How Did the Government Cover Up the Edith Wilson Presidency in 1919?

If you think government cover ups are new just look at the Edith Wilson Presidency. President Woodrow Wilson was struck down by a stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to govern. What should have happened was theVice President takes over. But Edith Wilson along with Secretary Tumulty and Dr. Grayson the Presidents physician conspired to tell no one of the presidents condition and have Mrs. Wilson take over as president. So the conspiracy started with three people and then involved Wilson himself who knew enough that he should of given up the presidency.

Edith began governing by using three tactics. One she would return items and basically ignore the business of the White House. Or she would scrawl on documents instructions in her child like hand and either instruct the person to wait or to take action. Or she would delegate problems off to the heads of departments. On legislation she either let it go through or signed it herself. All the while Dr. Grayson, Edith, and Secretary Tumulty kept the front up that the President was just suffering from nervous exhaustion.

Meanwhile newspapers speculated the President had gone mad, had syphilis, or had died. Some guessed he had a stroke but this did  not change the conspirators who kept Wilson out of view for five months and then decided to drive him around in the presidential limousine, propped up with his hat on, his right side that was not paralyzed facing the world. Meanwhile Edith continued to appoint cabinet ministers, fire them, scrawling orders of state and signing bills. Even when it was all over the cover up held for seventy years with Edith adding to it in her  memoir which she wrote to specifically to deny she had any role at all.

But now we know. The greatest government cover up occurred in 1919 and it involved our First Woman President. If Hillary had made it she would have been the second Woman President. But for now...Edith Wilson alone holds that title.

Madam President The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson

Doing Live Television

The first question on any interview. Is it live? Yes. Ok. No problem. So you arrive early by about an hour and hang around the parking lot and try not to move to much. No sweating allowed. Six thirty is makeup and lighting. So you go in about six fifteen and go to the Green room to wait. The famed green room looks like a conference room with a long table and  a big screen to watch the show on. You sit and it is not so much you are nervous it is just you cant quite get straight in your head what you are going to talk about. You will have eight minutes for your segment.

The other guests arrive. A Bush transition team and some professors to talk about the Electoral College. You are the kicker. at the end. The fun interview. The Author. You kill time looking out a window overlooking the studio. It is still dark and looks like an industrial warehouse with alien cameras on the floor and lights hanging from the rafters. The set looks a bit cheesy but then the illusion is not in place. The girl calls you for makeup and you go downstairs where it is much cooler and quiet.

Lots of base. Lots of base. Skin is not flawless and high def requires pancake makeup. This ends and you go in for a light check.  The studio is lit and you stare into a camera while they adjust the lighting and then you are back upstairs. You watch on the monitor as the other people go down the stairs and magically appear on the show. Now you have a problem. You are beginning to sweat. Not Albert  Brooks sweating but glistening. The girl sees this and dabs more powder on your face. You are last and yes you are getting nervous.

Ok Its time. You go down the stairs and stand behind a wall. The door to the control room is open and you hear people counting down. Go Camera 1 Go Camera 2 Cut to one on one. You stand trying not to breathe because you are clearly sweating now. The other guests troop by. You envy them.  They are done. They didn't freak out. You hear the control room. Set up for the author. The girl takes you in to the set. To your right are men with computers and monitors just off the set. You see yourself. You don't do that again.

Just relax the the host says while the music plays. You unbutton your coat then button it then unbutton it. The host looks at the camera and starts talking and then the camera moves and flashes red. You talk for eight minutes and it goes by fast. You don't even remember it. The music comes up and then it is over. The lights in the studio come on and the host shouts out, Goodnight everybody. He i's gone. People are clearing out like mad.. It's eight o'clock at night. Time to get home. You are taken out by the girl and then you are back in the parking lot and it  is very quiet.

Your phone rings.

Madam President The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson

Edith and Woodrow Wilson's Strange Road Trips

The President  had manged to get into a Coney Island wheelchair and sit out on the south portico of the White House to get air. He was wrapped in blankets and stared into the bloodless sun and wondered what had happened to his presidency. Meanwhile Edith was desperate to find something that would make the president happy or at least release him from his terrible depression over his devastating stroke.  She had begun showing him movies in the Red Room but he often fell asleep or began crying if the scenes were too intense.

Before they were married she and Woodrow would take long drives in the country to relieve stress and get away from the prying eyes of the White House. Edith wondered if it might work again and had a ramp built in the back of the White House so the President could get into the Pierce Arrow limousine. Even with the ramp it took four secret service men to lift him into the car. The agents positioned Wilson on the right side of the car with his right side facing out so no one would know his left side was paralyzed. They put his hat on and they were off.

The presidential limousine that weighed four tons and looked like something out of the Adams family went around Washington a few times and then they headed for the country. When cars passed them Wilson demanded the driver give chase and he be allowed to hold court on the side of the road for speeding. Many people were not sure the man in the back of the car was the president. Many had not heard or seen him for over a year. When he returned he was greeted by the families of the secret service men instructed to cheer.  Wilson turned to Edith with a tear in his eye..."you see Edith, they still  love me".

Madam President The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson

Madam Presidents Close Election in 1916

Edith Wilson had a close election of her own in 1916. And it was about as nasty as this one. Woodrow Wilson was running for re-election and Edith had only been married to the President for one year. She hoped and believed he would lose and they could go live their new life together. Wilson was running against Charles Evans Hughes and many thought he would lose. The country had war fever yet Wilson did not declare war against Germany. Teddy Roosevelt accused the president of everything but treason and then he accused him of that as well.

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick became Wilson Speaks softly and carries a dishrag. But more than that the people seemed ready for a change and Hughes played on war fever and many saw Wilson and his new wife Edith as finished. The day of the election the New York Times called it for Hughes before voting was even finished. Wilson acknowledged defeat and said he would telegram Hughes in the morning. He went to bed. Edith followed him up and found him awake.

"Well my dear, it seems you will get your wish and we can do all those things you have been wanting to do." He then went to sleep. The returns from the West had not come in and especially California with its high number of delegates. When Wilson woke he found the election undecided. All the next day the counting continued but was slowed by a snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Ballots were counted by hand and horse drawn wagons carried the ballots thorough the snow. Finally the next day all the votes were counted and Wilson won by a whisper.  Madam President braced herself for four more years. Little did she know her own presidency would begin in a few years.


Madam President The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson