New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-16
THE SLAUGHTER BEGINS.


has been made several times since, but nothing
has been heard from Mr.WattersOn. Ii seems,
however, that he has only been waiting fit
ting occasion. This was afforded by the jack
son banquet in Chicago last evening. MIR.
Watterson was asked to respond to the toast TO
the Democratic Press" and he did so in a
speech which we reproduce elsewhere. Andrew
jackson has been dead nearly thirty seven
years, and during all that time we doubt II as
much truth has been uttered by the whole
Democratic party as Mr.. Watterson has
crowded into this speech We do not wish TO
be understood as approving his free trade doc
trines when We say this. What we refer to
especially is his comprehensive tribute to the
character of the Democratic press On the sub
ject of Democratic stupidity Mr. Watterson Is
always Outspoken and always eloquent lie Is
the one man in his party who is not afraid 10
sneak his honest convictions, when to keep
silent would be to stihe his own manliness.
When General Garfield was nominated for the
Presidency, Mr.. Watterson had the courage and
the manhood to protest against the shower or
SANDER which his associates on the Democratic
press at once opened upon him, and his manly
words then will always be remembered to his
honor. He is not less frank now.
He saws of the Democratic press that 4" 1t Is
no longer a power in the land" that Z" it does
not echo the spirit of the age" and that like
the party it is divided, iIresolute and purpose
Less We do not enjoy the privilege of tele-
phonic connection with the regions occupied
by thc spirit OF the late Andrew Jackson, but
we have no doubt that if such connection could
be made, and the spirit were asked for its opin-
ion of the Democratic press OF to-day, the re-
Spouse would coincide closely with the verdict
of Mr.. WattersOn. Having named the defects,
Mr.. WattersOn is equally fearless in proposing
the remedy. First of all, he asks the Demo-
cratic press to realize that there has been
deluge" and sold things have been swept
away" "Thc Democratic party cannot come
"into power and it ought not to come into
"power, as an avenging deity, still less as de-
"stIoying angel. 1t must come IN, If it come in
" at all, as the party OF action, not reaction;
" the party of reform, not redress; the party OF
to-day, not of yesterday" That is truth OF
the purest kind. 1t hits the Democratic press
sduarely at tie present moment, when some OF
its editors are trying to climb into public favor
by Joining the feeble and odious faction that
is breaking out in ghOulish attacks upon
GarGeds memory. Democrats and Stalwarts
may as well learn the lesson now as at any
other time, for learn it they must, that no
party can hope to win public favor by beiOul-
ing the memory of the men who have been pre-
fer1ed before them. The way to success is to
show fitness for success The way to succeed
to Garfields popularity is to rival Garfields
zeal for the public welfare.
Mr. WattersOn calls these utterances we have
commended glitterng generalities, but they are
the strongest part of his address. 1t Is
only when he becomes specific that we are
Obliged to differ from him, though we sin
cerely hope he will persuade his party
to adopt his views. He says the remedy for
all Democratic shortcomings is to be found IN
a union upon the familiar principle of = tariff
for revenue only" He tells us that protection
is doomed, like slavery, and that it is aE mon
strOus in every way as slavery was. Becoming
retrospective, he exclaims: "Looking back
"into that far-Off time, it staggers the mind to
contemplate how long the institution OF slav-
q cry did stand against reason, common sense,
humanity and public policy. All men now
"admit that there was not an argument to sup
sport il. 1t has gone, thank God, and there
dis an end of it but its history Is full OF IN
= structon and warning" 1t is The first in
struction and warning which occur to us are
that the Democratic party was the organization
which sustained slavery against reason, COM
mon sense, humanity and public policy; that
when there was no longer an argument in
support of it," the Democratic party sustained
and encouraged bloody civil war in its de-
fence. and that Mr.. Watterson himself took
the field and fought for its perpetuatiOn. In
the light of this warning, his comparison oil
protection to slavery seems to us unfortunate.
If he was so blind then, what reason have we
TO suppose that he is less blind nOw9 May he
not be as far wrong i'll supporting free trade
now as he was in defending slavery then
Right or wrong, however, MIR. Watterson is
determined to commit the party to his policy,
no matter what the sacrifice. In peIoration
in which gore and eloquence are about equally
mingled, he exclaims I" Place the old Demo
acratic flag ship in line of battle; clear the
adecks for action pitch the fools into the sea,
q and send the soreheads below and with Free
adom's signals flying at the masthead, give her
prayerfuly, confidently to the God OF Storms,
" the battle and the breeze" This seems to us
to be running the flagship into battle with a
very slim crew. With the fools all pitched
overheard and the sOreheads shut down below
there would be nobody left on deck-savo Mr..
WatteIsOn. He is an honest man and plucky
one, but considered as a whole crew he seems
little scant Besides, who is going to drown
the fools and lock up the sOreheads Ii Is one
thing to resolve upon slaughter and another to
commit it, especially when the resolver stands
alone against a host decreed by him to slaugh-
ter. Ii seems to us that much better way
would be to defer the slaughter till the battle
open, and let the enemy commit it. With the
free trade banner floating over his ship, Mr..
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