The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-02-22
PRESIDENT WILSON'S
EFFORT

Newspaper men who accompanied
the President on his western speech
making tour report that he returned
to Washington very much pleased whit
himself; that he feels himself better
acquainted with the people and that
the people now know him better; and
that he displayed a much more "'hu-
man" element on the return trip than
he did while going out.
There is nothing unusual about this.
Every ~spellbinder has experienced it.
There is no intoxication like that
which an applauding audience imparts.
We all know candidates for office who
have measured their vote, in advance
of election day, by the cheers which
they have received while on the stump.
Mr.. Bryan has frequently been deserib-
ed as a man who could get more cheers
and fewer votes than any candidate
who ever went before the people. This
last statement is not quite true-for
Mr.. Bryan has always received more
votes than Mr.. Wilson got in 1912.
The success of the President s
speeches is not to be measured, how
ever, by their effect on the audiences
who heard them-nor yet by their eff
feet on the people who will read them
in the book form in which Congress
has voted to put them out. The trip
was made with one purpose chiefly IN
mind-to create a situation in the pub
lie mind which would react upon the
rebellious Democrats in Congress who
are refusing to follow the President
in his program for preparedness. While
it is, to be sure, a little early to de
termine just what the force of such a
reaction is, it yet remains there are
no signs at all of a weakening on the
part of the recalcitrant Democrats
who still believe that the Wilson of a
year ago is the real Wilson, and who
still hold to the theory that our mill
tary policy should not be changed be-
cause a few people are nervous and ex-
cited-these being the words which
Mr.. Wilson addressed to Congress in
December, 1914.
These Democrats were prompt in re-
plying, with a speech in Washington,
to every speech that the President
made while on his western tour. These
men still declare that the folks ''back
home" are standing with them and not
with the President, these men are still
maintaining a position which will
make it impossible for the Presidents
program to be passed by Democrats
votes and which will result in throw
ing the responsibility and credit for
whatever preparedness legislation is
passed upon the Republicans.
Unless these men can be shifted
from their present attitude Mr.. viii
sons tour win prove a failure, regard
less of the personal pleasure which he
derived from it. More than that, it
will initiate fatally against the Pres
ident's campaign for reelection. Mr..
Wilson has chosen to push the question
of national defense to the front and
to stake his reputation as a party
leader upon it. He has completely re-
versed himself within a few months.
and the question which he dismissed
with a sheer only a short time ago he
now embraces with all the enthusiasm
of a new convert. His language grew
steadily stronger as his sp~eech-making
progressed, and he now stands, in
words at least, ON ground as advanced
as that of the most pronounced mill
tarist in the country.