Evening star., 1961-05-24
Jim
Bishop:
Reporter
Tell 1t
To the Marines


Along Norwood avenue in
Long Branch, N. j., there is
a huge iron fence which
marks acres of blue grass and
heavy oaks and stately cop
per beecheS. A sign says:
Monmouth College" 1t was
behind this fence that q
humorless man once waited.
He was Woodrow Wilson,
q slender professor who was
President of the Unite d
States. He affected pince-nez
and q chilly reserve. He had
been President from 1912 to
1916. and he was campaign
ing for a second term when,
in the final week, he went to
a house behind this big iron
fence and waited for the will
of the people.
1T WAS CALLED Shadow
land then.
The Republicans had pitted
Charles Evans Hughes
against him this time and
the Republican Party was
solid. Hughes resigned from
the United States Supreme
Court to make the race.
Justice Hughes wore q gray
forked beard and he had as
much dignity as Wilson. The
issue was War or Peace.
Across the face of Europe,
the KaiSer's armies were
locked in q Stalemate with
the French and British.
America wanted to keep out
of it. Wilson said that he
believed in preparedness"
He was neutral on the side
of the British and French.
Millions of second generation
Germans and Irish in the
United States did not like
England, and wanted the
Kaiser to be victorious. The
Democratic Party chiefs
thought that Wilson could
win easily on his domestic
record and q promise Of neu-
trality and preparedness.
On election day. Wilson
remained at Shadowlawn. He
was confident. The party
wheelhorSes sat in an office
in Asbury Park waiting to
count the early votes.
Some early tallies showed
big gains for Wilson. The
late afternoon newspapers
said: Wilson Leads. The
President went indoors at
Sundown and phoned Asbury
Park. His secretary, Joseph
Tumulty, told him that he
was far ahead. But later
heavy returns from the East
and Middlewest swung to
Hughes. 1t was Hughes in
New Jersey and Ohio and
Illinois; it was Hughes in
this State and that one. 1t
was Hughes everywhere.
At 10, the reporters asked
for a statement Of capitula-
ton from Wilson. They were
in Asbury Park and Tumulty
said the President had no
statement. The Morning
World reporter showed him
an office bulletin. "Flash!"
it, said. Hughes Elected d
President. Repeat: Hughes
elected"
'Tumulty was loyal to his
chief. Sufficient gains will
be made in the West to offset
the losses" he said. Wilson
will win"
At IL pm. the President
phoned again. We'll Tu-
multy," he said, "it begins to
look as If we have been badly
licked" Tumulty said nobody
had been licked yet. The
President called him an op-
timist and said: THE only
thing I am sorry for, and
that cuts me to the quick, is
that the people apparently
misunderstood U.S."
Wilson went to bed de-
feated. Hughes went to bed
as President-elect. In the
morning. the Nation was still
counting votes. The sun came
UP out Of a pale haze and
word came to headquarters
that Ohio, which had been
in Hughes pocket at bedtime,
was now in Wilson's by Co.
900 votes. Kansas gave its
electoral votes to Wilson by
a handful. The Dakotas went
Democratic. Utah was now
for Wilson,
CALIFORNIA, the last to
announce it's will, finally
nodded to Woodrow Wilson.
The New York Times ran Off
a late edition saying the
election Of Hughes was
doubtful"
At Shadowlawn, the Presi-
dent was in his bathroom,
shaving with a straight
razor. His daughter Margaret
knocked on the door and told
him she had the final news
Of the election. You have
been elected" she said.
Wilson burst into laughter.
He knew what a practical
joker his daughter was. "Aw."
he said, tell it to the
Marines"