The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-19
|ABANDONS 6. 0. p.
Banker Wm. Solomon Traces Evolution of His Conver-
 sion to President.
Democratic Achieve m Il t s
 Win--Reserve Board, Tar
 iff and Foreign Policy Commended.


 York, conscientously was in doubt as to how he would vote at the Presi- dentiaI election in November. He was for William Howard Taft in 1912. He admits that after MT. Wilson's elec- ton he found himself in sympathy with most of the Presidents acts. Still he was not prepared to make choice for the election of November, 1915. Finally Comes to Wilson F It was so we'll known that MT. Sal- onon was in doubt, so well known in New York at least that he had SUD- ported Taft and contributed to the Republican campaign fund, that one of the friends of the banker, wrote
 him on April 3 1916, asking him to give his support to Maj Gen. Leon- ard Wood off the Republican r1onina- ton for President. He replied to his friend in a letter remarkable for it's frankness. He was still in doubt, but inclining towards Wilson. He took further time for consideration, and discussion, and now has declared him. self unequivocally in favor of the re- election of President Wilson. Not only will he vote for the Presidents re- election, but he has stated that he will work earnestly for that result. Study in Mental Processes It is so seldom that the preliminary processes of the mind leading to de- finite decision can be recorded, that the Democratic National Committee | has asked permission for the publica- ltion of the remarkable letter of MT.
 Solomon explaining his attitude while
 he was still in doubt.
 | In forwarding the letter, MT. Salo- mon wrote: "I think it( we'll to add that if were writing the letter today would say definitely that in the com l ing contest for the Presidency any in- 1 f1uence I may have will be given in favor of President Wilson's reelec- ton, inasmuch as I have concluded that it will hold in the best interest of the whole country"
 | Text of Letter 1 The letter in which Mr. Solomon
 expressed his previous doubts was as I follows: f
 l "I am in receipt of your favor of
 March 29, which I have read with
 much interest.
 'I hold General Wood in high es- teem as I presume do all of our citi1 l
 ing him as a candidate for the Presi- dency I must say that up to now am not quite clear that shall not | want to support MT. Wilson if he is a candidate for second term. did not support him at the time of his
 first election. firstly, as was for the greater part of the time abroad, and
 2 ny bias I had was in favor of Presi- dent Taft, and I subscribed moderate
 ly to the funds for his campaign pur- poses.
 Reformed Banking System After MT. Wilson's election was in sympathy with most of his acts. He carried out the wish of the people 1 for a reform of the national banking l system. The Republican party had
 for years struggled over this matter | without success The people of the country also demanded a tariff re-
 form and Mr. Wilson was looked to to
 secure it. While I am not prepared | to say the tariff is perfect today, I generally lean to a tariff for revenue
 and the careful avoidance of pamper-
 ing industries, as happened so much
 in the tariff history of the past. Views on Mexico
 l "As to tMrI Wilson's policy towards
 Mexico have not felt like criticising it, and am certainly very far remov-
 ed from sharting the views to which MT. Roosevelt and MT. Root have
 given expression. If the Mexican peo-
 pie should want to sell us part or all
 of Mexico, or if the whole of Mexico
 wanted to be annexedAwhich is not,
 know going to happen-it would
 be very well for us to consider wheth : CT we wanted to absorb that people.
 But eel quite sure that it is not de- sirable for us to try to acquire part of
 Mexico by any exercise of superior
 strength. It, of course calls for I many outrages perpetrated on Mexi-
 can soil against our citizens, but those
 outrages have not in my opinion up
 to now Justified our making war upon
 the Mexican people. The invasion of
 our country by Villa was the act of
 bandit, and with the concurrence
 of the recognized Mexican govern
 ment we very properly are going to infiict suitable punishment.
 | Attitude Toward Europe
 "As to MT. Wilson's attitude toward
 the European nations now Involved in war, think he has been confronted | with the most difficult questions and
 deserves great deal of credit for seeking to establish an absolute case | of the inN asion of our rights or failure | to give us a proper atonement for a
 wrong done before severing diplomatic i relations. It is no small matter to | plunge country into war and I can
 not, as an American citizen, feel that | we would be at all safe, from blunders made in haste if we weHe in the hands
 of people of the stamp of Theodore
 Roosevelt.
 For Preparedness Principle | ''As to preparedness, MT. Wilson. as I far as I can judge, is in principle for | preparedness. He has addressed the | people on that subject. How we are
 to attain preparedness is a matter o1
 detail. For my part I share MT. Gar rison's views as to the system the Gov ernment should adopt, and regret that l MT. Wilson takes a different view as