Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-14

operations of their minds was made
clear in the campaign. No one
would wish to minimize the unusual
abilities Of Mr.. Hughes, but they
are the abilities of an adroit lawyer.
He makes points" He pleases those
minds which like cleverness and
finesse. He deals with international
affairs like an astute lawyer draw
ing brief. But has he ever quick
ened the nations pulse or stirred it's
heart by a single utterance? Did he
ever make any one feel that behind
the formalities of law, civil or in.
ternationally, he detected the heart
beats of humanity whom law is sup
posedly designed to serve? Mr.. viii.
son was not thinking of Mr.. Hughes,
but perhaps he was thinking of the
type of which Mr.. Hughes is an
eminent example when he said in
Paris, "This is not to be a lawyers
peace"
Every speech Of President Will
sons was, to use baseball phrase,
a home run for the Democratic side.
They were delivered without much
preparation and were purely extern
poraneous in character. The Re.
publican opposition soon began to
vince under the smashing blows de-
livered by the Democratic candidate.
and outward proof was soon given
of the fear and despair that was now
gathering in the Republican ranks.
With a few short trips to the west,
and his final speech 1T Long Branch,
President Wilson closed his cam
paign, with Democratic hopes on the
rise.
Election Day of 1916
The happenings of election day.
1916, will long linger in my memory.
I was in charge of the executive
offices located at Asbury Park, while
the president remained at Shadow
Lawn, awaiting the news of the first
returns from the country. The first
scattered returns that filtered into
the executive offices came from a
little fishing town in Massachusetts
early in the afternoon of election
day, which showed a slight gain for
the president over the lection re-
turns Of 1912. Then followed early
drifts from Colorado and Kansas
which showed great Wilson gains.
Those of us who were interested In
the presidents cause were made
jubilant by these early returns. Ev-
cry indication, though imperfect, up
to o'clock on the night of the cleo
ton, forecast the presidents re-elec'
ton.
In the early afternoon the presl-
dent telephohed the executive oftlces
to inquire what news we had recelV-
ed from the country, and he was ap'
prised of the results that had come
in up to that time. Then quickly the
tide turned against us in the MOST
unusual way. Between O'CLOCK
and 8 o'clock the returns slowly
came in from the east and middle
west that undeniably showed a drift
away from us.
About $50 o'clock in the evening
was seated in my office When
noise outside in the hallway attract
ed nv attention and gave me the
impression that something unusuai
was afoot. The door Of my oftlce
opened and there entered a galaxy
of newspaper men connected with
the White House offices, led by rep
of The New York; World.
who held in his hand a bulletin from
his office carrying the news OF
election. The expression In
the mems faces told me that crls-
is was at hand. The World man de-
liyered his fateful message Of defeat
for our forces, without explanation
of any kind. To me the blow was
stunning, for The New York World
had been one of our staunchest sup
porters throughout the whole cam
paign, and yet I had faith to believe
that the news carried in the bulletin
would be upset by subsequent re,
turns. Steadying myself behind my
desk, 1 quickly made up my mind
as to what my reply should be to
The World bulletin and to the query
of the newspaper men whether we
were ready to throw up the sponge"
and concede Hughes election. Con.
cealing the emotion I felt, dictated
the following statement, which was
flashed through the country:
When Secretary Tumulty was
shown The World bulletin con-
ceding Hughes election, he au-
thorized the following statement:
Wilson will win. The west has
not yet been heard from. Suf-
ficient gains will be made in the
west and along the Pacific slope
to offset the losses in the east.
Shortly after the flash from The
World bulletin was delivered to me-
Hughes election, the pres
ident again telephoned me from Long
Branch to find out the latest news
Of the election. From what he said
he had already been apprised by
Admiral Grayson Of the bulletin of
The New York World. Every hap
pening of that memorable night is
still fresh ir my memory and re-
call distinctly just what the presi-
dent said and how philosophically
he received the news Of his apparent
defeat. Laughingly he said: "Well
Tumulty, it begins to look as If we
have been badly licked" AS he dis
cussed the matter with me I could
detect no note or sadness in his
voice. In fact, I could hear him
over the phone. He seemed
to take an impersonal view of the
whole thing and talked like a man
from whose shoulders great load
had been lifted and now he was hap
py and rejoicing that he was free
man again. When l informed him
Of the drifts in our favor from other
parts of the country and said that
it was too early to concede anything,
he said: ''Tumulty, you are an op-
timist. 1t begins to look as if thu
defeat might be overwhelming. The
only thing I am sorry for, and that
cuts me to the quick. is that the
people apparently misunderstood us
But I have no regrets. We have
tried to do our duty" So far as
he was concerned, the issue of the
election was disposed of, out of the
way and settled thing. That was
the last telephone message between
the president and myself until TWEEN.
ty-four hours later, when the tide
turned again in our favor.
Copyright, 1921, by Doubleday,
Page & Co. All Rights Reserved)
(To BE Continued.)