Part 6 (1/2)

For a while it seemed as if the old relations between the Colonel and the New Jersey Governor would be resumed, but so, thrust itself into the affair, and soon the story of the Manhattan Club incident broke about the Princetonian's head with a fury and bitterness that deeply distressed hout the country The imes of ingratitude to the ”original Wilson hout the country took up the charge of ingratitude and soon the stock of the New Jersey an to fall, until his immediate friends almost lost heart The bad effect of the publication of the Harvey-Watterson correspondence and the bitter attacks upon the sincerity of the New Jersey Governor were soon perceptible in the falling away of contributions so necessary to keep alive the cahout the country The ”band-wagon” crowd began to leave us and jump aboard the Clark, Underwood, and Harht, a reaction in favour of Governor Wilson began to set in The continued pounding and attacks of the reactionary press soon convinced the progressives in the ranks of the De unjustly condeeously spoken what e of affairs a thing happened which, routed his ene publicitythe dah his Washi+ngton newspaper friends, that Wilson was being gibbeted because he refused to accept the support of Wall Street interests which Harvey and Watterson had offered him, and that his refusal to accept their offer was the real cause of the break This new angle of the Harvey-Watterson episode worked a complete reversal of opinion

The clever work of this publicity ht on what he conceived to be the real purpose of the Harvey-Watterson conference probably did injustice to these two gentleht to the ihout the country that the real reason for the break was Mr Wilson's refusal to bow the knee to certain eastern financial interests that were understood to be behind _Harper's Weekly_ The tide quickly turned against Colonel Harvey and Marse Henry Watterson Marse Henry, alone in his suite at the New Willard Hotel at Washi+ngton, and the Colonel away off in his tower at Deal, New Jersey, were busily engaged in explaining to the public and atte, in heroic fashi+on, to extricate themselves from the unfortunate implications created by the story of the Wilson publicitythat would destroy the candidacy of the New Jersey Governor had been, by clever newspaper e and aid

When the bitterness and rancour caused by this unfortunate incident had happily passed away Colonel Watterson and I htful dinner at Harvey's Restaurant in Washi+ngton and discussed the ”old fight” The young felloho had inspired the story which so grievously distressed Marse Henry and Colonel Harvey was present at this dinner Marse Henry was in fine spirits, and without showing the slightest trace of the old bitterness, rehearsed the details of this now-faood-natured way, and at its conclusion he turned to ly said: ”You damn rascal, you are the scoundrel who sent out the story that Harvey and I were trying to force Wall Street money on Wilson However, old man, it did the trick If it had not been for the clever use you made of this incident, Wilson never would have been President”

In a beautiful letter addressed to the President by Marse Henry on Septeret at the death of the President's first wife, appears the following statement with reference to the famous Harvey-Watterson controversy:

I hope that hereafter you and I will better understand one another; in any event that the single disagreeable episode will vanish and never be thought of more In Paris last winter I went over the whole matter with Mr McCombs and we quite settled and blotted out our end of it I very ret the use of any rude word--too h-and-tumble political combats--and can truly say that I have not only earnestly wished the success of your adree as an old h to be your father--who has the claim upon your consideration that all his life he has pursued the ends you yourself have aily, yet without self-seeking or rancor

Your friend, HENRY WATTERSON

The President's acknowledgment of this letter is as follows:

September 28, 1914

MY DEAR COLONEL WATTERSON:

Your kind letter has gratifiedI ratified that you should again and again have come to my support in the colureat

Sincerely yours, WOODROW WILSON

While the Harvey-Watterson episode ended as above related, there is no doubt that Woodrow Wilson deeply regretted the wholeon his part of unfriendliness or bitterness toward Colonel Harvey Indeed, he felt that Colonel Harvey had unselfishly devoted hi days of his candidacy, and that Harvey's support of him was untouched by selfish interests of any kind In every way he tried to soften the unfortunate iht was an abrupt, ungracious way of treating a friend An incident in connection with this :

One day at the conclusion of the regular Tuesday cabinet ered at the table, as was our custoossiped about the affairs of the Administration and the country These discussions were intimate and frank in every way

