Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-10
TUMULTY INFLUENCE STRONG
IN WILSON'S FIRST REGIME;
PAIR WORKED LIKE MACHINE

purpose A college politician should
not be mentioned in the sane breath.
He is very shrewd-and you never
know what he is going to do. He
has the gift of speech and can make
black look like white-and l have
been dealing with him for the past
thirty years.
Derisively Called SchOolmaster
when [ was q candidate for gov
ernor of New Jersey, the opposition
called me a schoolmaster in derision.
L told them the definition Of the
word was a man trained to find out
things and tell them to others as
effectively as possible. l said that
that was what 1 was doing about
New Jersey affairs, and that l pro-
posed to continue finding out things
and telling people about them as
long as I lived"
It was Mr.. Wilson'S chief weapon
the power of public opinion. No
one was more adept in its use, how
eve. than Secretary Tumulty. He
was able to set the stage for an adj
dress by the president or for the
announcement Of some other lmpor-
tant action, limiting q few days in
advance that a sensation was forth
coming or revealing bit by bit, and
with an air of mystery, things
which appeared to the eager news
papermen to be great secrets, data
which Mr.. Tumulty with all the arts
known to the practiced publicity eX-
pert, divulged with an idea to head
lines and conspicuous display.
Woodrow Wilson little knew how
the artful Tumulty did handle the
delicate question of relations with
the press, but the effectiveness or
the TumuIty policy was as rule
conceded. Time and again Secre-
tary Tumulty revealed the pres1-
dents views and articulated the adj
ministration viewpoint with more
skill than the president showed IN
his conferences with the newspaper
men. Nobody in the entire admin
istration kept in as close touch in
the eight years with the editorial
opinion Of the American press than
did Secretary Tumulty. He watched
the upward and downward curve OF
administration popularity with all
the concentration that banker
studies the rise and fall Of the in
vestment markets. Secretary Tumul-
DOSSeSSSu
invaluable in the realm Of politics.
And with it he brought to Mr.. Will
son a keen judgment Of men and
political influence. Mr.. Wilson new
er knew of the many bits Of tactful
conversation conducted In his outer
offices which sent senators and rep
resentatives back to the capital in a
different frame of mind than they
came to the White House. Hostili-
ties were overcome, grievances were
smoothed out and contacts
strengthened all because Of the liai-
son maintained by Secretary Tu-
multy. Naturally he had his oppo-
nents. No politician ever took a
step in one direction without an
tagonizing some one on the opposite
in Tumulty in the earlier years was
side. President Wilson's confidence
unbounded. He gave him free
hand. Secretary Tumulty on the 9TH
err hand stimulated by his successes
in handling the president and call
ers generally took the responsibility
for many steps which possibly the
president might have not taken had
ne been consulted, but just as often
was Secretary Tumulty right in
these plunges as was his chief
wrong.
Time and again Secretary Tumul-
ty interviewed and prevented political
blunders. And the breaks of the
game, so to speak, were with him
often so that the president forgave
occasional slips and mistakes, being
mindful Of the larger accomplish
ments of his private secretary.
Altogether it was a remarkable
association-an unusual blend of
two types wholly different but work
ing effectively in combination. The
break between these two men real
ly relates to the second administra-
ton Of Mr.. Wilson and, will be re-
served for future chapter.
saturdays chapter tells some m
side history of the relations with
Mexico, Great Britain and Japan
during the first Wilson administra-
tiOn !