The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-04

tory a democratic national convention refused to give the necessary two thirds to a candidate who had gotten a majority. William Jennings Bryan, himself the nominee of three previous conventions, led the fight against Clark in one of the bitterest contests ever conducted in American politics.. It broke Clark's heart--he never forgave Wilson or Bryan-and he opposed Will sons policies in Congress repeatedly. Clark knew he lost not only the nomi- nation. but the presidency. for the con- test between Taft and Roosevelt as sured such e rift in the republican vote that the election of democrat was all but inevitable.
 Led Democrats' Recovery
 The convention realized this, for the man who nominated Clark declared:
 We meet not only. to choose a can didate, but to choose a President"
 At any rate, Woodrow Wilson got the nomination and won the election with 435 electoral votes. Roosevelt got SS and Taft got 8. He came to the White House on March 4, 1913, signalizing the return of the democracy to power after successive defeats of 16 years.
 Immediately he galvanized the coun- try, appearing before Congress in per son, publicly denouncing "a vicious lobby" which he charged was attempt ing to influence in Washington and launched a legislative program which included repeal of the tariff, revision of the currency system, new styles of control of the trusts, the creation of many new government agencies. and such a multitude of other legislative business that Congress and the country had difficulty in keepnig up with it.
 Congress thought Theodore Roose- welt a dictator" and an .'autocrat," but it soon found itself dancing to Woodrow Wilson's tune and at first it danced very obediently and with very little grumbling. Mir. Wilson early confessed that he had ''one-track mind" and he proved to Congress early in his administration that. he knew what he wanted and how to get it. He had a cabinet, it was true, but he con suited it after he had determined what he wanted to do. When he wanted bill introduced in Congress, he frequent ly drew it himself and if it hesitated on passage he summoned the leaders and it passed soon thereafter. In deal ing with the cabinet he did hiss own thinking and conducted much important business of the various departments direct from the White House.
 Meets Crisis Early
 Hardly had Wilson gotten himself turned around when he had his, first foreign situation to deal with.s It was with Mexico and was a legacy from the preceding republican administration. The republican chieftains said they left it for Wilson because they didn't want to embarrass him in dealing with it. The democrats declared the re- publicans had passed the buck" It came to a crisis when Huerta, the die tator, seized the reins of government, and President Madero and Vice Presi- dent Suarez were murdered. Wilson had very fixed ideas of his own on success sion to the presidency by assassina- tion. He thought it pretty general in Central America and he told confi- dantes it was going to stop. He with held recognition from Huerta and the situation boiled until Huerta troops at tackled some American bluejackets at Tampico and Wilson ordered the occu- patton of Vera Cruz by the American army. The official reason given for the occupation was that the German ship Ypiranga was about to land arms and ammunition for Huerta and the occu- patton was to prevent it. The United States demanded salute to the flag, which critics of the Wilson adminis- tration took delight in pointing out, never was given.
 Events in Mexico solved their own problem in few months when Car ranza. another newly risen leader. elected Huerta, who fled. American troops were withdrawn from Vera Cruz. But Wilson had had one experience with Mexican affairs and he did not recognize Carranz& either. In fact no government in Mexico was recog- nized for ten years-long after Wilson had gone ous of office. The Mexican problem came hack to the republican administration for settlement. Watch full waiting" was not alone Wilson's.
 Wilson was much criticised for weakness in handling the Mexican situation. but his friends. said he saw a world war coming and had told them