The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-11-10
Woodrow Wilson
Baltimore SUM.

Iouay the voters of the United
states will elect a successor to Wood
row Wilson,. Whatever the result of
the election, he will cease to be, after
March next, an active factor In
american politics. From tomorrow on
no 1orthep abuse or criticism Of him
VIII hurt the Democratic party or help
The Republican party.
Mr. Wilson is very i'll man. In
the New York Times of Sunday last
were printed statements regarding his
condition from several of the pro-
Leaguers who saw the president at
the White House few days ago. We
do not think any humane person can
read those statements without being
profoundly moved.
me presidents condition is directly
due to his devotion to duty. He has
quite literally spent his life's blood
In the interests Of the American peo-
pie as he saw them. In their behalf
ne cheerfully assumed burden great
er than he could bear, greater prob
apiy than any man could have borne
At bottom the criticisms, even of
1hose most violently hostile to him,
amount but to this, that he made a
splendid effort to achieve a noble pur-
pose-and failed. The last half Of that
statement will not be admitted by
mllilons OF his fellow citizens. They
teei' they know, that he has not failed,
out mas been gloriously successful.
But even If he has failed. is that a
1ustiflcation for abusing him for the
attempt? There are failures moro
sublime than successes.
But, say his opponents, it was nee
essary to fight him in order to put an
END to wisconsin" Perhaps so. from
their standpoint, But it was not nee
essary to abuse and malign him. AT
any rate, the time for fighting him is
over. He is no longer an active factor
in our politics.
Is II not matter Of mere justice,
matter Of comon decency, that with
today should end all these bitter at
tacks on q man who has been made
Ill by. faithful work for the people?
Isn't 1t appropriate and humane that
from now on his critical fellow-citi-
zens should think more of Wilson. the
man and less Of Wilson the Official?
1t is one Of the astounding illustra-
tions OF the cruelty Of partisan feeling
that the presidents illness and his
sufferings should not have evoked
more, and more sincere, expressions
OF sympathy, even from his political
opponents. "'.n. 80, -.
Mr. Wilson's greatest defect as q
politician has been his incapaciey in
the art OF self-advertisement. He has
no skill in those little artif1ces OF
which Mr. Roosevelt was a master,
which bring home to the wide public
the essential humanity Of men in the
pubic eye. The limited number of
men who have come into contact with
him personally rather than officially
MIR. Grasty. who spent some weeks
with him in the Paris white House;
Mr.. Tumulty, who has been in inti-
mate association with him since the
days OF the New Jersey governorship,
and many others--have, indeed, testi-
lied to his personal charm and his
warm human sympathies; but Mr..
Wilson has no capacity to project this
impression throughout the country as
D. whole. Newspaper men, at least,
who have seen so much OF the efforts
or politicians to advertise themselves,
Will account this quality to him as a
virtue. But 1t has prevented him from
becoming known as he is to the whole
people. " 3d.. ~ ,
Our greatest presidents have been
those who were the most greatly ma
hgned. Washington, Lincoln, Wilson
all OF them were made the targets
for the bitterest kind Of abuse and
Z fri 70 f,,
greatness that this should be So
strong men provoke strong antago-
nisms. But hasn't the day for this
sort OF thing as concerns Mr.. Wilson,
passed?
We have been talking from the
of those who have honestly
opposed Mr.. Wilson's policies. But
there is another standpoint. To mil
lions OF his countrymen Mr.. Wilson
has been for the last eight years an
and an ideal His ideals
and his policies have made life and
politics meaningful and purposeful to
them. They have made them feel that
politics is something more than
game and progress something more
than an illusion. There is no need to
appeal to them for an expression OF
their tribute Of loyalty and faith. But
for the others, hasn't the time come
for them to voice that sympathy which
Is this very great mans due and
which. at the bottom Of their hearts
thought, they must surely feel?
DEATH.