CHAPTER IV

FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE STATE HOUSE

"To work for the people, that is the great and urgent need.” -VICTOR HUGO.

"THE modern university is no longer a cloister," said Governor Wilson to the writer in response to a statement to the effect that some people thought that he had emerged from such a place and thereby marvelled at his record.

"When a young man inquires of me, 'What is the college for?' or 'Why do we study a certain subject?' I often cite, as an illustration, the double trapeze. No one ever asks, what do we use the double trapeze for. It is obviously for the purpose of developing the muscles that they may become elastic and ready for action. So with mental discipline, obtained through a collegiate course, which furnishes the best training. The powers of the mind are developed so as to make it flexible, that the faculties may be brought readily into play."

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Yes, we can do that which we have not been trained

1 The reader will remember that the principal contest in the Smith-Martine controversy occurred before Governor Wilson's inauguration.-Author's note.

to do, providing the faculties have been developed and rightly used," said the Governor, without the least hesitation, in reply to a query concerning the fitness of disciplined minds for undertaking new enterprises.

The chief State executive had been in office about five months when he said this, and there had been "something doing" every day; so that he was the first convenient example of his own theory which occurred to the interviewer's mind.

The slender man, who was sitting in the Governor's swivel chair, talking so smoothly and convincingly, is five feet eleven inches in height. He has a high forehead, penetrating gray eyes, and a mouth expressive of both kindness and firmness. His manner is cordial, his countenance frank. His face suggests a keen sense of humor, and those who associate with him are frequently treated to one of his original witticisms or humorous stories, of which he has a large supply. His humor is not unlike that of Lincoln, and its homely pointing of a moral puts one in mind of Franklin. Altogether, Woodrow Wilson is an attractive and stimulating personality, of great intellectual power and deep culture.

In talking with him one thinks: This man has a keen sense of justice, an admirable sense of proportion; his

knowledge is profound; his keen intellect grasps a situation quickly; he discriminates carefully; he is selfreliant, yet open to conviction, but he must see things from a broad perspective before he makes a decision; he is energetic, yes his energy is boundless, but there is an echo of precision in his actions even when he lets loose, when his vitality is at white heat. One listens, observes, thinks, goes away, and thinks again and again. It is not the stimulus of an effervescent personality which one feels and then forgets, but rather the inspiration which comes from a trained thinker, who can express himself clearly, eloquently, and persuasively. He uses the best diction. When he speaks he plays neither to the orchestra nor to the gallery, but both understand him. In leaving a hall where he had spoken to a mixed audience, I heard such remarks as these:

"By George, he means it. He is no fourflusher!" "What faultless diction, what a masterly address!" "Political convictions intense but sound."

"There is character back of a man like that. Such utterances only emanate from a man of immovable resolution."

"What a combination of energy, power, and conscience," and then:

"They can't put anything over on him!"

It was, indeed, a tremendous surprise to the shrewd politicians to find on board the ship of state a skilful and efficient political captain, who understood the most direct course, who read the compass with perfect accuracy, and who saw each flashlight and signal in time to avoid the breakers and shoals. It was true that the new commander had never before held a captain's license. He had never even been a first mate in the game of politics.

To be perfectly literal, he had never, up to the time of his inauguration as governor, visited the Trenton Legislature. To use the Governor's own words, "The people hardly knew what to expect of me; the dice had been shaken against them so often; now they were afraid that they had a man who did not know how to shake dice."

The outcome of the senatorial contest inspired hopes for better things, but few dared to look forward to such a program of reform as we shall hereafter describe. It would have been a very irrational thing for even the most optimistic to have hoped for so much as the State received, unless, perchance, some diligent students had read the voluminous works of their scholarly chief, and made a study of the former university president's methods of handling men and affairs, while he occupied

the chief place of authority in one of our oldest and best established seats of learning.

In fact, it would have been necessary to penetrate further than this the background of this fascinating man's life if one would have anticipated successfully his career. What were the influences which had brought him forward? By what route had Fate decreed to land her man? To what extent, and how, had Fate been assisted in her purpose?

"That is best blood that hath most iron in it." Scotch-Irish blood has always contained plenty of red corpuscles; and when sustained by the oxygen of a Southern atmosphere, impregnated with a love of justice and freedom, these corpuscles are not likely to become depleted, particularly when stimulated in their early existence by the privations incident to a long period of bloodshed and dreadful days of reconstruction.

For Woodrow Wilson is a son of Southern soil, who retains vivid recollections of his boyhood and youthful days when the Civil War and the reconstruction period brought suffering and hardship to the Wilson family.

Reverend Joseph R. Wilson, a distinguished scholar and theological professor of the Presbyterian faith, was his son's teacher, mentor, and guide. The deeply pious streak in Governor Wilson's nature, his love of books,