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Show WILSON" "SIDE-STEPS." j Pesident Wilson made an elaborate apology to the woman suffragists for refusing re-fusing to urgu upon congress legislation legisla-tion for a constitutional amendment that would givo tho women the franchise. fran-chise. Ho intimated that he was in favor of votes for women, but said that ho was not justified in advocating any thing which his party had not told him to advocate. As tho ring parlance hns it, tho President "sido-stepped," and ho displayed a shiftinoss that a "white hope" might envy, IIo cannot evon bo charged with acting on tho old theory that "a poor excuse is better than none." As a matter of fact his contention con-tention has some merit, but ho pictured' himself in too slavish an attitude. Ho assumed that as tho spokesman of a party ho must not advocate auy policy on which his party had not spoken. Evidently tho President io not enjoying enjoy-ing much of that "now freedom" about which ho has written so much. Ho eeeniB to consider himself liko Bryan 'b famous "hirod man." It will bo recalled that tho now Secretary of Stato ouco described tho President as tho Nation's "hired man," who was placed in office and paid to do only what his party commanded. But once in offico, the President represents tho whole people, and he should consider himself ontitled to apeak for minoritios as well aB for majorities. |