Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-29
CHAPTER v.


When Woodrow. Wilson Twice
Thought of ResfGninE the Prexi-
dency of the United States.
! DR.. Wilson's conception of party
leadership and party discipline was
novel indeed. His favorite textbook
, in the college lecture room was Bag
heots English Constitution" a re-
| markable treatise on the British par
/, liamentary theory as contrasted with
our own. Often In the subsequent
years of his political career. Wood
row Wilson revealed the unconscious
influence of these studies Of parlia-
mentary government. From the days
when the Underwood Simmons tariff
law and the federal reserve act were
under consideration he was ready to
read out of the party" those who
disagreed with his leadership. 1t
persisted to the very end. To him It
was an essential of party discipline.
He maintained this notion even
through the days of his illness, ex-
pressing his views in a series of let
. tiers relating to the candidacy for
denomination of certain United States
senator's, who had strayed from his
leadership and occasionally approx
ing others who had remained faith
full.
DR.. Wilson admired certain features
of the English governmental system.
He liked the idea of responsibility to
i the people of a cabinet formed by the
! party successful in an election. He
was impressed by the opportunity of
4 prime minister and his cabinet
when opposed by the legislature
either to resign and permit another
ministry to be formed by the same
party or to carry the disagreement
at once to the country SO that the
voters might decide it in a general
election.
Twice Talked of ResigninE.
| Only the few who knew of the deep
| impression which the parliamentary
form of government had made on
Woodrow Wilson's mind in his COL
| lege years realized what he meant
when on two occasions he spoke to
! his intimates about resigning the
Presidency of the United States. The
general public never has known that
Woodrow Wilson harbored such
thoughts while he was in the White
House.
| The first instance occurred but a
few weeks after Mr.. Wilson was in
! augurated. He had delivered an ad-
! dress to Congress in person asking
for the repeal of the legislation
! which had exempted American yes
sells from the payment of tolls in
passing through the Panama Canal
The exemption. he claimed. had dis
eliminated against the vessels OF
Great Britain, which under the Hay
Pauncefote treaty had been guaran-
teed equal rights with the ships of
the United States. This was Mr.. Will
\ sons first test of strength with his
own party. 1t looked for a few days
as If he would be defeated.
Il would rather resign" he said
[ one day, than remain President OF
| a country which repudiated its treaty
| obligations"
Won Both His Fights.
| On another occasion just before the
| United States enteped the European
war, when Congress was considering
| the McLemore resolution providing
that American citizens be warned to
keep off the high seas so as to avoid
complications with Germanys cam
paign Of submarine warfare, Mr.. WILL
son was told that such a resolution
might pass in direct opposition to his
wishes. He talked again of resign
| ing Woodrow Wilson won both
/ fights, however. Whether If he had
| lost either one he would have carried
| into effect the threat of resignation
nobody knows. Subsequent events