Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1921-03-03
The Passing OF Wilson.


Wilsone ends today. As was ,hs case
with George Washington when his
tern, OF Office as president sipi"ed.
Woodrow Wilson quits the White
House with his popularity at a lower
ebb perhaps than at any time since
he was inaugurated in 1913. Both
the first president and the one who
will tomorrow retire to private life
were the victims OF INSCRIPTIONS pol
iticians who let no opportunity pass
to question their motives or misrep-
resent their attitude on public mat
ters. Washington, unfortunately. did
not live to see the day when he was
universally proclaimed the republics
greatest citizen, and it may be that
Woodrow Wilson also will pass into
the beyond before the day of his pa
knowledged OF all men. But that
iday is coming as certainly. we think.
as the future promises return to
sane thinking. Wilson's place Is his
Toe contemporary politicians nor the
wilful Misrepresentation Of the little
minded Will dislodge him in the es-
TEEN Of millions of his fellow-coun-
trymen Of today or tarnsh the record
Of achievement future. generations
will acknowledge to be his. =.
A few days ago the press Of the
North was filled with articles euloyis-
tic of Abraham Lincoln. the occasion
being the anniversary OF Iincoln's
birthday. II one were credulous
enough to believe even half some Of
his extravagant admirers say Of him.
! Lincoln was demi-Bod and the
wonder Is they have not already be-
gun to worship him as one with
power to save, lost souls. He was
president at the TIME the South was
overcome by the North in the eos.
and that accounts for the absurd
Ideas Of the mans greatness. No one
after whom we have read has had
the hardihood to imagine any sort OF
similarity between Woodrow Wilson
and Abraham Lincoln. We are glad
OF this because any, such conclusion
would be without foundation in fact
and unjust to Wilson. Lincoln was
smart for his opportunities. but that
isn't saying much, because his oppor-
tunities were limited. Any man who
might have been president of the
United States during the Civil war
and had his life ended by an assassin.
would have been accounted a super
man In the North. Lincoln had no
such stupendous tasks to meet as
Woodrow Wilson successfully met
during the last four years. He could
not have done what Woodrow Will
son did in directing the country to
victory over the Germans In the
World war. Imagine Lincoln as the
chief spokesman or the allies at the
Paris peace conference! What q
sorry figure he would have cut with
his Jack, Of education and culture. 1t
Is well that the United States was not
represented at the conference by a
man OF the Lincoln type.
The South has peculiar reason for
regretting that President wilson 5
tenure Of office Is at an end. During
( lis administration our section has
been treated fairly. For the first
time since the days OF Grover Cleve-
land the representatives we have sent
to Washington have been given the
voice in the conduct OF government
affairs to which they were entitled.
No unjust or iniquitous laws have
been placed in the federal statutes to
hamper or impede the progress Of
our section and our people have been
4 consulted and their wishes needed In
the naming OF federal office holders
for this section. The South never
experienced another such era of pros
perity as was ours during 1917, 1918.
1919 and part Of 1890. Who was
in the White House during those
years and, to whose administration
are we indebted for the money that
then flowed 80 freely In our section?
Because we were not wise enough to
foresee that there would be an end
OF the prosperous times and d'd not
husband the opportunity to lay aside
for 'the rainy day." We should not
find fault with President Wilson. We
are In the. midst Of q business, dspsss-
sion and many are inclined to place
the blame where 1t should not be
placed. But while our people do
'act unwiseiy In the years OF plenty.
the real reason for the allowing down
or industry Hes not with the people
themselves nor with the president.
but with theRepubhcan United States
enate that refused to ratify the
)eacA treaty. This much at lsass We
I've the Republicans to thau9 FOR