Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-07
CHAPTER XII.
How Woodrow Wilson Nearly EN-
braced the National Progressive
Ticket In 1912.


braced the National Progressive
Ticket In 1912.
Woodrow Wilson foresaw long be-
fore he entered politics as a candi-
date for Governor Of New Jersey that
the democratic party of the nation
needed new leadership. His letters to
friends indicate that he looked for
ward to the campaign Of 1912 as the
occasion for a rebirth Of the demo-
cratic party. Prior to 1910. when he
became Governor Of New Jersey, sug-
gestions that Mr.. Wilson himself
might prove the new leader did not
appeal to him as possible of fulfill
ment. He had no party following. He
had made speeches from time to time,
1t Is true, on public questions and
had spoken from one end of the
country to the other before civic bod
les and educational institutions, but
not until the democratic leaders in
New Jersey sought him for the guber-
material nomination did he begin to
think that perhaps at last the road
to the presidency had been opened.
AS If with prophetic instinct, Wood
row wilson wrote friend in the
spring of 1912: Roosevelt and Taft
are bQsily engaged in splitting the
republican party wide open-so that
we may get in
Resisted by Organization.
Mr.. Wilson was then Governor Of
New Jersey. He entered the demo-
cratic primaries in various states and
found himself successful in some. but
resisted as rule by the organiza-
ton democrats. Progressive senti-
, ment in both the democratic and re-
publican parties had begun to crystal
lie. The reflex. of the Taft RoOse
Welt controversy on Stand-patiSm and
iprogressive-ism was felt in the demo-
cratic ranks. where il was not diff
cult to kindie fires of discomfort over
bossism and organization control.
There had been times when Mr.
Wilson felt so indignant over boss
he was not unsympathetic with the
idea of having new party formed
by the progresSives of both the re-
publican and democratic parties.
Just after the regular republican
convention renominated Mr.. Taft,
third party, with Roosevelt at the
head of ii. representing the progress
sive republicans, and Woodrow Will
son as his running mate. represent
ing the progressive democratic senti-
seriously suggested among progress
siveS, but there was a moment when
Woodrow Wilson himself thought of
it, too.
1T was in those weary hours when
the democratic convention at Balti
more was deadlocked and it looked
as If Champ Clark might be nominat-
ed. Mr.. Wilson had persuaded him
self that a victory for Clark would
be a victory for the bosses in the
democratic party. and he felt that
those bosses were somehow in the
control of Wall street. This was so
deeply ingrained in his mind that at
critical moment in the balloting
he turned to members of his family
and remarked that he might not be
able to support the democratic ticket
If Wall street captured the demo-
cratic party When friend standing
by suggested that the third party
convention would soon be held and
that Mr.. Wilson might be rendered
the nomination for the vice presiden-
cy. the then Governor of New Jer-
sey remarked that circumstances
might make such a development pos
sible."
Strs nge as were The incidents