Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-07
The True Story of
Woodrow Wilson
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

which led to the nomination of Wood
row Wilson for the presidency,
stranger still are the tales Of how It
was accomplished. The Wilson forces
seemed like crusaders. They had re-
sponded to William Jennings Bryan's
cutlery against boss control. They
refused to make trades and political
bargains. They refused to yield even
when Champ Clark had passed the
majority mark-never before had a
ming the necessary two-thirds. Ma
tional political conventions are
rarely susceptible of precise analysis.
Too many things happen at once as
the numerous tacticians concentrate
their subleties and cajolery. Coinci-
dentally the floor leaders are working
in a half dozen places to accomplish
the same general result.
The newspapers at the time gave
William Jennings Bryan substantial
ton of Mr.. Wilson, but ever since
then prominent delegates have in
sisted that in the many secret con-
ferences of that convention Mr..
nomination of Champ Clark, really
favored himself, proposing from three
to five other candidates on the Mon
day morning following the Sun
Jay Oh TIC tucOTy lHdl
the convention was "hopelessly dead
locked" Irrespective of what really
happened, the country was given the
impression that Mr.. Bryan played an
effective part in setting the stage for
the nomination Of Woodrow Wilson.
And Mr.. Wilson not unmindful Of the
Bryan influence in preceding demo-
cratic conventions was inclined to
share that view.
Fearful Of Third Party.
Without doubt the fact that the
third party convention would meet
week or so later and nominate
Theodore Roosevelt as the national
progressive candidate was constantly
in the minds of the democratic dele
gates, who. as usual, were not a little
Influenced in selecting a candidate by
the thought that he deserved the
nomination who had the best chance
of winning the election. Would the
democrats permit the third party to
draw progressives from the demo-
cratic party? The nomination of a
progressive democrat like Woodrow
Wilson, his champions at Baltimore
argued. would checkmate such a pos
sibility and give the country a new
view of the democratic party. There
was something fascinating, If not
sensational. about the spectacular rise
d
courageous administrator and a fear
less spokesman of democratic princi-
pies. Also, he had carried New Jer-
sey by approximately $4,000 majority
only two years before and his
strength was undiminished by the
record he had made as governor in a
state repressed heretofore by boss
management of bipartisan effective
ness.
Convinced that he won the nomina-
ton at Baltimore on principle, Wood
row Wilson endeavored to conduct
his campaign on the same high plane.
Not once during the 1912 contest, for
instance, did Mr.. Wilson mention the
name of Theodore Roosevelt Never
during his eight years of the presi-
dency did he make a direct reply to
any statement by Col. Roosevelt. He
tried to avoid personalities in politics.
He was much more interested in prin-
ciples. preferring always to deal with
persons implicitly rather than ex-
plicitly.
Copyright. 1924. by the George H. Doran
Company, in the United States, Canada, South
America. World publication rights reserved
by Current News Features. Incorporated.)
(TomorrOw's chapter tells of Mr..
Wilson'S singular notions about party
platforms and On m N n fxnfnUN