Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-25

tHtS ofIS iIldleu. Ailu So "tiil
into the campaign, under guidance OF
his friend. as the champion of the peo-
pies rights as against corporate as-
gressions. He was fairly entitled. as
such things go, to the fruits of that
fight. But at the convention the prize
went to Cummins because of the fact
that those who were in earnest about
making the fight 10; finish believed
that Cummins was the best equipped
for leadership. But the turn of affairs
caused Wilson to feel keen disappoint-
ment and he never was able to get
into line with the progressives, rather
holding aloof. But Wilson was good
deal of an agrarlan. In earlier days
he had joined the Patrons of Husband
ry and he was in the old Farmers Al.
| lance. In his latero wears many per-
sons felt that he was simply a "corpo-
ration man." or onefhaying little SYM
pathy with the people. sThat was not
fair to him.,.He wasfan 0pportunist and
made. the most oEnwflateyer situation
presented itself 70 him. But he was
real farmer, q common man and ne
had sincere sympathy with the mass or
the people. In the great factional dis
turbances of the past twenty years In
Iowa. Wilson maintained friendly rela-
tions with men of both factions When
Governor Shaw was invited to a place
in the Roosevelt cabinet, the man he
called in to talk 1t over with was Jim
Wilson; when Cummins considered
making the race for third term he
took counsel of the same man. Both
of them knew Jim could be trusted 1t
vas part Of his political creed that
political promises should be kept and
political condolences be held sacred.
Once he was a delegate to a county
convention, sent from his own town
ship AS delegate instructed for a
certain candidate. Jim's brother was a
candidate for the same place and need
ed vote to win, Jim obeyed instruc-
tons. The brother was defeated While
he was not one Of the progressive .ele-
ment in Iowa politics in late years, he
was good deal of an insurgent on al
most everything He was a low tariff
man, He said that he learned It at the
time when Wilson, Kasson, Allison and
their associates were preaching low
tariff and forcing concessions from the
east,
1t may not be generally known, but
it is fact that jim Wilson probably
had as large a hand as anybody in
making the other Jim Wilson, "Tama
jim" secretary Of agriculture. But that
is another story. While he was on The
board Of trustees for the state college
he threw the monkey wrench into the
cylinder several times, so to speak, and
several of the best reforms as to brs-
iHess methods at Ames were Of his sug-
gestion. Jim was lover Of the trol-
ting horse and nearly always had me
or more in training. Some years ago
Jim was Of party which met Roose-
welt as he sailed across Iowa on a spe-
cial car, and he was introduced to the
colonel as a veteran OF the war from
New York. The colonel looked Mt him
and suggested that he never saw q
wouldn't take a drink, and SO they
walked back to the buffet and proceed
ed to refresh themselves.
Out of this varied career there came
to James H. Wilson an amazing po-
litical instinct. Some people have the
notion that instinct is not a human
attribute; but it is Accumulated ex-
periences covering forty or more years
Of active contact with men and famil-
iarity with events enabled Jim Wilson
to accurately measure the effect OF ia
miliar influences on the course of men.
He never could have told you why,
but he could tell just about how a
thing was going to come out. He was
man Of Imagination. He looked into
the future He had learned in the
school of experience just what it is
that decided great questions. His
Judgment in regard to any political
situation was unusually good. And his
stock of information as to men and
events in Iowa was without a parallel
So his loss is one that will be felt. He
loved politics. He believed that the
citizenship of the country ought to be
schooled In politics. He represented the
finished product of the old system UNI
der which the young men got training
in the caucuses and finished off In the
big conventions But he was never
in politics for gain nor for any sordid
purpose He Just had passion for
the game and followed it as the hunter
follows the hounds.