Almost the entire time the New Jersey legis-
Watson on Wilson
OM WATSON, in his newspa
per, The Jeffersonian, makes
a very bitter attack on Gover
nor Woodrow Wilson. Wat-
u
son is the old Populist leader and for
him and his work we have very little
use. Yet what he says is a useful
warning to Democrats regarding the
style of attack likely to be made on
Governor Wilson if he should be
nominated for president. It is
charged by Mr. Watson that Mr. Wil
son in his book shows himself to be
a Hamiltonian Federalist rather than
a Democrat. It is further alleged
that in the same book he expresses
bitter contempt for the farming
classes and the" labor unions of the
country. Another accusation, of
which we had not before heard, is
that he employs a Jesuit as his pri
vate secretary. In our view this is
nothing against him. Many Jesuits
are very able, wise and patriotic
men. We must, however, recognize
facts. There does exist in the coun
try, among certain elements of peo
ple, a very strong political prejudice
against Catholics and fear of Catholic
influence. Just as Dr. Burchard in
his speech to Mr. Blaine made a ref
erence to “Rum, Romanism, and
Rebellion,” which within two days
turned thousands of Catholic votes
against him, so this circumstance,
trivial to most of us, of Mr. Wilson
having a Catholic private secretary—
if it be true —may turn from him
thousands of extreme Protestants;
and in practical politics there is no
sense in going out of our way to seek
trouble or to alienate votes, each one
of which will count in the boxes. His
action in applying for a pension
from the Carnegie Foundation also is
brought up along with his Joline let
ter attacking Mr. Bryan.
