Gilpin observer., 1916-02-10
a roo RErlcENn PRESIDENT


1t is cue OF the weaknesses of
the Wilson administration that the
president not only habstually ignores
criticism but seldom takes the public
into his confidence.
He is the most tacsturn chief ex-
ecutive since Grover Cleveland; he
makes few speeches; he issues few
er stat ements; he communicates lit
tie to congress and encourages no.
body to speak for him.
II Theodore Roosevelt as president
had ever accomplished onetenth of
what Woodrow Wilson has accomp-
lished. the newspsp ,rs and magazines
would have been swamped with state
ments, issued from the White House
and inspired from the White House,
clarifying tire work of the sdminis-
tration. No day would have been
long enough for the toioncl to make
all the speeches he wanted to make
and to receive. all the correspond ents
and writer's whom he wanted to use
in chanting the praises OF himself.
Even Mr.. Taft, who had little taste
for press-agent exploitation and
srllrank instinctively from the chorus
girl methods employed by his siren
Gus predecessor, recognized the value
of making direct appeals fer public
support.
Mr.. Wilson has gone to the other
extreme. Tie present administration
does not court publicity, and the less
it has to conceal the more reluctant
the president seems to be to talk
in his own behalf, or let others talk
for him.
There is a fire dignity about his
in carrying on the work of govern
ment. For one thing, the president
deprives himself of an aggressive
public support that is Invaluable in
critical occasions. This sort CT sup
port is likely to grow the more it
is appealed to. and by never appeal
ing to it the president ch;lls and
restraints it.
What is equally important, all
manner OF ridicule and foolish criti-
cisms of the administration go on
indefinitely because nobody in au-
thority takes trouble to answer them
and dispose of them. Most of the
fault-fin dirg with the presidents
foreign policy is the product of popu-
lar ignorance of international law
history, precederts and traditions of
this government This ignorance is
now being capitalized by Republican
politicians who know it is Ignorance
but who believe trey can take ad-
vantage of it. Had the president
been a little more eager to explain
and defend his policies, this exploita-
ton would be al but impossible.
The presidents p e-atedne s policy
is now threatened largely because
he has left the business of creating
public sentiment to public that is
by multitude of discord-
ant counsel,ors. 1t ro Longer knows
what to believe, hut there can he
little doubt Il at it will believe the
president if lie puts tie case be-
fore the country with the convinc-
ing force that he can always en-
ploy when his heart is in the cause.
Mr.. Wilson is a great president.
one OF the greatest of all the presi-
dents. but he mrst take the Ameri-
can people as he finds them. The
country has come to expect a closer
intimacy between the president and
the people than 1t used to expect-a
more direct Interchange Of opinion
and sentiment. This powerful weap-
on of government should not be left
to demagogues like Bryan and Roose-
welt. 1t should be employed in the
cause OF sense and sanity and dis
interested states mansbip as we'll. II
Mr.. Wilson viii use II as he is capa-
BILE OF using 1t, he will strengthen
net only his adminie tration hut he
will steady tire political thought of
the country and hold the American
people truer to their traditions. New
York World.