Evening star., 1924-02-28
The True Story of |
Woodrow Wilson |
ByDAVID LAWRENCE.
DAVID LAWRENCE,

| one proposed that the governor be
formally invited by resolution. Mr..
Wilson did not share the opinion that
conference of his party colleagues
was such a formal affair that the
leader of the party could not drop in
If he cared to do so. Finally he rose
to speak.
"Gentlemen," he said, Il have been
elected Governor of New Jersey by
,, the people of New Jersey, selected
by the convention of the democratic
party and I thereby have become the
responsible leader of the democratic
party in the state I will be held
responsible by the people at the polls.
| will be held responsible for the
administration of the affairs Of the
state of New Jersey. Each of you
gentlemen will be held responsible in
the districts where you were elected.
l am held responsible, as we'll as you,
by the same people. l am the only
PERSON in the whole state, however.
to express approval or disapproval
on behalf of all the people, and will
express that approval or disapproval
we should do"
Had Program in Pocket.
The governor took from his inside
pocket comprehensive program he
had personally typewriter. 1t was
very far-reaching program. providing
with other things for the passage
of a corrupt practice act governing
elections, a law to authorize cities
to adopt the commission form of
government, and series of proposals
to reform the corporation laws of
New Jersey. The governor was on
his feet arguing or answering ques-
tions for nearly three hours. with the
result that the conference unanimous
ly adopted his program and within a
few months thereafter the sugges-
tions were enacted into law.
In those days the state legislature
elected United States senators. The
primary system had been introduced
as a means of expressing party de-
sires. but was not yet binding upon
the party organization. James L.
MARITIME had entered the primaries
for the senatorial nomkation, but the
leaders were inclined to regard the
primary as purely advisory and not
mandatory. Woodrow Wilson could
not have been nominated by the state
| convention for governor in 1910 but
for the support of former United
States Senator James Smith and his
henchmen. Indeed, while Woodrow
Wilson, as candidate, had made no
promises, the politicians accused him
of base ingratitude when he later
| turned on Smith, the very man who
had made his entry into public life
possible. But Gov. Wilson, stood by
the primary and persuaded the state
legislature to do likewise. He felt
that the wishes of the people ex-
pressed in a specific way at an cleo
, tion could not be disregarded. 1t cost
him friendship and won him in
later years not even the uninterrupt-
ed support of the man whom he had
helped into the United States Senate,
for Mr.. MARITIME frequently departed
from the leadership of President
Wilson.
The MARITIME affair. however, was
but an incident 1t emphasized merely
that Woodrow Wilson felt the weight
Of his responsibility as party leader
On becoming a state executive, he
practiced in office what he had
preached in college. 1t caught the
imagination of democrats throughout
the United States and helped i'm
measurably in bringing him to the
front as a candidate for the presi-
dency of the United States
Copyright, 1924. by the George Fl. Doran
Company. in the United States, Canada, South
America. World publication rights reserved
by Current News Features. Incorporated.)
TOmOrrOw's chapter tells how
Wilson's theory of Leadership led
him to contemplate resfgning the
presidency of the United States
when his policies were threatened
with defeat.