Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-01
WILSON OFTEN EMBARRASSED
In MAKING APPOINTMENTS:
REED BREAK IS DESCRIBED

out on their own and assume the
leadership.
To an amazing extent did the mem
bers Of the Democratic party in con-
gress seek the guidance and counsel
Of the president-elect. On many sub
jects he was plainly in ignorance,
and confessed his unfaniliarity. His
disposition with respect to appoint
ments to office was, OF course, well
known because Of his independence
while governor Of New Jersey. He
was known to be opposed to the dis
tribution Of jobs as "A political re-
ward. His instinct told him that
public offices ought not be barter.
ed with.
Looked to Future
But he retained a sense Of party
loyalty as we'll as an understanding
Of the practical side of national poll
tics. If the distribution of offices
were simply matter Of reward to
those who had performed political
service, the successful candidate
might we'll insist that he would Sc
lect from the group of political sup
porters, but that on the other hand
he would not appoint incompetents.
In other words his policy would have
been to select politicians only when
they were competent to perform Of
fetal duties. The difficulty, how
ever, was not in rewarding those who
had performed service, but in en-
couraging those who would be the
means Of winning important support
in congress or in subsequent cleo
tons.
Mr.. Wilson came to recognize that
expediency which on more than one
occasion has caused a president of
the United States to depart from
first impulse and to appoint instead
men recommended because Of active
participation in politics.
Perhaps the most striking instance
in Mr.. Wilson's career of a political
appointment which went against the
grain but which he convinced him
self was simply a case of the end
] justifying the means, occurred in
| his early conferences with Senator
James Reed, of Missouri. Mr.. Reed
! had strongly indorsed Colin Selph
/ to be postmaster of st. Louis, Mo.
! Objections galore were filed against
| Mr.. Selph on the ground chiefly
that he was not Of the progressive
school. Senator Reed made a per
sonal appeal to President Wilson
pointing out that he was politically
obligated to Mr.. Selph and that he
would lose a friend If he did not win
the appointment.
/ Embarrassed by Reed
Mr.. Wilson'S mind was torn be-
I tween duty in the abstract sense and
practical politics. He knew that jim
Reed was the type who could make
trouble in the senate. He wanted
the Missouri senator's support es-
pecially on the currency bill because
he was a member of the committee
which was framing the bill. Mr..
Wilson appointed Senator Reed
man. Later on Mr.. Reed showed
signs Of insurgency and to this day
there Is controversy as to whether
he helped Mr.. Wilson in framing the
federal reserve act or whether he
embarrassed him in those early
years. In 1922, after Mr. Wilson
had left the White House he wrote
n letter to a Missouri friend stating
/ that Senator Reed had embarrassed
him. but the Missouri senator pro-
duced letters written to him during
| the early stages of the currency bill S
progress through the senate seeming
to prove that Mr.. Wilson was CRATE
full for the help that had been given.
1t Is q fact that although Senator
Reed was tempted again and again
! to go off the reservation completely
/ he realized the Importance Of an in
! dorsement by the president Of the
/ United States, especially in the year
1 1916 when Mr. Reed was a candi-
/ date for reelection at the same time
/ that Mr.. Wilson was running for a
/ second term. One Of the most inn
pressive meetings in the early part
! of 1916, when Mr.. Wilson was max
/ ing western trip to urge prepared
ness, was that in which Senator
Reed, with his remarkable voice and
OratOrical appeal, held a crowd of
nearly $4,000 persons in the big audi
forum in Kansas City, speaking on
behalf of Mr. Wilson's program.
! There was no lack Of harmony be-
| tween President Wilson and Senator
! Reed in the 1916 campaign Their
troubles developed later, after Mr..
/ Wilson went to Europe. Senator
Reed was one OF those who appre-
Gated when Mr.. Wilson's support
was an asset, and when it became a
liability.
As soon as public opinion began
% turn against Mr.. Wilson at the
. close OF the war when the restric-
tons imposed by the war had be-
come popularity oppressive, Mr.. Reed
felt the psychological moment had
: come and he turned against Mr.. VIII
/ sons proposal that the United States
/ join the League Of Nations. He vot-
/ ed constantly with the Republicans
( who made use Of Senator Reeds DO
/ sition in their efforts to prove their
/ own opposition was not partisan.
I Thus from the very beginning,
/ Woodrow Wilson was never sure
footed on the subject Of political APP
pointments or the making Of politi-
cal friendships.
/ Thursdays chapter tells about
( the early influence Of Colonel
Housed