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\']RG1XIA IIIOGRAPIIY

which time Mr. Wilson gave much attention to the study of government and history. though his official duties, as his writings show, doubtless prevented any great investi- gation of original records and sources. His j>ul)lished works show the trend of his mind and culture, and are as follows: "Con- gressional Government," 1885 ; "The State Elements of Historical aiid Practical Poli- tics," 1889; "Division and Reunion," 1893; "An Old Master, and Other Political Es- says," 1893; "Life of George Washington," 1896; "History of the American People," IQ02; "Constitutional Government in the United States," 1908.

PiUt probably it was his happy turn at public speaking which directed public atten- tion to him more than anything else. He is not only a good thinker, but a master of words and phrase-making. His speech at the "Dollar Dinner" at Elizabeth, New Jer- sey, in the last week of March, 1910, so well declared the purposes of the modern Democ- racy that his nomination for governor of New Jersey was the direct result. In this speech he declared that these principles con- sisted in a profound and abiding faith in the people themselves, in the belief that the wel- fare of the nation consists in the welfare of the individuals of whom the nation is com- posed. Not the corporation, but the in- dividual, not the artificial group of persons existing by permission of law but the single living person, is the only rightful possessor of rights and privileges. The corporation is simply a legal instrumentality created for the convenience of the individual and must be used only for his convenience. Soon after this speech Dr. Wilson was nominated for governor of New Jersey, and resigned the presidency of Princeton. His election was

a triumph over the political machine, and the platform on which he was nominated called for the control of corporations, for a thorough-going and honest election law, for the publicity of campaign contributions, and f(ir the enactment of an employer's liability l)ill. In the campaign which followed. Dr. \\'ilson proved to be an effective campaign speaker, without being an orator of the old style, his appeal being to the reasoning powers rather than to the emotions. His administration as governor made good the promises of the platform. A new election bill was passed, as well as several measures tending to suppress graft in public places ai:d limiting the power of the machine. His success put him to the front as a possible presidential candidate. In 1912 he was the choice of the progressive democracy, and his name was oiTered in the Democratic conven- tion at I'.altimore. Here again there was the struggle with the machine. His nomi- nation was made possible only by the superb powers of William Jennings Bryan as a master manager and orator. The campaign which followed was one of the most exciting in recent times, and resulted in the election oi Dr. Wilson by a division in the ranks of the Republican party. As President, Dr. \\'ilson has infused his personality into the government administration far beyond any- thing any of his predecessors ever deemed proper or even constitutional. He discarded the example of Jefferson, the founder of his party, and revived the rule of the old Fed- eralist presidents of reading his messages to congress. .Ml important bills have been jirepared by him in conference with the leaders, in advance of their submission to congress, and he has in large measure been his own .'^ecretarv of State. Thus far the