-
Grassy might readily be regarded as grave ofTense
on the part OF Mr.. Wilson.
That, we take it, is the reason why political an
tagonists of the President arc striving SO earnestly
to make it appear that. in accepting renomna-
ton, he would be guilty of moral dereliction no
less reprehensble than that of Mr., Roosevelt,
possible opposing candidate in the coming cam
paign, when he repudiated his voluntary pledge
never to seek a third term. The two cases of
course are in no wise parallel or alike, as recital
of the circumstances and analysis of the criticisms
will clearly show
Brushing aside as unworthy of consideration
ment of general partisan assault upon a Presi-
dent by opposing members of Congress, Mr.. Will
SON stands accused upon two points! First that by
his silence he tactly Endorsed the Baltimore deca-
ration and so appealed to the voters under false
pretense and secondly, that after having been
safely elected. he surreptitiously smothered the
resolution putting that declaration into effect in
the interest of his own personal ambition.
With respect to point No. I, it should be re-
called that, for the first time in history consdera
tion of the platform was deferred until after the
naming of the candidate. This was done at the
instance Of Mr.. Bryan for some actual reason
known only to himself, but ostensibly to make
certain that "the principles avowed should accord
with the views of the candidate" As we have al
ready noted the fact that this specific plank did
not harmonic with Mr.. Wilson's judgment was
brought to the attention of Mr. Bryan and other
members of the committee by his personal repre-
sentative, Mr.. William F. McCombs If then the
real purpose of the unusual order OF procedure
was to make the platform square with the candi-
date. clearly when the unexpected nomination had
been accomplished the obligation to remove the
disparity rested not upon the candidate, but upon
the commlttce-who made sign.
To the assertion that Mr.. Wilson's tacit ac-
quiescencc compares unfavoraby with the blunt
refusal OF the Hon. Alton B. Parker to accept his
nomination in 1904 unless the gold standard was
definitely upheld, it sufflces to say that the plank
to which Mr.. Parker objected constituted the
overshadowing vital issue of the campaign, while
that confronting Mr.. Wilson Of so little i'm
portancc that probably not one-tcnth of the dele
gates who voted for it even knew it incor-
porated in the platform Bearing this fact in mind
and considering further that this could have been
but of several minor declarations not wholly
to the candidates liking it be evident to any
fair mind that peremptory dictatorial action the
part OF Mr. Wilson would have been regarded
throughout the country as unnecessarily meticu-
lous and unduly presumptuous. Moreover, he could
later in TACT he did in his speech OF acceptance
make the fact clear that he did not accept the
platform literally in all its parts definite pro
gram. Herein we hnd cause for complaint
cept possiby-and only possibly, at that-from the
viewpoint OF hypercrticism
The second accusation-that Of Mr. Wilson
smothering the resolution in his personal interest
involves questions of fact and proprety. That
his letter addressed to Mr.. Mitchell Palmer had
the effect indicated and was designed to have it
there can be no doubt. But to assert that he was
lobbying" infcrcntialy unworthy in his own be-
half is to speak absurdity. He had become the
leader Of the Democratic party. and the Demo
an expression OF his judgment upon impor-
tant proposal. which in effect had not been
passed upon by either the party the country,
before taking irrevocablc action 1t Mr. Viii
sons plain duty to submit both his opinion and
the reasons underlying it, and he did so with
notable cogcncy. Refusal to have done would
have constituted either evasion Of responsibility
or species of sclf-stulihcaton.
He spoke, moreover, exclusively from the
standpoint of public policy, as is evidenced by the
simple fact that the resolution had been pa sscd
and the amendment adopted SO far from inpairing
his own political prospects. it would have left him
eligible to reelection for term of six instead OF
four years, thus opening the way for the possible
distinction of being the first and only citizen hay
ing served as President for ten consecutive years
Batring the difficulty of reconcng the long
delay in publishing the communication with the
assertion contained therein to the effect that g" am
speaking to redeem my promise that would say
what | really think every public question and
take my chances in the court of public opinion"
which may perhaps be regarded as an ignoblc cir
cumstance, fail to perceive how so much as
suspicion Of Mr.. Wilson's good faith can lie in
any fair mind consequence Of the course which
he pursued in this matter = There is no
issue in the single term and none can be made by
the Republican party, by Mr.. Roosevelt, by MI
Bryan or by anybody else. Regardless of futile
Woodrow Wilson must be the next Democratic
candidate for President.
A Military Funeral
Fort Myer is at the entrance of the National
Cemetery at Arlington and troops of the garrison