Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-23
CHAPTER XLIII
Princeton Episode Recalled

CHAPTER XLIII
Princeton Episode Recalled
recall my own antagonism to him
in New Jersey when was engaged,
as now certain of his enemies are
engaged, in attacking him, and I re-
call how my opposition abated and
altogether disappeared by the re-
cital of the controversy among the
Princeton trustees that arose over
the now-famous Proctor gift. I was
discussing the Princeton professor
with this old friend one day, and
said to him that I suspected that
Wall street interests were back of
his candidacy for the governorship.
My friend said, "Tumulty, you are
wrong. There is no C1nWholesome in
terest or influence back of Wilson.
I tell you he is fine fellow, and if he
is elected governor he will be a free
man." He then cited the instance of
the Princeton fight over the Proctor
gift. 1t will be recalled that Mr..
Proctor bequeathed to Princeton uni
Versity a large sum of money, but
attached certain conditions to the
gift that had to do. with the policy
or internal control of the university.
The gift was made at time when
Princeton was in sore need of funds.
President Wilson, in a prolonged
fight, bitterly waged by some who
had been his close personal friends,
persuaded the board of trustees to
vote, by a narrow margin, for re-
lection of the gift on the grounds
that a great educational institution
could not afford to have it's internal
policies dictated by purchase on the
- Il DIV lit
he alienated from his leadership
Princeton alumni, especially in the
larger eastern cities, but he stood
like a rock on the principle that the
educational policy of college must
be made by those authorized to make
it and not changed at the bidding of
wealthy benefactors. This was a
convincing answer to my attack
upon the Princeton professor.
This same moral courage was Civ.
en- free play on many an occasion
during our intimacy. 1t was made
manifest in the famous Panama tolls
fight, at a time when he was warned
that a fight made to rectify mistakes
in the matter of Panama tolls would
destroy his political future.
A Fair Fighter
He was always a fair fighter and a
gentleman throughout every contest
he engaged in. Many unkind and I'M
true things were said about Wood
row Wilson from the time he entered
politics, but there is one charge that
has never been made against him,
and that is the charge of untruthful-
ness or hitting below the belt" No
one in the country during his eight
years at the White House ever
charged him with making an I'M
true statement. No politician or
statesman ever said that Wilson had
broken a promise, though many have
complained that he would not make
promises.
In the matter of promises I never
met a man who was so reluctant
to give a promise, especially in the
matter of bestowing office upon
willing candidates. I have known
him on many occasions to make up
his mind for months in advance to
appoint a certain man, and yet he
would not say so to his most init
mate friends who urged it. Speak
ing to me one day about the matter
of promises, he said: 1.-THE thing to
do is to keep your mind open until
you are bound to act. Then you
have freedom of action to change
your mind without being charged
with bad faith"
One reason for the charge made
against him of GOODNESS and "po
litical ingratitude" was that he
steadfastly refused to barter public
offices for political support. He is
l. h nXTinfinI0
utterly opposed to the 'spoils sys-
tenn" He considers government the
peoples business to be conducted
as such and not as matter Of per
sonal exchange of political favors
Nor can those who failed to get
from him what they fancied their
political services earned complain
truthfully that they were deceived
by him into supposing that he shar
ed their own opinion of their des
erts. Frequently they had explicit
warning to the contrary. There
was the case of Jim Smith and the
New Jersey machine, for instance
When those gentlemen paid the
president of Princeton university an
unsolicited call to suggest that he
be candidate for the Democratic
nomination for the governorship OF
New Jersey, Mr.. Wilson, after
thanking them for the compliment,
with disconcerting directness asked
Gentlemen, why do You want me
as the candidate? They replied, be-
cause they believed he could be
elected and they wanted a Demo
cratic governor. He asked why
they believed he could be elected, he
who had never held any public Of
flee. They answered that the people
of New Jersey would have conf
dence in him. "Precisely," said Mr..
Wilson. "They will have confidence
in me because they will believe that
I am free of the political entangle'
ments which have brought distress
to New Jersey, because they are
tired of political bargain and sale
because they want their govern
ment delivered back into their hands
They want a government pledged to
nobody but themselves. Now, DOM
you So. gentlemen, that if should
consider your flattering suggestion
I must be what the people think
am. I must be free to consider
nothing but their interests. Their
must be no strings tied to YOUR pro