Evening star., 1924-03-08
CHAPTER XIII.
Dir. Wilson's Singular Notions About
Party Platforms and Campaigning.

Woodrow Wilson did not feel bound
by party platforms in the making of
which he had had no part. Certain
principles of policy appealed to him as
worthy of emphasis but knowing the
hasty manner in which platforms were
drafted and perfunctorily adopted he
construed each document to be really d
series OF suggestions and not program
of action. In his formal speech accept
ing. the nomination in 1912 he revealed
that Interpretation, but its true Signifi-
cancc did not become apparent until Mr.
Wilson, as President. developed his legis-
1ative programs. He wrote practically
an of the 1916 platform himself. and
felt privileged to do SO as leader of the
democratic party.
Two planks on the 1912 platform Mr..
Wilson never mentioned during that
campaign. One was that which pledged
the party to a constitutional amendment
restricting Il President of the United
States TO n. single term, and the other
that which upheld the action of the
democrats i'll enactlng law eXemptng
American vessels from payment of
Panama canal tolls. Mr.. Wilson believed
that the discussion of the one-term plank
was none of his affair because if the
Itl " Clpse IL COuiu repeal tIdt prank III
subsequent convention-it was only
binding upon party in convention as
- mhled, and not upon individuals who
ircvitably would be compelled to accept
Tie party's decision. The democratic
party-not Woodrow Wi!Son-reversed
itself in 1916 by nominating for a second
trrm the man who III the judgment of
Tho delegates had made worthy record
IL single term Similarly Mr.. Wilson
lid that the 1912 plank relating to
Toll 1r IN off
hand Endorsement of the action of the
democrats in Congress. and that if the
democrats on Capitol Hill in their wis
dom chose to reverse themselves the
party would be compelled to approve
that reversal.
Admired Bull Moose PlnnkS.
Throughout the campaign Mr.. Wilson
fit Il certain admiration for many of
the planks in the bull moose platform.
After he was elected he did not fail to
seek the support of many of those who
had voted the bull moose ticket by striv-
ing to meet the wishes o. the progressive
leaders, men and women, who had sup
ported the third party.
Mr.. Wilson's praise for the third party
platform was ungrudging. The author
and several other newspaper men were
seated with Gov. Wilson on a train 60
ja% to New York two days before the
election in 1912, when some one in the
group realizing that no one of us could
be- home on election day, raised the in
discreet question of how each one would
vote if he had the opportunity. Fortu-
Iuteiy another wisely suggested that the
vote be taken on the question of plat
forms rather than individuals. and wher
the author, stated that he would vote
neither the republican nor the demo.
cratic ticket in 1917. but the bull moose
ticket. because of its platform, Mr.. Viii
son, with 4 twinkle in his eye, admitted
th.re was Il great deal to be said II
favor of that viewpoint
Running throughout Mr.. Wilson's po
liticdl career is d streak of independence
which did not bind him to the demo
cratic party as a lifelong proposition. Il
Is not difficult to conceive of him as the
candidate of some party other than the
democratic. He Sensed the division OF
groups in American politics along the
lines of conservatives and radicals. re-
dictionaries and prosressives, standpat.
ters and liberals
Sought to Cleanse Party.
Parties, in Mr.. Wilson's judgment
depended entirely for their appeal OIL
the leadership given them. Just a.
many sincere republicans finally be
came persuaded that they could ac
complish more inside of the repub
lican party toward making It progress
sfve than outside, so did Mr.. Wilson
become convinced that he could rio
the democratic party of some o
its bossism and oId-fashioned con
Servatism and make it the inStru
mentality of progressivism ant
liberalism.
Although Mr. Wilson was an ex
Cellent speaker, eloquent and in
II lie i'm
prumptu addresses, he really did no
enjoy stump speaking or back plat
form talks. His audiences were never
aware of the fact. Every outdoor
Tleeting was an ordeal for him. MOI
old he like to prepare Spe echeS in ad
tlna nfur rn,ir fn nd