Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-06-08
.L0WELLS'S PICTURE
OF IDEAL PRESIDENT
Editors Specifications for the
Man of the Hour Written
Before Wilson's Time.

{ When the editor of The North
American Review was requested to
present his conception of the Ideal
President" says Colonel George Har-
Vey In the current issue of that maya
zine, .'he took pen in hand and wrote
the following:
1T * by presence OF mind in untried
emergencies that the native metal of
"A man Is tested IL is by the sagacity
to see, and the fearless honesty to
admit, whatever OF truth there may
be in an adverse opinion, I'm order
more convincingly to expose the fall
lacy that turks behind IL. that a rea-
sonor at length gains for his mere
statement of "A fact the force of argu-
ment: II is by wise forecast which
/ allows hostile combinations to go so
far as by the inevitable reaction to
become elements Of his own power
that a politician proves his genius for
state-craft; and especially 1t is BY so
gently guiding public sentiment that
he seems to follow IT, by SO yielding
doubtful points that he can he firm
without seeming obstinate in essential
ones. and thus gain the advantages Of
compromise without the weakness OF
concession; by so instinctively com
pretending the temper and prcjudices
OF n people as to make them gradually
conscious of the superior wisdom of
his freedom from temper and pre-
judice.-it Is by qualities such as
these that magistrate shows himself
worthy to be chief In common
wealth of freemen.
1T is fitting to remark forthwith
| that the editor-whose name, by the
| way was James Russell Lowell-did
not have our present chief magistrate
in the eye of his mind" continues
Colonel Harvey; 'it is indeed more
/ than fitting: 1t is necessary, we are
! proud and happy to say, In the light
of the great declaration Of Woodrow
! Wilson, which will live In history ms
no less striking in substance and In
! form than that of Thomas jefferson
and quite as far-reachnig I'm conse-
quences 10 humankind as the pro-
nouncement to King John of the
| barons OF England. THAT is much 10
say, but not too much.
A Man of Destiny.
I'VE ask our readers to reflect
upon the constantly changing condi-
tions and the swinging back and forth
of the pendulum of public opinion
during the past two and half years;
TO recall the lack of personal interest
and the sense of aloofneSs which per-
months of the war; to imagine the
disastrous consequences which surely
would have attended for "A time our
sudden entrance upon the scene OF
! conflict In response to gust of pas
sion. TO reckon the enormous gain
derived from the exercise of unpre-
Cedentcd patience and foTbearance, to
calculate the lnestimable practical ad-
vantages which have accrued from
the great enhancement Of our ma
terial resources and from the op-
portunity TO profit from the mistakes
OF both the enemy and our allies; to
note the gentle guiding Of pubic
sentiment i.to the channels OF right
oousness for the sake OF righteousness
and the gradual building up in the
common consciousness OF conviction
that there was no escape from per-
formance of a duty essential 10 the
salvation of the life, liberty and hap
piness of all mankind, TO watch the
realization at the psychological mo-
ment of that unity Of America so
| earnestly besought In the inaugural
address; and then to study the results
of the presidents course, strange tho
at times II has seemed, with heed to
| Mr.. Lowell's penetrative conception
of n magistrate worthy to he chief In
a commonwealth of freemen, and ac-
cord both honor and praise to the
man who was not only chosen and
re-chosen by the people but, to our
mtNd was clearly predestined by God
to meet intelligently. masterfully and
Heaven grant in the end successfully
the greatest emergency in the history
of the world"