The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1918-12-12


with crisis in his own career both
as the leader of the Democratic
party and the representative of
America at the Peace Conference.
Briefly, there is dissatisfaction
and discomfort inside the Democratic
party of which the public has
hitherto had no hint, but which. il
left uncorrected by the President
himself, will mean that as he goes
to Europe he will leave behind a
! detected and depressed following
whose enthusiasm for him will have
been seriously diminished.
Men who are not otiiceholders but
unselfish friends of the President
are grieved and disappointed. They
are not Republicans, they are not
MS political foes, but they are the
men who helped elect him in 1912
and in 1915, and they are talking
earnestly among themselves about
what can be done to make the Tresi-
dent see that he must clear house.
I ;llat he must Ieorganisa mis- entire
Cabinet and that he must, indeed,
reorganize the Democratic party in
Congress so that he will have ad-
yisers in the Executive branch of
the Government and leaders in the
Legislative branch who are in SYM
pathy with the true wishes and
spirit of the American people.
After talking with dozens of these
men, the names of any one of whom,
If published, would carry the con-
viction that they are seeking only
things which will help and not hurt
the President, one gets consensus
OF opinion which is unmistakable.
Here and there are suggestions of
method which differ, here and there
are different degrees of dissatisfac-
tion, but, put categorically, these
are some of the mistakes which the
President himself is declared to have
made or to be making today:
First, the President in his absorb
tion in foreign questions, has gotten
out of touch with the true spirit Of
America on domestic questions. He
has listened to small group of ad-
visers who have had his ear to the
exclusion of the greater group of
friends who come from the Middle
West and West and sections of the
East where people. are finding it diff
flcult to reconcile the brand of de-
mocracy which Mr.. Wilson preached
at the outset of his Administration
with the retention Of distinctly auto
cratic and bureaucratic advisers and
with his own seclusiveness.
Second, the friends of the Presi-
dent are unable to understand why
George Creel should be taken to
Europe as the head of any commit
tee on public information when Mr..
Creel, Notwithstanding his fine per-
sonality and close personal friend
ship for the President and sympathy
with the Wilson ideas, has lost the
confidence of the American press,
and thereby the people
| Third, the friends of Mr.. Wilson
believe grave mistake was made
in announcing the dispatch of Mr..
Creel to Europe at the same time
that Postmaster Burleson
was permitted to take over control
of the Atlantic cables. These things
| have been denounced as Colossal
blunders,' not merely by Republi-
cans, but by Mr.. Wilson's most loyal
friends, who mean nothing personal
by it either.
Fourth they believe that Mr. Will
sons Cabinet is superannuated, and
in a rut, and that the resignation of
William Gibbs Mc.doo deprives the
| Administration of one of it's most ef-
hcient public servants, and that the
President should have never per-
| mitted him to resign until after re-
construction was well under way, or
at least Mr.. Wilson had returned
from Europe.
Fifth, they consider that Southern
domination in Congress and else
where will prove fatal to the Demo-
cratic party's chances to regain the
confidence of Western electorates.
Sixth, they are deeply disap-
pointed that Mr.. Wilson himself
should have kept himself aloof from
nel from various States, who have
sought to aid him in the past, and
that he should have depended so
much on his own judgment or the
advice of small group of pro-
vincially minded advisers.
Seventh, and most important of
ell there is deep-rooted feeling
that Mr. Wilson has not taken ac-