Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-02-03
A Volunteer Goat.

one prominent Democrat in the cOun.
try who not only has convictions and the
courage of his convictions, but has also
the reverent regard for truth and the
self-sacrifcing candor which made the
Father of his Country an example for
its youth, and is symbolized for all time
in the ruined cherry-tree with the hatch.
ct at its root. At time when the Dem
Ocratic party, pulling itself painfully to-
gether with bad headache and a purple
eye. is beating the air with the conun-
drum, "Who did it?"-when the high
priests are laying of the sins of the CAM
paign upon reluctant and baulky goats
who sCand still and will not move will
derness-ward; when some are laying 1t
to Kelly, some to Tilden, some to Bar
mum, and some t. Hancock-Mr. Henry
Watterson. of Kentucky, comes calmly
forward to Chicago interviewer and
says, Il cannot tell lie. did it with
my little tariff-for-revenue-only plank in
the platform"
1t is not probable that Mr. Watterson
sought Chicago for purposes of confes-
sion. But being there on other business,
Or mayhap for pleasure, the climatic in
tiuences and atmospheric conditions
which have operated to saturate the cit
izens of that town with sincerity as
rare as it is beautiful, and to establish
the reputation of the place for excep-
tional veracity, working upon disposi-
tion naturally frank and conhding, un-
dUubtedly lead him to "give the whole
thing away" Said the reporter to Mr..
WatterSOn, with that wonderful direct
ness and simplicity with which the real
ly earnest interviewer rips off the band
age from recent hurt to see how deep
the wound is: THAT plank of tariff
fOr-revenue-only in the Democratic plat
form is what defeated the Democrats in
the last Presidential campaign, Mr..
Watterson, and they say you are respon-
sible for it." A less candid man, or one
less courageous, might have been tempt
ed by the suddenness of the question,
the largeness of its scope, and the mo-
mentous consequences it involved. to
prevaricate. Without denying the au-
thorship of the plank in question, he
might have laid the defeat to Kelly,
Tilden, Hancock, or VIM. H. English; to
the Greenback alliance, the abuse of
Garfield, or the Morey letter. But he
didn't. He answered boldly and prompt
ly: Yes, sir, wrote that plank, and
am willing to stand the responsibility
for doing So"
This is magnanimeus and humane.
The office of scapegoat-the only one
within the gift of the Democratic party
has been g'ing begging for two
months. Many selections have been
made, and in every case there has been
manifested dispos ton cruelty to over
load. Mr.. Wattersons confession brings
relief to the entire fOck-to the goats
that protest against the weight of the
load, and those that object to playing
goat at all. To the assertion that his
tariff-fOr-revenue plank defeated the
party he interpOses neither denial or
protest; but tacitly admitting its truth,
he says: Yes, | did it with my little
plank, and / am willing to stand the re-
sponsibility." What an example is here
for the rising generation! This is case,
let it be remembered, in which the fault
confessed is not merely the destruction
of single cherry-tree, nor ene in which
the self-confessed offender may throw
himself upon the merciful consideration
of family affection and parental pride.
This culprit has cut down the hopes of
hundreds of thousands of Democrats, in
whom there is not nor ever can be any
mercy for the man who did it. The
courageous truthfulness of Washington
has passed into a proverb. Is not the
manly candOr of Watterson, as exhibit
ed under the influence of Chicago re-
porter and Chicago air, entitled to as
wide An influence and enduring fame?
And now that the scapegoat the whole
party has been looking for and been Or
ganizing, disintegrating. and recrgan-
izing to find, has volunteered to come
forward to accept the burden and re-
sponsibility of the late defeat, may we
not hope that the noisy search will
cease and harmony among the factions
and the halls ensue? 1t is all settled
now. Mr.. Kelly didn't do it; nor Mr.
Tilden, nor Mr.. Barnum, nor General
Hancock, nor VIM. H. English, nor any
of the halls, nor the Southern brigadiers,
nor the Greenback alliance Henry
Watterson, of Kentucky, did it with his
little reverue plank. The goat is found.
And unloaded. And started toward the
wilderness. Let us have peace n. Y.
Tribune.
Thirteen Million Barrels of Beer.
ha Of iv,l