Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward полностью

But so were Roosevelt and Wilson. The primary difference was thatTaft, judged by his actual performance in office, was known to besuch, whereas his opponents could only be judged by their words.

The outcome of the election was exactly as the strategists hadanticipated. Wilson won with only forty-two per cent of thepopular vote, which means, of course, that fifty-eight per cent hadbeen cast against him. Had Roosevelt not entered the race, most ofhis votes undoubtedly would have gone to Taft, and Wilson wouldhave become a footnote. As Colonel House confided to authorGeorge Viereck years later, "Wilson was elected by TeddyRoosevelt."3

Now that the Creature had moved into the White House,

passage of the Jekyll Island plan went into its final phase. The lastbastion of opposition in Congress consisted of the Populist wing ofthe Democratic Party under the leadership of William JenningsBryan. The problem with this group was that they had taken theircampaign platform seriously. They really were opposed to theMoney Trust. While it may have been a simple matter to pull thewool over the eyes of voters, it would not be so easy to fool thisgroup of experienced politicians. What was needed now was an 1. Henry S. Commager, ed., Documents of American History (New York: F.S. Cofts

& Co., 1940), pp. 77-79.

2. Quoted by Carter Glass, Adventures in Constructive Finance (New York: Doubleday, 1927; rpt. Arno Press, a New York Times Co., 1975), p. 78-79.

3. Viereck, p. 34.

THE CREATURE SWALLOWS CONGRESS 457

entirely new bill that, on the surface, would appear to containchanges of sufficient magnitude to allow the Bryan wing to changeits position. The essential features of the plan, however, must not beabandoned. And, to coordinate this final strategy, the services ofsomeone with great political skill would be essential. Fortunatelyfor the planners, there was exactly such a man residing at the WhiteHouse. It was not the President of the United States. It was EdwardMandell House.

THE ROLE OF COLONEL HOUSE