The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-01-25
WAFTERSON'S GRAND ARMY.
IN Amusing BurIesque upon the Pro
posed Democratic Mass Meeting.
Special Correspondence efMs New York Herald,
WASHINGTON. Jan. II. 1S1

The notion of bringing 100000 un-
armed Western Democrats to Washing
ton on the 18th of February, each with
two revolvers and a bowie knife in his
pocket, originated with Mr.. Watterson,
who combines the functions of editor of
the Louisville Courier Journal and men,
Der of Congress. 1t is said by some Of
his friends to be one of the practical
Jokes of which he is known to be fond.
But others assert that he is dead in ear
nest, and has already bought cooked
hat and a pair of striped trowsers, in
which he will appear as leader of the
procession. The matter attracts a good
deal of attention here, and, while there
are people who pretend to laugh at Wat
terson, there are others, among them the
owners of hen roosts in the suburbs, who
regard it very seriously.
Mr.. Watterson is known by his init
mates to be as Jealous for Mr.. Tildens
success as Mr.. Halstead, of the Cincin-
natl Commercial, is for that of Governor
Hayes, and there are Ohio men here who
assert that if Mr.. IVatterson brings on
100000 Democrats at his own private ex-
pense, Mr.. Halstead is precisely " the man
to raise, at his own cost, an equally nu-
merous Republican army. Both these
gentlemen are energetic and enterprising
both are believed by their friends to be
desirous of a foreign mission, Peru being
the country of their choice according to
the best information, and while it is we'll
known that if Mr.. Jefferson Davis had
taken Mr.. Watterson's advice during the
late unpleasantness, many things might
have been different, there is letter here,
on file in the War Department, which
shows that MI. Halstead, on his part, is
also possessor of superior military genius,
which he was on one occasion patriotic
enough to place at the service of the late
General Halleck, with a view to bringing
the war to speedier close.
An invasion of 100000 unarmed poll
ticians would be a serious matter for
Washington, whose hotels could hardly
accommodate even the 10000 Kentuck-
ians whom Mr. Watterson has summoned
as a first levy, and for whom it is rumor.
ed he means to provide first class board
and lodging during their stay. Careful
inquiry of the different hotel proprietors
here leads to the belief, by reason oftheir
cautious reticence, that Mr.. Watterson
has already achieved the master stroke OF
engaging in advance the whole Of the
hotel accommodations of the city for his
Kentucky contingent. leaving poor MIR.
Halstead out in the cold and mire unless,
with true Western energy, he should at
once have new hotels built for his forces.
Mr.. Watterson is naturally reticent about
the plans he is believed to have already
perfected for moving his army of occupa-
ton. AS he sits in the House of Repre-
sentatives his face has an air of thought,
not without some signs of care. There is
a report that he has been seen OF late
somewhat nervously lingering large
check book, but this is not we'll estab-
lished. Some of his friends who have
had army experience have been engaged
for several days in detailed calculations
as to the cost of moving l00,0 900 unarmed
Democrats across the Alleghanies, and
rumor says they find it can be done for
the trihing sum of $50 each, which would
include ali expenses and return them all
safely to their anxious families. At this
rate for the sum of S5 900, 900, cash down,
Mr.. Watterson will be able to bring his
whole force here and provide them with
return tickets, and there are people here
who say that he could not do nobler or
more patriotic thing than this, and that
when he has headed the procession on
the 18th OF February and paid all the
bills, including whatever window glass
may be broken by the firing Of Demo
cratic salutes, he will deserve an eques-
trian monument, which, it is already pro-
posed, should stand facing that of Gen,
eral Jackson in Lafayette square, and
with horse equally disposed to stand on
his hind legs.
Extended inquiry among leading Dem
ocrats shows that they have so far taken
singularly interest in the expected arrival
of their Western constituents. This
arises probably from the fact that every
body here has unbounded faith in MIR.
Watterson. 1t is believed that if ne
means business it is not necessary tor
anybody else to interfere, and the rumor
sent out from here some days ago that
the National Democratic Committee was
to be asked to cooperate with Watterson
was received here with undisguised con-
| tempt.