The Washington herald., 1920-03-10
Insistence Upon Personal
Fight, with League Sub
mitted to Popular Ref
erendum, Expected as
Aftermath of Letter.
DEALISM LINKED
WITH LIBERALISM
Presidents Past Inclination
Against Prohibition
Counted Upon as Factor
In Determining Course
He VIII Pursue.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Woodrow Wilson, as a third-term
candidate on a platform of Ideal
ism, consistency and liberalism
loomed larger last night on the
Democratic party horizon than at
any time during the last six months.
The Presidents stubborn stand on
treaty compromise forces his poll
tical associates to revise an their
calculations about HIS intentions to-
ward another candidacy.
They admitted yesterday that his
letter to Senator Hitchcock makes
virtually inevitable the great and
solemn referendum" which he de-
manded on jackson Day and makes
it almost equally unacceptable that
he throw himself into the breach as
the embodiment of the issue.
@Pepo I'm President.
When the President returned on
Monday from his automobile drive,
DIR. Grayson said it had left him
full of pep" The Presidential ply
sician punched his clenched right
fist into the palm of his left hand,
a la Roosevelt, to indicate exactly
what he meant.
Democratic politicians in WASH
ington have come to the conclusion
that Grayson's diagnosis probably
applies to Mr.. Wilson's political as
well as his corporeal being. They
are convinced that he is spelling
for the fight of his life. They do
not doubt that he is prepared to
make IL. if necessary, fight for his
life. >.
! .Thoush.t the. sDsssident's partissns
realize the handicap with which he
would start as a third-term nom4-
nee. they point out that WOODROW
Wilson's career proves that ne Is
fearless disrespecter of precedents.
Some Smashed Precedents.
He smashed precedents by COINS
to the Capitol to present his mes
sage to Cngress- He smasheo
precedents by asking the country TO
vote the Democratic ticket in sup
nort of his peace program. He
American territory for six months
to attend the Peace Conference. He
is not believed to be any more
idolatrous a worshipper of the anti
third-term fetish than of the other
precedents he broke with.
Finally, and chiefly. his support
ers explain, he would desert that
precedent on higher and more jus
Unable grounds than on any of the
other occasions. He would assail
il in the name of American idealism,
political consistency and PERSONAL
rights liberalism.
Students of fast-moving national
events lay stress on the personal
rights liberalism" which, they say,
would be the third paramount plank
in the wilsonian third-term plat
FORM 1t refers, of course. to prohi-
bition and may be the key to the
situation now thought to be develop
ling. The Presidents position on the
liquor question has been thoroughly
consistent. He has always revealed
wet leanings. He asked Congress in
vain to repeal wartime prohibition.
He vetoed the Volstead enforcement
act. He is an adherent. on prin-
ciple, of the ancient Democratic
doctrine of State rights, though he
favored Federal enactment of wom-
ems suffrage.
On Semi-Wet PIatform.
II Mr.. Wilson consented to run on
semi-wet platform. his readiness
to moisten the prohibition law to the
extent of beer and light wines would
be sheer political strategy. 1t would
frankly be a vote-catching recourse.
His heart would be in the fray
primarily for the sake of the in
ternational ideals to which. as his
letter to Senator Hitchcock shows,
he believes America is irrevocably
committed.