New-York tribune., 1878-07-05

$50 shameful as those connected with the
presidential election in Louisiana cannot
"be successful without exeftlng bhghtihg
"infiuence upon the country a. large" ana
"that it is National necessity to unearth
"and to punish those frauds" There Is no
doubt that he feels deeply on this subject
and ii wonld not surprise in the least 10
learn that in going abroad he is fleeing from
the blighting influence referred to-
But we confess we are not entirely satlshed
with the Lieutenant Governors treatment OF
the Henry WattersOn business. tits OF course well
known that the question which most agltatcs
the inner circles of the Democratic party Is
whether Mr.. Tiden did right III declining
Henry Watterson's offer of 100000 men
from Kentucky to install him in the
White House, it being the impression IN
many strong Democratic districts that Henry
had this army stacked up in the outskirts
of Washington, and could have hahdeu
them over like so many suckers strung on
n stick. But when the reporter asked MI
Dorsheimer point blank " If Mr. TIlden had
"appeared in Washington with Mr.. Hcniy
Watterson's army OF 100000 men, would
she have got into the White House /" Mr..
Dorshcimer instead of answering so plain a
question, is reported only to have Smiled
"at the mention of Mr.. Watterson'S
"name," and made no reply. Pursuing
the subject, the reporter asked, would
'Mr. Watterson, for example, have Sc
"cured the Presidency if he had been in Gov
"ernor Tildem's place! Was anything more
ethan energy needed in order to take itT'
And the report says, "Another smile followed
"the connection. of Mr.. Watterson with the
"Presdency,n but no answer was given.
With great respect for the Leutenant-Goy-
ernOr we feel compelled to say that when
he smiles at the connection OF Henry
Wattclson's name with the Presidency
he is treading on dangerous ground,
for Henry Watterson is not to be trifed with.
1t was perhaps comparatively safe for Mr..
DOrshcimer to treat the business in this way
on the eve of his departure for Europe, but
that would have been costly smile Tor INN
if he had been intending to remain In the
country Mr.. WattersOn has just finished
one campaign III Ncw-NOrk, and 1t
would not take much to bring him back here,
for a series of interviews and letters on
New-York politicians in general. He Is a
statesman WHO tdllllDl W iNbtNh NA'H '''''J'
And when little later in this interview, at
the question, "Who got the better OF the Wat
tcrsOn-llewtt controversy" Mr.. Dorshelmer
actually laughed outright, we cannot help think
ing he tempted fate. Ii would have been much
better better for Mr.. Dorsheimer and better
for the country ut large, had he treated this
question with more of the seriousness 1t de-
serves. Then we should have known what to
do in case Watterson should invade the
White House with a hundred thousand
men in Dorshcimcrs absence, and DOrshci-
mer himself would not have invited attack
from the Kentucky journalist. Let it be set
down once for all that no man can succeed IN
politics i'm this country who smiles three times
in succession at the mention of the name OF
Henry Watterson and his hundred thousand
men.
The interview referred to closed with the
LIeutenant-G ovcrnors Temarking, in a some
what guarded way, in answer to inquiries, that i'll
his opinion Mr. Tllden was quite likely to want
a denomination, and that "many prominent
democrats undoubtedly desire to see him n
Candidate again" And then he resumed pack
ing his trunk, and the reporter proceeded to
enrich current political history with the record
of his views and opinions. 1t is n great and
important addition to history, and except for
the leyity exhibited at mention of Mr.
Wattcrson's name, very satisfactory. Unless
Mr.. Wattcrson decides to answer MIR. DOrshcimer
by cable IN The London Times, in anticipation of
his arrival on the other side, he will doubtless
give him n broadside of The Courier-,JOuaaI
IN day or two, just to show him that it is
no laughing matter.