The Penn's Grove record., 1923-01-05
WILSON AT Sc
December IS, 1922

~ OONIch ARC + 10y -
years old, which was Thomas Jeffer-
sons age when he retired from the
Presidency.
For more than a decade and a half
after his return to private life Jeffer-
son remained unquestionably the
leader of his party in everything that
related to policy and principle. Viii
son in the White House was not more
completely the leader of his party in
everything in which the party has
managed to retain its political vital
ity than is Wilson the private citizen.
Still broken in health, still compelled
to submit to d soldier-like discipline
in all the routine of life, he is, never
theless, the brain and the soul of the
Democratic organization.
Nothing more dramatic has ever
happened in American politics than
the gradual vindication of Wood
row Wilson that has come about
since the day when, as a seemingly
helpless invalid, he rode with Warren
G. Harding from the White House to
the Capitol to see his successor as
President take the oath of office. APP
parently on March 4, 1921, Wilson and
Wisconsin were finished. His party
had suffered the most decisive defeat
in its history the previous November.
The ideals and the principles which
he had so ardently championed had
been overwhelmed in a landslide of
unprecedented proportions.
His enemies believed that Wilson
was practically dead physically and
was actually dead politically, yet to-
day Woodrow Wilson is quite the
livest individual and the most impress
sive fact in American politics. No
other man has so great a personal
following. No other man stands for
so much and represents so much.
not only is the moral life of the
moral life of the American people
again %centering around him but the
economic life of the country is pivot
ing on the principles of international
cooperation that he defined and that
he battled for until he was over
whelmed.
To this extraordinary change in
public opinion Mr.. Wilson has made
no direct contribution of his own.
Since he left the White House he has
kept silent in regard to all national
and international affairs. He has
carried on no propaganda against the
administration that is now in power.
He has melted no opposition to the
Harding policies or the Harding pro-
gram. He has made no effort to in
t1uence the thought of the American
Living in dignified retire
ment, he has left everything to
events and it is through events that
his vindication has come.
The leadership that he holds is en-
tirely a moral leadership. He con-
no political organization. He
has no patronage of any kind to dis
pense. He has no rich friends who !
are carrying on a check-book cam
paign to bring him back to power for
their own advantage. 1t is altogether
the leadership of a great intellect and
a great character, seeking nothing,
nothing, except the promotion
of the general welfare.
Mr.. Wilson will remain a great
figure and a great force to the end.
He has finished with public office.
He has finished with the ordinary
turmoil Of politics which no states
man. however exalted, can avoid i'm
the DAYS of his active career. He is
now a d~isinterested guide and coun-
sellor of the American people, deSIf-
Gus only Of advancing the general
welfare and of promoting the public
GOOD. concerned little with mere par
tisanship and concerned greatly with
fundamental principles.
Nj. Wilson had great opportunities
for service as Governor and PresI-
dent; yet it is by no means improb-