The Moralist

The title is interesting. Ms. O’Toole presents a very logical (almost) argument that Wilson is a strict moralist. His moralist positions were taken only when his his ego did not get in the way. How moral was it to resign as President of Princeton because he did not get his way because the new redesign of the campus and the mingling of the student body did not meet his desires. Can a moralist also be a racist and supporter of eugenics. How about not refusing to step down when one of his last strokes incapacitated him to the point that he could not carry on the burden of the office.

Portrays Wilson, the progressive who sought to rein in excessive wealth and reduce tariffs, as well as the man who supported racist actions against African-Americans and Japanese to accomplish his political ends. A major failing, to my mind, is the authors portrayal of Wilsons purported support of suffragette voting rights, when in fact he resented their anti-war protests, did not contest their being jailed and tortured and only gave in to supporting their cause when they agreed to end protest of the war. He also actively suppressed civil liberties of anyone protesting the war; he was a man who hated any political opposition.

To begin, O’Toole’s writing avoids the two traps that seem to afflict most popular history writers. First, she doesn’t feel compelled to relate every fact she learned while preparing to write this book. Second, she also avoids using modern vocabulary / concepts to events that happened 100 years ago in an attempt to appear relevant, i.e. no talk of the AEF ‘coming on-line.’ The writing is fast-paced and it feels shorter than it is.

As for the content, I would say that it is ideal for someone like myself who never read a Wilson biography before. I’m sure the other Wilson bios went into more depth about the controversy about the dining situation at Princeton that helped cause Wilson’s resignation, but I’m glad that it only took up a couple of paragraphs in this book.

I went into this book not liking Wilson and came out the same way, but for different reasons. He wasn’t the monster that I imagined so much as someone who looked the other way. I also found respect for his keeping the US out of WWI and his reasons for the delay and eventual entry. I think that his position on these issues is unfairly slighted by the usual WWI thumbnail history. I hate to say it, but I think he was right and my heroes TR and Churchill were wrong on when and why the US should have joined the fight.

In conclusion, there are many issues such as tariffs, treaties, and patriotism that are in the news today as they were in Wilson’s time. And one would do themselves a favor by reading this book to contemplate how they are addressed today.

Patricia O’Toole has presented a scholarly and insightful image of Woodrow Wilson that is both enjoyable and informative. The enormous result of the outstanding research is a kind and factual story that reflects well upon the achievements of a great man who was ahead of his time! Bravo!

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton Virginia in 1856. Wilson’s father was the Red. Joseph Ruggles Wilson who was pastoring the Presbyterian Church in Staunton when he was born. Wilson’s mother was an Englishwoman and he always admired Great Britain. His heroes would be British politicos such as William Ewart Gladstone. Wilson traveled with his family to many pulpits in the South. He saw the horrors inflicted by Sherman’s March to the Sea and became a pacifist. Wilson attended John Hopkins in Baltimore and the University of Virginia Law School. The precocious young man received a Ph. D and taught at several universities including Princeton. Wilson became a controversial president of Princeton fighting over the placement of the graduate school and seeking to break up the eating club mentality of the rich. Wilson resigned from Princeton in 1909 and was elected the Democratic Governor of New Jersey in 1910. He defeated Teddy Roosevelt of the Progressive Party and incumbent president William Howard Taft for the POTUS in 1916. He was reelected in 1916 besting Republican nominee Charles Evans Hughes who had resigned from the U.S. Supreme Court to run against Wilson.
Wilson did well in the domestic front winning legislature which approved the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve System. He had a very poor record in civil rights for African Americans and his support of Womens Suffrage was tepid. He was a white racist and segregated the federal work force in Washington. Wilson wanted the US to stay neutral during World War I but the nation came in on the side of the Allies when war against Germany was declared in April 1917. Over two million American troops would serve “over there.” Wilson fought for his 14 points to win approval in several months of negotiation at Paris’ Versailles Peace Conference in which the post war world was formulated. His desire for America to become a member of the League of Nations was defeated.
Wilson died in 1924 a broken man. He suffered from strokes, blindness, colds and often became ill when he had to face a crisis. Wilson refused to compromise with other politicians on issues he deemed important. Wilson had a self righteous moral certainty and was often aloof. He had few close friends but among them were his advisor Colonel Edward House and his secretary Joseph Tumulty and doctor Cary Grayson. Wilson’s kind and talented first wife Ellen died in the White House. Wilson remarried widow Edith Galt and the couple were happy. Wilson and Ellen had three daughters Margaret, Ellen and Jesse. He is the only president who won a Ph.D. Wilson loved to play golf for relaxation.
As a longtime Presbyterian minister who has served most of his ministry in the South I have always been interested in this scholarly Calvinist president. He was very complex. Stubborn! A man of many prejudices! Kind and warm in the family circle but cold in his public demeanor. An internationalist who was an advocate for peace among nations. Wilson failed to change the world following the World War but is to be commended for his efforts for peace. Dr. Patricia O’Toole paints the portrait of a complicated and flawed man who loved God and the United States. I have enjoyed earlier biographies of Wilson by Jon Meacham and J. Milton Cooper and this new one by O’ Toole is also very much worth reading. An excellent book I highly recommend!

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