Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-29
Woodrow Wilson
AS | Know Him
BY JOSEPH p. TUMULTY
CHAPTER Nj
Executive Leadership

| was firmly in the saddle. HIS lead
ership had been tested, and only
the fragments of the "Old Guard
machine were left. The road was
thus cleared of all obstacles in his
own party that might be put in the
way of his program OF constructive
legislation. In his first message he
| discussed the major part of his pro-
gram.
CIr. Tumulty here quotes Cover
nor Wilson's message.)
Having delivered this message,
which contained a full and detail
| ed discussion of his whole program,
he applied himself with great en-
ergy and industry to the task OF
preparing the bills for introduction
| in the senate and house. Not con-
tent with the mere delivery OF his
message, he put himself entirely at
| the disposal of the members of the
| legislature and industriously applied
| himself to this task of preparation
until the following measures: Regu-
Iation of Public Utilities, Corrupt
Practices Act, Direct Primaries Act,
and the Employers Liability Act
were in shape to be introduced.
Overcoming Opposition
While his leadership was vim
Dictated as a result of the Smith
MARITIME fight the contest had I'M
doubtedly left many bitter scars
and enmities which soon manifest
ed themselves in the unfriendly at
titude of the Smith men in the legls-
I1lature toward the new governor, and
particularly toward his program OF
constructive legislation. For while
after the election of MARITIME they
seemed subdued and cheerfully re-
signed to defeat, but when the new
governor launched his legislative
program they began eagerly to at
tack it in many subtle ways. While
| there were some members OF this
group who honestly opposed the
governors program because of their
| conservative tendencies, the major
| ity of the opposition were bent upon
putting it to sleep" because, for
sooth, it bore the Wilson label. The
new governor quickly grasped the
full significance of the situation
and openly challenged the OPPOSE
ton. To accomplish his purpose he
did an unprecedented thing. He in
vited the Democratic members OF
! the legislature to meet him IN the
! supreme court room OF the state
| house, and there, face to face, he
| laid before them various items OIL
| his program and challenged the op-
position to lay their cards on the
| table. In the course or TINS confer
| ence one of the leaders of the SMITH
: Nugent faction expressed his DIS
satisfaction with the whole program,
challenging the new governors right
Of
even intimating that his presence
at the conference was an unconstl-
| tl1tional act which might subject
| him to Impeachment. The new gov
ernor, undisturbed by this criticism.
turned to the gentleman who had
challenged his right to be present
| at the conference and said:
"You can turn aside from the
measure if you choose; you can de-
cline to follow me; you can deprive
me of office and turn away from
me, but you cannot deprive me of
power so long as l steadfastly stand
for what I believe to be the inter-
ests and legitimate demands OF the
people themselves. I beg you to re-
member, in this which promises to
be an historic conference, you are
settling the question of the power
or impotence, the distinction or the
ignominy of the party to which the
people with singular generosity have
offered the conduct Of their az
fairs"
Some of the members of the legls'
lature came to my office after this
conference and told me of the great
speech the governor had just de.
livered and how defiantly he had
met the attack Of his enemies. This
| caucus gave an emphatic indorse
ment of his legislative program
and in a few weeks the house OF
assembly had acted upon it, and
the various bills which constituted
his entire program were on their
way to the Republican senate. How
to induce favorable action at the
hands of the Republican senate was
a problem. There were very few
members of the senate whose ideals
and purposes were in agreement
with those of the governor.
Talking to the Republicans
When the bills reached the senate
the governor began daily confer
.ences with the Republican members
of that body, discussing with them
the items of his program and urg
I ing speedy dCIlOI1 uPOlA S1ASAAA' 49,
a mart of the program of inducing
the Republicans to support MN
a friend of mine who was on the
inside of the Republican situation
reported to me that it was the opln
ion in the Republican ranks tina
the new governor was too much
professor and doctrinaire; that n
was lacking in good-fellowship ant
companionship; that while the mem
bers of the legislature who ha(
conferred with him had found hin
open and frank, they thought Their
was a. GOODNESS and an austerlt,
about him which held the governo
aloof and prevented that intimate
contact that was so necessary II
working out the program we MAJ
outlined.
We finally decided that the faul
Law in the lack of social intimacy be
tween the new governor and tn
members Of the legislature. In m
social and official contact with MI
Wilson 1 had always found him mos
: genial and agreeable. When we wer
at luncheon or dinner at the oil
Sterling hotel in Trenton, he woul
never burden our little talks by an
weighty discussion of importan
matters that were pending befor
him. He entirely forgot all bus
ness and gave himself over to tn
telling of delightful stories. How t
make the real good-fellowship 9
; the man an asset in dealing with tn
members Of the senate was a prot
. lem. 1 very frankly told him on
day at luncheon that many men
, bers of both legislative bodies fel
, that he was too stiff and academi
AMI that they were anxious 10 fin
out for themselves if there was
| more human side to him. In orcie
to give him an opportunity to ovel
come this false impression, we az
: ranged a delightful dinner at tn
: Trenton Country club, to which W
iryiteG both Democratic and PrDut