Woodrow Wilson as I Know Him Part 9

[Ill.u.s.tration: A letter from the man who could not make up his mind [Transcriber's note: the ill.u.s.tration contains a reproduction of the above-quoted letter.]]

Even after McCombs had declined the French post, as recited in the above letter to the President, he continued to vacillate, and addressed the following telegrams and cables to me in regard to the French Amba.s.sadors.h.i.+p:

New York, April 4, 1913.

HON. JOS. P. TUMULTY, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C.

Confidentially, expect to come tomorrow. Please suspend on matter until I see you.

W. F. M.

New York April 25, 1913.

JOS. P. TUMULTY, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C.

Confirm understanding that nothing be done for the present and nothing sent in.

W. F. M

Sagaponac, N. Y., May 3, 1913.

Radio S. S. _Olympic_.

JOS. P. TUMULTY, White House, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C.

Will cable about time sending name in when I reach Paris in _acceptance_ our understanding.

W. F. M.

Paris, Via French, May 13, 1913.

JOS. P. TUMULTY, White House, Was.h.i.+ngton.

Have been ill, improving. Cable you Thursday in matter.

W. F. M.

Paris, June 1, 1913.

J. P. TUMULTY, Was.h.i.+ngton.

Some better. Operation doubtful. Question delayed a few days.

W. F. M.

Then came the following cable to the President from Col. E. M. House:

Paris, June 12, 1913.

THE PRESIDENT Was.h.i.+ngton.

Damon [code name for McCombs] requests me to say that after he sees present inc.u.mbent tomorrow he will cable you. He is much improved.

E. M. HOUSE.

Paris, June 18, 1913.

JOS. P. TUMULTY, Was.h.i.+ngton.

Am sending conclusive message through usual channel so you get it tomorrow morning. This confirms message today which was incomplete.

Hope everything will be o. k.

Mc.

Paris, July 6, 1913.

J. P. TUMULTY, Was.h.i.+ngton.

Accept if no previous arrangement cable at once care Monroe Banquier Paris.

W.

Paris, July 7, 1913.

TUMULTY, Was.h.i.+ngton.

Better wait a little or leave out for another strictly confidential.

W.

By this last message McCombs meant that the President had better wait a little for him to make up his mind, or to select another for the French post, which the President refused to do.

The kindest explanation of Mr. McCombs' distorted and entirely untruthful story is that his sensitive mind had brooded so long on fancied injuries that he had come to believe that what he deposed was true. He was sensitive to a pathological degree, jealous, suspicious of everybody, and consumed with ambition to appear as the sole maker of President Wilson politically. He is dead, and it would have been pleasanter to keep silent about him. I should have remained silent had he not left his embittered ma.n.u.script in the hands of friends, with directions to publish it after his death, when those whom he attacks in its various chapters would feel a hesitancy about challenging his statements and attempting in any way to asperse his memory. That he was abnormal was known to all who came into intimate contact with him during the campaign and after. His suspicions and spites manifested themselves in ways so small that he would have been laughable had he not been pitiable. The simple fact is that both the nomination and the election of Governor Wilson were in spite of Mr.

McCombs, not because of him. Mr. McCombs was ill during most of the campaign, which had to be directed by the a.s.sistant chairman, Mr. McAdoo, with all possible embarra.s.sing interference from the chairman's sick room.

The full force of McCombs' petty spite, malice, and jealousy was expended upon Mr. William G. McAdoo of New York, who at the time had established a high reputation for his courage and intrepidity in building the famous Manhattan and Hudson tunnels. Mr. McAdoo, in the early days of Woodrow Wilson's candidacy, took his place at the fore-front of the Wilson forces.