A note in the social coluton carried the story that Colonel Harvey's daughter, Miss Dorothy Harvey, was in town and was a guest at the home of Mrs Champ Clark I took occasion to racious thing on his part and on the part of Mrs Wilson to invite Miss Harvey to the Sayre-Wilson wedding which was scheduled to take place a few days later, hoping that in this way an opening ht be made for the resumption of the old relationshi+p between the Colonel and Mr Wilson The President appeared greatly interested in the suggestion, saying that he would take it up with Mrs Wilson at once, assuring ed

When I sa readily he acted upon this suggestion, I felt that this was an opening for a full, frank discussion of his relations with Colonel Harvey I approached the subject in this way: ”For a long time I have wanted to discuss Colonel Harvey with you There is no doubt, Governor, that this unfortunate episode did not sit well on the stomachs of the American people Whether you believe it or not, the country resented your attitude toward your old friend, and out of this incident an ier with each day, that you pay little regard to friendshi+p and the obligations that grow out of it I have been hoping that in some way the old relationshi+p could be resumed and that you would feel free at so for Colonel Harvey, at least by way of reciprocation for the genuine way he stood by you in the old days in New Jersey” The President looked atevery word I had uttered, and said: ”You are right, Tumulty; unfortunate impressions have been created

What can I do for Colonel Harvey to attest in some public way my appreciation of what he did for me in the old days?” I asked why, inasmuch as McCombs had declined the French Aht not be offered to Colonel Harvey, adding that I believed he coveted and would appreciate such an appointestion and authorized et in touch with Colonel Harvey at once and make him the offer of the French post

While my relations with Colonel Harvey were at no time strained, and, in fact, up to this day our friendshi+p has been uninterrupted, I thought it would be h the junior senator fro the President I went to the Ar, and told him of my conversation with the President in reference to Colonel Harvey He was enthusiastic and iot in touch with Colonel Harvey at his home at Deal, New Jersey, told him of the President's offer, and asked for a conference Then a thing happened which completely destroyed these plans for a reconciliation The following Sunday an interview signed by Colonel Harvey, bitterly assailing the President, appeared in the New York _Times_ The fat was in the fire Senator O'Gorman and I were silenced When I approached the President on Monday reatly regret this interview of Colonel Harvey How can I noith propriety offer hi Harvey as I do, he would be reluctant to take it, for the country ht be of the opinion that he had yielded in his criticism of me by the offer of this appointment, and I could not in honour ht appear to the country that by thisto purchase the silence of the Colonel I am very sorry, indeed, that the plan we discussed has fallen to the ground”

And thus the efforts of Mr Wilson to bring about a reconciliation with his old friend ended in dismal failure

CHAPTER XIII

THE ”cockED-HAT” INCIDENT

While Governor Wilson came out of this controversy with the two Colonels, Harvey and Watterson, with flying colours, he was by no er line His enemies both within and without the party hotly contested his leadershi+p, and the bitterness of the opposition grew in proportion as his candidacy gained daily advantages Everything possible was done to block his progress and to makehe had ever said or written, especially his ”History of the A souns of the opposition were turned upon hiress All the charges, intimations, insinuations, and slanders that were industriously circulated by his enemies ithout effect, and the trained political minds in his own camp were apprehensive lest his candidacy had reached its cli before the convention How to e was the proble forward to the benefits that would accrue to their candidate in the round-up of candidates at the famous Jackson Day dinner, scheduled for early January, 1912 This dinner was an annual affair and was eagerly looked forward to

It was expected that the leading lights of the De Colonel W J Bryan, Chaer Sullivan of Illinois, and the New Jersey Governor's friends were confident that because of his ability as a public speaker he wouldand favourable i the Jackson Day dinner with great expectations, and congratulating ourselves that ere now safely ”out of the woods,” and that things would move smoothly for our candidate, when like a bolt from, the blue came the publication of the famous Joline ”cocked-hat” letter, which caused another panic in the ranks of the too-optimistic Wilson forces

This letter ritten by Mr Wilson to Mr Adrian Joline, a Princeton alumnus and prominent New York lawyer at the time of the split in the Democratic party over the silver question The letter is as follows: