The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-04
THE PRESIDENT-MADE ISSUE
OF PARTISAN POLITICS.
why One Good Hereditary Democrat
Is Compelled TO Abdfeste.

Is Compelled 10 Abdteste.
To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Sir; My
forefathers were Democrats and l have
tried hard to be one. but at last
give II up. However, am an American
citizen ana back the United States and
Its President to the limit In this war.
Had Mr. Wilson never given out any
other note or message than the one
issued when we entered the war. !, like
the boys lover there with their trusted
officers, would have followed him to
hell"
But / don't want to do that with
MI Wilson the Politician. I hate to
associate the name Wilson the Presi-
dent with the term Politician. 20 I will
call the Politician Mr.. Frank Mayinott ;
and. frankly. may I not do SOY
With the main exception Of the mes
sage named. which was that Of Mr..
Wilson. our honored and trusted Presi-
dent. l have seldom been able to fol-
low the notes and messages given out
by Mr. Frank Mayinott, the Politician.
There seems to have been often n
halting indecision, a preparation for the
taking of either horn of dilemmas: n
muddying OF the waters.
What il the real cause7 Is II that
Mr.. Wilson. the President, the Scholar,
the man of brilliant intellect. at times
under the uplifting pressure of a whole
magnificent nation evolves q high ma
jestlc quality which gives true express
sion to a national unanimity OF thought.
that he Is in fact mentally upllfted to
high. supernormal plane?
And Is II, then. In periods of mental
| reaction. that Frank Mayinott in
sinuates himself into the lions skin. and
where he Is there appearances of OPP
portunism, of demagogism. of wabbling
and weakness impress the eye of the
careful observer
| The Diplomacy. the Policy, tho Poll
+ ties even (may not one, at least now,
say Politics?), OF our esteemed President
have often seemed to be sui generis.
| May not frankly coin a word and call
them wilmsey?
They are wllsy, willy. wise, slim. The
e" Is added to this Portmanteau solely
to permit the word WISE" because
believe IT to be at times fully justified.
think II was and is Frank Mayinott
who degenerated what should have
been good straight Wilson into
Wilmsey
1t was Mr.. Frank Maylnott who told
me l could not even think as TO the
causes and principles OF this war. who
now tells me that cannot use my
own judgment in voting. In other
words, that am not an American
citizen.
Thank God there were spokesman
for all OF US plain American Citizens
whose names as individuals do not
count spokesman in the first instance
such as Beck. Thayer. Roosevelt. Gard
ner. and in this present instance such
as Lodge. Roosevelt, Taft and THE
Sun.
Frank Mayinott has no vision, Is
superficial. cannot probe primal causes
| nor read the hearts of men. Does he
have a heart himself. and even so does
he stand at ease. resting upon basic
principles. waiting calmly for time
Justification. or Is he a manufactured
machine. n Pigment OF the mind?
! is he not equipped with an alarming
! facility. willy and sinister, to faster
upon the brilliant brain and powerful
faculties OF our President. Using them
with such dsxterity that whatever he
does is still perfect. in Its way a gem?
Even as the last pronunciamento was
the perfection OF unwisdom and short
sghtedness.
Even so was the war message of our
President, conceived and brought to the
waiting world in April, 1917--as fo4
that message. neither to-day, nor time
nor History shall add or take ava,
a word to mar its beauty-the ground
and polished Jewel Of perfection in IS
solemnly adequate expression of the sou
of great people at the final fatal mo.
ment OF a crisis; and yet such a one
| as Frank Mayinott might have made
of that crisis wavering, wabblinl
failure.
Let us not he bitter, nor pursue this
shadowy machinelike parsonage in toe
deep analysis-and let It be understood
he Is not to be COMPOUNDED with any sin.
gle human friend or adviser of our Pres
ident-but let US, at least frankly, and
may we not say safely, hope that never
again will this elusive entity harass the
soul of our President or assume TO Itself
the superficial garment OF his keen and
powerful mentality.
Nevertheless, being American citizen.
We will do our own thinking, even a,
We do our own Fighting.
During the long period from 1914 L
1917 many OF US suffered from the in
ability to perform n duty TO ourselve.
In giving full expression TO our beliefs
To-day we would feel recreants indeed
false 10 the fathers who could fight II
the Revolutionary wars. who could b,
Democrats during the civil war and We
active in sustaining President Lincoln
and false TO sons fighting in this grea
fight were we not to go on record some
where, publicly. ROBERT H MuNsoN.
NEW York, November 2.