The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-21

OF DEN0CRATIC
FARLEY Barred.
Name Of Woodrow Wilson
Mentioned Only Once in
Platform.
BY oHARLEs pRooKs sMITH

" GSAAtAN14ON, u. W. 0ePt.
2o.-At last something of what
went on behind closed and care
fully guarded doors to the room Of
the committee of resolutions Of
the recent Democratic state con.
yention held at Charleston, W. Va.
has become automatically known.
What there is OF that knowledge
sheds an Illuminating ray OF light
on why 1t was that the party's
platform mentioned the name OF
Woodrow Wilson but once, and
dedicated but one brief and fleet
ing paragraph to the one and only
great leader that the party has.
This was the paragraph, it will
be recalled:
THE Democratic party Of West
Virginia In convention assembled
renews its allegiance to the prin-
ciples of the party set forth In its
national platform Of 1920, and us
exempltfied in the two admInistra.
lions Of Woodrow Wilson.
Only that and nothing more;
a touch and CO.; a lick and a
promise"
According to the story now be.
ing told by the state politicians 20
one another, this condensation
was not achieved without any on.
position. There were some Wilson
die hards" on the committee and
they stood out for a while against
what some of thom declared was
a cowardly display of weakness
and exaslon. Those who favored
the plank as 1t was reported and
adopted. It is said, invariably pre-
faced their main arguments for Its
adoption with earnest and devout
protestatlons that they were as
loyal Wilson men as any. loyal
Wilson men that walked the par
ticular part Of the earth occupied
by the United States of America
but thai ,unhappily and unfortun.
ately, Wilson was not a name
with which to conjure a majority
Of votes into the ballot boxes in
West Virginia, and that, for the
present, Wilson issues were dead,
temporarily at least, OF. probably
better expressed, merely sleping
They had 10 doubt, none in the
world, they solemnly averred.
that they would come to life and
with added yigor and vitality
again be passed on by the elector.
ate and triumphantly approved.
ETC.. etc.
he Wilson die hards" on the
committee couldn't see It at first
and they held out for some time,
turning more or less deaf ears to
the ingenious appeals founded
fundamentally upon expediep6v
and opportunism. 1t was during
the discussion that the suggestion
was, made that the convention
send a personal telegram full OF
hope and faith and professions OF
undylng loyalty to ex.President
Wilson. This was done later by
the convention at the suggestion
OF the committee. but 1t had no
connection whatsoever with the
platform, being neither part nor
parcel Of that document.
In the meantime. the discussion
went op in committee over what
TO say about Woodrow Wilson,
particularly the League Of Nations,
and how far to so in saying It.
Nominees OF the party were called
in to express their opinion. "0ne
OF them, George W. Johnson, con-
gressional nominee In the fourth
district, took very practical view
Of the matter, advising that the
committee adopt the plank which
tit finally did report and which Is
quoted above. However Mr..
Johnson did not do this until az
ter he had told what a red.hot.
deeply loyal Wilson man he was.
and to what great lengths Of per:
sonal sacrifice he would go to re-
store the fallen idol Of present
! day Democracy, and all that sort
OF thing. Mr.. Johnson, as any
one who knows the suave and
plausible George W. will testify,
is there forty ways from the ace
when It comes to that line.
Major Nicely, who is no SLOUGH
himself when 1t comes to that,
was also summoned before the
committee, But he failed to dc
Velop the subjects along the line
expected.>6t him, which was the,
line Mr. johnson followed. On tho
contrary according to the story
as the politicians get 1t, the willy
major skipped gracefully along the
edges. touching the main subject
in hand only remotely and with
the grace and llghtness of but
terfly's wing touching a blade Of
grass. He was not to be entrap-
ped, and he passed the buck, so
to speak up to the other nominees,
the committee, the convention,
and the wide, wide world.
Before he appeared II was e1-
pected by the S3rd degree Wilson
ians on the committee. and they.
by the way were a small minor.
ity, that The senatorial candidate
would take vigorous stand in
view Of his own platform which
he used so adroitly in capturing
the nomination. II he had nothing
new to add, they, at least, expect
ed and hoped that he would re-
peat with all his eloquent force
and eloeutionary grace those ring
ing averments OF his platform.
But nothing OF that kind happen
ed at all. He blasted their hopes
and completely annihilated their
expectations.
They had expected him to say,
as he had said In his primary