Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-14
CLAIM ENEMIES ARE USING
HIS ILLNESS TO PROVE HE
is UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE
Personal Hatred Held at
Bottom of Propaganda
Against President.
by DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus)

washington, ID. e., OCT. l4.-NOth-
ing less than a contest between
President Wilson and the bitterest
Of his opponents In the United
States has arisen for possession Of
public confidence. First 1t came
with the League of Nations as an
issue-now the question IS being
projected whether Mr.. Wilson is
able at all to discharge the duties
of the presidency because OF his
illness. Ordinarily the indiBposi-
tion Of president might be regard
ed as a personal matter. But such
is the intensity of feeling on the
part of those who would like to
see Mr.. Wilson out OF the presi-
dency that rather than wait for
March, 1921, some of them have
sponsored a movement to get Mr
Wilson out of office by applying
the constitutional provisions about
presidential succession in the event
of executive inability
RumOrs Run Wild.
Rumor after rumor has been sent
out of the cloakrooms OF the United
States senate giving the impression
that the president is unable now TO
discharge the duties of his ONCE
and that he never will be able TO
do so again. Senator Brandegee Of
Connecticut, Republican, went so
far in a public speech as to tnsinu-
ate that a signature on a public
document recently sent by the pres
ident to the senate, was not written
by Woodrow Wilson. Senator
Moses of New Hampshire, another
Republican, admits the authenticity
of letter written by him TO a con-
stituent in which he speaks of the
presidents having suffered a Ger
ebTal lesion" and while he may
get well, he will not be any ma
terial force or factor IN anything"
A man high in administration coun-
ellis is authority for the statement
that a certain Republican senator
called in two or three newspaper
men recently and told them to be
sure and put 1t into their articles
that the president was out OF his
mind. The same official fairly
burned with indignation as he de-
scribed the rumors about the pres
ident's health as "a deliberate
in which the hope that
the president may be disabled is
Resentment at the tao
tics OF the presidents opponents
was encountered on every side. Il
am a party politician" said one
official, and I know
there are many things one can do
in a political fight, but II this is
a prize fght-why not have Marquis
htF he
low the beIt?"
No Expression of Sympathy.
The president has been in bed
just two weeks During that in
teryal the senate has not passed
any resolution of sympathy or eX-
pressed any solicitude for the pres
ident's health Individual sena-
tors, many OF them Republicans.
have inquired personally OF by let
ter. and have offered their SYM
pathy, but a minority on the Re
side has seized the oppor-
tunity TO spread the impression
first. that Mr.. Wilson broke down
because his western trip was q
fizzle; second, that be has been out
OF mis- mind for some time, and
third, that the facts about the pres
ident's true condition have been
carefully concealed. The words OF
the eminent physicians who have
attended the president have not been
regarded as sufficient They have
been openly accused OF camoufage.
A persistent effort TO smoke out the
into denials OF all sorts
OF stories and rumors has been
met by a stubborn refusal on tho
part Of these physicians even to
authorize denials Of specific rumors.
They haven't wanted to add TO the
of these stories by dig
nifying them with denials. Yet the
to cast doubt on the Off
cial statement about the presidents
condition continues and some OF tho
widest tales and most absurd in
nuendoes have been brought here.
Personal Hatred mt Work.
What "a the animus behind 1t all?
II the feeling of bitterness between
Mr.. Wilson and some Of the men hc
has fought we're only an official
matter it would be difficult to say.
but the deepest personal hatredh1
the president has been grow IA
the minds of certain men ~
tol hill and in the pqssio IN
contest they haN
spread rumor 2 -
hope that the
on a relinqulshn
Of his offlce-it
Wilson's friend
than an effort
confidence In @
himself M M WWg E7r1
Many corresT - - - NJ t
taken into the
White house ID
condition and tf------------
est warrant for
Mr.. Wilson has SgfkNNn
raj lesion or q VHA
thing that has : A0O
"a