Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-29
The True Story of
Woodrow Wilson
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

would seem to prove, however. he
came at last to realize that. unless
the members. Of Congress resigned
also and the country had an oppor-
tunity to pass judgment simultane-
ously on those who had disagreed
with the Executive, the move would
be futile. .,,
within his own party, on the other
hand. Woodrow Wilson did consider
1t his duty to appeal to the people to
decide for or against his leadership.
He wrote letters which were made
public and used against-th the candidacy
| for example of Senator Vardaman of
| Mississippi In the party primary cam
paign. He opposed several members
| OF the House of Representatives who
sought denomination on the democra-
tic ticket. Some of these contests
| turned in, his favor and some he lost.
| This did not swerve him from his
| conception of party leadership. AL
though he rarely commented on public
questions during the last three years
| OF his life he never failed to respond
to request from democrats for an
expression Of opinion as to a demo-
cratic candidate for denomination who
had opposed him. Typical Of these
were his bitter epistles on the party
inidelity of Senator James A. Reed
Of Missouri and John X. Shields of
Tennessee both OF whom had failed
to support the Versailles treaty and
league of nations with or without
reservations.
Not q Personal Matter.
There was nothing personal In any
| OF this. When he characterized
Senator Shields as tho least trust
worthy" of his associates in public
life. he did not mean personally. No
one had achieved a higher reputation
for integrity than Senator Shields OF
Tennessee. At sone time Mr.. Shields
was chief justice of the supreme
court of the state of Tennessee
But he differed with Woodrow viii.
sons foreign policy. This act made
him in Mr.. Wilson's judgment un-
worthy of trust as q democrat. For
he as leader of the party had come to
regard the league of nations as a
cause which the democratic party
should champion to a man particular
ly because almost all the republicans
had chosen to take the other side
Mr.. Wilson felt that when Senator
Shields voted with the republicans
he forfeited his right to the votes
of the democrats in a party primary
contest.
Perhaps the most striking example
fof this Wilsonian theory about party
discipline occurred after he left the
White House. He had always been
| fond of Oscar Underwood. worked ir
close cooperation with him when the
latter led the democrats in the
House, and wrote him many friendly
letters. Notwithstanding the fact tina,
one wing of the party-particularly
the Bryan influence-was opposed to
the conservatism of the Alabama
| statesman.
After Senator Underwood voted for
a separate peace" with Germany and
served on the delegation with Sen
ator Henry Cabot Lodge, which nego-
tiated the four-power pact between
the United States, Great Britain
Franz and Japan. Mr.. Wilson was
deeply disappointed.
IF Underwood Is a democrat" he
remarked to a friend, than 1 am q
republican"
Copyright, 1924. by the George II. Dorar
Company. in the United states, Canada
South America. World publication rights
reserved by Current News Features, In
corporated.)
| (Tomorrow's chapter tells how vii.
sons theory of personal rssponsibilts
to his party prompted him to try fol-
third nomination for the presi-
| dencN.l