The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-12-30
PRESIDENT WILSON'S RECORD
Never Any Basis for Supposed Per
sonal Popularity


correspondent of the New York Globe.
sends the following to his paper:
Opinion is settling down to some
hing like conclusions about what the
election results meant To the Ques-
lion, What happened SO suddenly to
lissipate the Presidents immense
the commonest answer
is that 1T never existed" The expla-
nation is interesting, running some
what thus
The President, first of all, was not
the choice of the convention that
nominated him in 1912. There had
been nationwide contest for dele
gates as result of which Champ
Clark attained majority of votes in
the convention on several ballots.
The two-thirds rule beat him. and
Bryan and other forces made the con-
yention nominate a man who was not
its real choice II was anything but
a proof of popularity within the DEM
ocratic party.
Then came the Republican split I
and the election Wilson seemed GER
tain to win and therefore might have 4
Uttll tADtCltu ~ VIII itCdtligf AldHhS
the band-wagon vote. But, in fact he
received fewer votes than Mr.. Bryan
ever received. Likewise. no striking
testimony of popular strength.
one-Man Administration
Seventeen months after lie took Of
fee the war broke over Europe. II
was long enough Tor AIr Wilson to
make apparent that his was to be a
)2e-man administration. Toward the
war he maintained policy of aloof-
ness long after the body Of intelligent
opinion had become convinced that
aloofness was impossible, He did not
prepare He wrote letters about the
Lusitania Instead OF recognizing our
inevitable involvement and leading
public opinion toward the same recog
milton, he refused TO see the inev-
table. or 70 admit il after he had seen
t. He was a candidate for reelection
In 1916 and made his campaign on the
argument that he had kept us out Of
war" and therefore could be expected
to continue keeping us out; yet things
that have since become public prop
erty make it impossible 10 believe that
he expected, If elected. to maintain
the peace for many months.
Attitude Toward the War
Had his attiuoe toward the war
prior to the 1916 election been a Wig
orous one. calculated to prepare the
public mind for what was coming, he
might have been reelected by an EN-
phatic majority as war president
instead he barely won Oh a fuke as
peace president and then promptly
look the country into war, The pa
;ihsts We're angry because they had
been Nmisled; the war party when il
knew the whole situation was dis
pleased that we had not prepared and
: got into the struggle earlier All this
I'D not make for popularity.
He'ng al last in the war the admin
istratiye management OF IL for more
man year did not command conf
dence The aircraft ordnance and
other exposures OF ineffective man
J agement. Offset lie administration
claim TO recognition for much OF use
/ tul work such as the seiective ser
ice act Prejudice grew Up against
/. 90 much southern domination of the
4 government Kitchen Dent. Clark
!. and others were loads for the party
q o carry
J. A Surprise for me Democrats
Despite 1t all. the great army was
sent 70 Europe. and in the glamour oI
military successes abroad the politica
,ampaign at home opened. It looked
% most Democrats Ike walkoyel
: .or their party. As the campaign ad
RANGED il became increasingly appar
T. eat that the party was somehow veal
e when 1t had eXpe cted 10 be Strong
O People were looking behind the events
d " the batilehclds: they had the earl
er record in mind. and were not lin
j ng up for the party Misgivings de
n ycloped into panic and in response {,
Il many urgings the President wrote IN,
d unfortunate appeal for election OF ;
:. Democratic Congress.
Last in War-rirst IN Peace"
4 Along with this and likewise un
s fortunate in It's effect on the public
q mind. was the correspondence will
:. Germany, preliminary 10 the arms
tice Last in war, hrts In peace
was vicious gibe. but Il reiiecte,
y the bitterness widely felt that IN,
y President should have lent himself 4
he purposes of the Central power
=. when they were near collapse. Pee
" Die harked back TO the anti.war att
" tudp ~ the President during the frs
half of the struggle; to the failure {,
prepare either public morale or mil
~ ,ary material and they Gid not lik
H.
~ Democrats hoped to the end tina
o the curious superstition about III
~ Presidents great personal strengt
III with the country would he justiie
H. in the results There really was ne,
y er amy basis for that superstition
The convention OF 1912 did not sho,
. him strong with his party, the ele,
III ton of that year counted fewer vote
n for him than Bran over polled; IN
So 1916 election was saved BY false /,
III que and fluke. and not TN the ele,
Id ton of 1918 did this remarkable caree
come to the real test Of fair tryou
Is before the people with the issues reas
L. ably clear and no adventliious circun
. stances Intervening 10 prevent disa,
ter \ series of accidents had give
rise 10 the tradition of the Wilson 20
ular hold. which in truth never exist
ed One straighi.out test on rccor
ID and a set OF plain issues proved il hO
. npx,r gNtUfaH