Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-03
Woodrow Wilson
AS | Know Him
BY JOSEPH p. TUMULTY
CHAPTER XII g.
(Continued
Reaction Toward Wilson

hSdCtIOu lOWdFu WILSON
Suddenly. as if over night, the in
evitable reaction in favor of Cover
nor Wilson began to set in. The
| continued pounding and attacks of
| the reactionary press soon convinced
the progressives in the ranks of the
Democratic party that Wilson was
| being unjQstly condemned because
he had courageously spoken what
many believed to be the truth. At
this critical stage of affairs thing
happened which routed his enemies.
One of the leading publicity men of
the Wilson forces in Washington,
realizing the damage that was being
done his chief, inspired a story,
through his Washington newspaper
friends, that Wilson was being glib.
beted because he refused to accept
the support of Wall street interests
which Harvey and Watterson had Of
fered him, and that his refusal to
accept their offer was the real cause
of the break. This new angle of
the Harvey-Watterson episode work
ed a complete reversal of opinion.
TIE clever work of this publicity
man in turning the light on what
he conceived to be the real purpose
of the Harvey-Watterson conference
probably did injustice to these two
gentlemen, but at all events it gave
weight to the impression in the
minds of many people throughout
the country that the real reason for
the break was Mr.. Wilson's refusal
to bow the knee to certain eastern
financial interests that were under
stood to be behind Harper's Weekly.
The tide quickly turned against
Colonel Harvey and Marse Henry
Watterson. Marse Henry, alone in
his suite at the New Willard Hotel
at Washington, and the Colonel,
away off in his tower at Deal, N. j.,
were busily engaged in explaining
to the public and attempting, III
heroic fashion to extricate them
selves from the unfortunate impli-
cations created by the story of the
Wilson publicity man. What ap-
peared at first blush to be a thing
that would destroy the candidacy
of the New Jersey governor had
been, by clever newspaper manipu-
lation, turned to his advantage and
aid.
WattersOn's Comments
When the bitterness and rancor.
caused by this unfortunate incident
had happily passed away, Colonel
Watterson and I met at a delight
full dinner at Harvey's restaurant in
Washington and discussed the "old
fight The young fellow who had
inspired the story which so griev-
ously distressed Marse Henry and
Colonel Harvey was present at this
dinner. Marse Henry was in fine
spirits, and without showing the
slightest trace of the old bitterness,
rehearsed the details of this now
famous incident in a witty, sports
manlike and good-natured way, and
at it's conclusion he turned to my
newspaper friend and laughingly
| said: "You damn rascal, YOU were
that scoundrel who sent out the
| story that Harvey and were try
| ing to force Wall Street money on
| Wilson. However, old man, it did
| the trick. If it had not been for
| the clever use you made of this in
| cident, Wilson never would have
been president"
While the Harvey Watterson cpl.
| sode ended as above related, there
| is no doubt that Woodrow Wilson
| deeply regretted the whole matter,
and, so far as he was concerned,
LIlOLS was liz 1CCl1llS5 Oll 11lo pclI Va
unfriendliness or bitterness toward
| Colonel Harvey. Indeed, he feSt
Colonel Harvey had unselfishly de.
voted himself to his cause in the
early and trying days of his candi-
dacy, and that Harvey's support of
him was untouched by selfish inter-
| ests of any kind. In every way he
| tried to soften the unfortunate i'm
| preston that had been made on the
country by what many thought was
an abrupt, ungracious way of treat
| ing a friend. An incident in con-
nection with this matter is worth
| relating:
One day at the conclusion of the
| Tuesday cabinet meeting, the presi-
| dent and I fingered at the table, as
was our custom, and gossiped about
| the affairs of the administration and
the country. These discussions were
intimate and frank in every way.
A note in the social column OF
one of the leading papers of Wash
ington carried the story that Colo
mel Harvey's daughter, Miss Doro.
thy Harvey, was in town and was
a guest at the home of Mrs. Champ
Clark. I took occasion to mention
| this to the president, suggesting
that it would be a gracious thing
on his part and on the part of
Mrs. Wilson to invite Miss Harvey
| to the Sayrc-Wilson wedding, which
| was scheduled to take place a few
days later, hoping that in this way
an opening might be made for the
resumption Of the old relationship
between the Colonel and Mr.. Wilson.
The president appeared greatly in.
terested in the suggestion, saying
that he would take it up with Mrs
| Wilson, at once, assuring me that
1t could be arranged. When saw
how readily he acted upon this sug
gestion, I felt that this was an op
ening for full, frank discussion
Of the matter of his relations with
Colonel Harvey.
approached the subject in this
way:
For a long time, I have wanted
to discuss Colonel Harvey with you
There is no doubt, governor, that
this unfortunate episode did not sit
we'll on the stomach of the Ameri
can people. Whether you believe it
or not, the country resented your at.
titude toward your old friend, and
out of this incident an impression
has grown which is becoming strong
er with each day that you pay lit
tie regard to friendship and the OBJ
legations that grow out of it. I have
been hoping that in some way the
old relationship could be resumed
and that you would feel free at some
time in public way to attest your
real feeling for Colonel Harvey, al
least by way OF reciprocation for the
genuine way he stood by you in the
old days in New Jersey.
Ambassadorsbiu Offered
The president looked at me in the
most serious way, apparently weigh
ing every word I uttered, and said
"You are right, Tumulty. Unfortu
nate impressions have been created
What can I do for Colonel Harvey