Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-11-15
THE FREE WEST WINS 4 011A9
VICTORY ron Xu1kAXIxYi


Tuesdays vote. as now belatedly tab
ulated into a victory for the president.
is the Vests answer to the partisan
assault that was made upon the presi-
dent in the midst Of an anxious and
critical period.
1t is the peoples answer to the often |
| repeated statement that a period Of |
reaction had set In and that the peo- |
pies minds had grown dull to the cry
for social justice.
1t is the peoples answer to the taunt
| that they should feel shame for being
| kept out of foolish wars.
Above all, 1t Is the peoples vote of
linked in history in a great trio with
Washington and Lincoln. who in their
day were assaulted as venomously as
President Wilson has been in his.
How could it possibly have turned
out otherwise?
To think that it COULD turn out
otherwise was to doubt the intelligence
Of the American people. to doubt their
patriotism, to doubt their capacity to
detect fraud and chicane.
TO think that it could be otherwise
| was to imagine the American people re-
pudiating the president who had shown
the highest moral courage-the most
ulHCulC Courage OF dll-lN stunning up
for their rights against war lords and
submarines abroad, and against money
and magnates at home.
! Nothing stood in the way of the
splendid Endorsement that came to the
president yesterday but partisanship.
and the people swept that barrier away
in magnificent burst Of enthusiastic
support.
1t is personal victory for Woodrow
Wilson, president of the United States;
but above and beyond that and far
more important, it was a victory for
the high principle of justice and hu-
manity and liberty for which he has
stood and still stands.
1t is not primarily victory for the
Democratic party. If it is a victory for
the Democratic party at all, it is a VIC
tory for the Democratic party as Wood
row Wilson has made 1.-THE Liberal
party. the peoples party, Of America.
The result is a splendid tribute not
only to President Wilson, but to the
intelligence, the public spirit, the fair
ness and the patriotism of the Amer
lean people.
Unmeasured praise is due to the pub.
lie spirit and patriotism of the thou
sands upon thousands of Republicans
and Progressives who, for their coun-
trys sake, broke through partisan bar
riers to support the presiuent, many of
them voting for a Democrat for the
LTSI L1ule, anu C1uS mace InlS great VIC
tory possible.
Now that it is over, it is worth while
considering, in order to realize the
magnitude OF the victory, the mighty
obstacles the president and his follow
ers had to overcome to win It..
| First, there was the vote Of four
] years ago, when, though President WILL
son led the field with 6.293.o1s votes,
his total was 1,311,444 votes less than
a majority over his two leading COM
q petitors 49, Roosevelt with 4,119,507
votes and Taft with 3.4s4.956-and g.
: 450.504 less than majority Of the full
, field. On the face Of things, the two
p elements behind Taft and Roosevelt
had coalesced, and thus created a
handicap Of hundreds Of thousands OF
!, votes which the president had to sur
- mount.
a Second, virtually all Of the money
r and the power that money can bring to
bear in an election were opposed to
!, him. 1t is not his fault, but the fault
~ of the propertied classes, that in q
y large measure the contest became q
!, class fight. 1t is the fault Of those who
have forced such fight upon him that
>. he energies from the contest the sue.
cessful candidate of the classes that
\ are not cursed with inordinate wealth
- Third, there was host of minor
!, factors-race issues, religious issues,
personal issues-that had to be over
;. come. 1t is The Herald's belief that
the Importance of the race and relig-
= ious issues was overestimated in the
- campaign; and at any rate the result
buries Them and it is earnestly to be
, hoped that these unfortunate issues
q may be forgotten by everybody, for
- there is no room for them in this Re-
public.
4 The presidents opponents have done
=, their level best to beat him. Perhaps
" they deemed it their duty to do that
Doubtless many of them were sincere
, in some of the things they said; and
y doubtless the insincere things that
were said were due to the heat of the
campaign. In view of the fact that
this election is entangled so delicately
with foreign policies, it is rather a
/ pity that there had to be any campaign
e at all, and that the election could not
have been made unanimous. as it
II tics!
II 1t Is bootless to nurse grudges after
e campaign is ended, and happily it is
81 not the habit of the American people
X to do 1T. They will not do it now; and
e the only thing The Herald has to say
= to those who have opposed the presi.
dent is that they have lost and we're
mighty glad of it.
r To Woodrow Wilson, president of the
It United States, heartiest congratulations
t. and most earnest good wishes for 9
second administration as great in
achievements for the common good and
: the honest glory of the nation as his
first. The people are with him, and
\ that gives him a mighty power which
we know he will use wisely and patri-
otically.-Duluth Herald.
MERCHANTS WIFE ADVISES