Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-06
WILSON THEORIES, AS TAUGHT
AT PRINCETON, WON FAVOR
WHEN PUT INTO PRACTICE

IL
ETY. Of his presence there. One Of
the speakers insisted that the execu-
tive of the state had no business ir
a conference of members of the leg
islature. Someone proposed that tie
governor be formally invited by
resolution. Mr.. Wilson did not share
the opinion that a conference OF his
party colleagues was such a formal
affair that the leader of the party
could not drop in if he cared 20 do
So Finally he rose to speak.
Gentlemen" he said, Il have
been elected governor OF New Jersey
by the people of New Jersey, select
ed by the convention of the Demo
cratic party, and I thereby have be-
come the responsible leader OF the
Democratic party in the state. l
will be held responsible by the peo-
pie at the polls. / will be held re-
sponsible for the administration Of
the affairs Of the state of New Jer-
sey. Each of you gentlemen will be
held responsible in the districts
where you were elected. / am held
responsible as we'll as you by the
same people. I am the only person
in the whole state, however, to ex-
press approval or disapproval on
behalf of all the people, and l will
express that approval or disapproval
for the people by determining what
we should do"
Break With Smith
The governor took from his inside
pocket a comprehensive program he
had personally typewriter. 1t was
very far-reaching program provid-
ing among other things for the pas
sage of Corrupt Practices Act gov
erning elections, a law to authorize
cities to adopt the commission form
Of government, and a series of pro-
posals to reform the corporation
laws OF New Jersey. The governor
was on his feet arguing or answer
ing questions for nearly three hours
with the result that the conference
unanimously adopted his program
and within a few months thereafter
the suggestions were enacted into
law
In those days theN state legislature
elected United States senators. The
primary system had been introduced
as means OF expressing party de-
sires, but was not yet binding upon
the party organization. James Il.
MARITIME had entered the primaries
for the senatorial nomination., but
the leaders were inclined to regard
the primary as purely advisory and
not mandatory. Woodrow Wilson
could not have been nominated by
the state convention for governor in
1910, but for the support of former
u. S. Senator James Smith and his
henchmen. Indeed, while Woodrow
Wilson as candidate had made no
promises-the politicians accused
him Of base ingratitude when he
later turned on Smith, the very man
who had made his entry into public
life possible. But Governor Wilson
stood by the primary and persuaded
the state legislature to do likewise.
He felt that the wishes Of the people
expressed in a specific way at an
election could not be disregarded. 1t
cost him a friendship and won him
in later years not even the uninter-
rupted support of the man whom
he helped into the u. S. senate for
Mr.. MARITIME frequently departed
from the leadership Of President
Wilson.
The MARITIME affair, however. was
but an incident. 1t emphasized
merely that Woodrow Wilson felt the
weight Of his responsibility as party
leader. On becoming a state execu-
tive, he practiced in office what he
had preached in college. 1t caught
the imagination of Democrats
throughout the United States and
helped immeasurab in bringing
him to the front as a candidate for
the presidency of the United States
Saturdays chapter tells how
Wilson'S theory of leadership led him
to cOntemplte resigning the presi-
dency of the United States when his
policies were threatened with defeat.)