Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-14
Woodrow Wilson
AS | KNOW HIM
BY JOSEPH P. TUMULTY.
CHAPTER XIV
Wilson Versus Hughes

accordance on September 2, quiet
ruled over the Wilson camp at Shad.
ow Lawn. This lull in the matter or
notifies was intensified by the presl-
dents absence from Shadow Lawn
because of the death Of his only Sis
ter. which called him away and for
a while took his mind and his ener-
eies from the discussion of politics.
On September IL the state elections
in Maine were carried by the Re-
/ publicans, The total vote was the
largest ever cast in Maine in state
election. The Republican majorities
ranged from 5000 to $4,000. There
had been a vigorous contest in Maine
by both parties and the Republicans
were greatly heartened by the result
in the hope that cas- goes Maine so
goes the union"
There is no doubt that the result in
Maine, which many Democrats were
of the opinion was a forecast Of the
results throughout the nation in
November, had depressing effect.
The Republicans accepted it as a
harbinger of victory, and the Demo
Gratis as an indication of defeat. On
the night Of the Maine elections
kept close to the telephone at the
executive offices and engaged in con-
ferences with two or three practi-
cal politicians from New Jersey. It
was interesting to watch the eff
fects of the return from Maine upon
| these men. When the returns, as
complete as we could get them at IL
o'clock on the night of September II,
came in, James Nugent, one OF the
leading politicians of Essex county,
New Jersey, who was in the room,
took from my desk a copy of the
World Almanac, and referring to the
returns Of previous elections said:
"Of course, the Republicans will hail
this as great victory, but if they
will sit down and analyze the gains
| they have made, they will find no
comfort IN them, for to me they in
dictate a Democratic victory in No
vember. If the Democrats make
proportionate gains in other states,
you can absolutely count upon a
Democratic victory in 1916"
This prophecy was varied by the
results of the election of November
IL.
Campaign Difficulties
sible, between the date # the speech
of acceptance and the first of Octo
| Der to revive interest in the Demo
| cratic campaign and to bring about
a renewal of hope of success that
had almost been destroyed by the
psychological results of the Maine
elections.
Frequent demands were made upon
us at the executive office ~ Asbury
Park to get busy and 20 DO some
thing Wilson was not on the frolt
page and Hughes was busilY .ngag-
ed in campaigning throughout the
| west" But the president, n his I'M
canny way, knew better than we the
psychological moment to strike. lie
went about his work at the executive
offices and gave to us who welm
closely associated with lin the i'm
preston that nothing unusual was
afoot and that no presidential am
paign was impending. I made fire.
quent suggestions to him that he be
up and doing He would only smile
and calmly say, THE moment is not
here. Let them use up their am
munition, and then we will turn our
guns upon them"
The psychological moment came
and the president took full advantage
of it. One afternoon in September
the president telephoned me at the
executive offices at Asbury Park to
have the newspaper men present for
a conference that afternoon, that he
would give out reply to telegram
he had received. With the newspa
per group, 1 attended this confer.
ence. 1t appeared that an Irish
agitator, named jeremiah O'Leary,
who had been organizing and speak
| ing against the president and trying
to array the Irish vote against him.
wrote an offensive letter to the pres
| ident, calling attention to the results
of the Maine elections and to the
I New Jersey primaries and to his an
ticipated defeat in November. The
president handed to the newspaper
men the following reply to O'Leary:
1 would feel deeply mortified to
have you or anybody like you
vote for me. Since you have &C.
cess to many disloyal Americans
and I have not, will ask you
to convey this message to them.
This sharp and timely rebuke to
the unpatriotic spirit to which
O'Leary gave expression won the
hearty and unanimous approval Of
the country to the president. Moth
ing like this bold defiance came from
Hughes until a few days before the
election.
The Democratic campaign, within
twenty-four hours after the publica-
ton of the O'Leary telegram, was on
again in full swing.
Sarcasm Aimed at Hughes
AT this same newspaper confer
cree the president, who had not seen
the newspaper group since his ar.
rival at Long Beach, discussed the
campaign in the most intimate way,
SO they might have what he called
the ''inside of his mind" His criti-
csm of the campaign that Justice
Hughes was conducting contained
bitter irony and sarcasm. Evident
ly, the petty things to which Mr..
Hughes had adverted in his campaign
speeches by way Of criticlzing the
president and his administration had
cut the president to the quick. One
Of the newspaper men asked him
what he thought of Mr.. Hughes
campaign, and he laughingly replied:
IF you will give that gentleman rope
enough he will hang himself. He
has forgotten many things since he
closeted himself on the bench, and
he will; soon find himself out of
touch with the spirit of the nation.
His speeches are nothing more or
less than blank cartridges and the
country, unless I mistake the people
VerV much will Mace a. tr1Ie assess
ment upon them"
The newspaper men left this con-
terence heartened by the reply he had
made to O'Leary and with the firm
conviction that the Democratic can
dldate was just playing" with
Hughes and would pounce upon him