The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-25

.. Kentucky's Hey
II there are any outand-out free traders
in this country with the courage OF their
convictions they ought to be found in
Kentucky, the home Of Senator Beck OF
Henry Watterson and the Louisville Cour
Ir.JournaL. 1.-THE Democracy Of any State
In convention assembled might withTeason
be expected to give forth no
uncertain sound" on the tariff
question, we should expect to find
that Democracy in Kentucky. But
the convention which nominated Mr..
Proctor Knott, and over which Mr., Henry
Wsnerson "brooded like nightmare" 80
to speak, performed an elaborate feat OF
lodging which is attracting general atten-
ton.
Mr.. Watterson had been telling the party
what 1t ought to do. Hehad been advising
Democrats in other States to be brave and
bold and come out squarely on the issue,
which meant victory for the party and SAL
vation for the country. He had been
reading out Of the party Old
Line Wings with soft side for
protection, and he had been urging the
party TO "let Pennsylvania 60 to the devil"
and set up a grand burrah against the
"robber tariff the "bounty barons," and
that kind OF thing. Now the old folks at
home were in convention assembled, and
here was the first opportunity to take
the Wattersonian cure.all direct from the
hand OF the inventor and manufacturer.
We may imagine how Mr.. Watterson's fine
blue eye rolled in its cavernous socket as
he prepared the plank which he was going
to shove into the Kentucky Platforms
plank that was in 1884 to held the entire
Democratic party.
This plank was to make the convention
"denouuce the Tariff act oil the last Repub.
lican Congress as monster piece Of in
equality, injustice and wrong, and they de-
mand OF the next Democratic House Of
Representatives measure Of relief and re.
form based upon the organic law Of the
Democratic party, declared at st. Louis in
1876 and reaftirmed at Cincinnati in 1880,
which requires that all custom house taxa.
ton shall be for revenue only" Here
was declaration that everybody would
have understood. It was 80 essentially
Wattersonian that it might have been an
editorial paragraph clipped from any re-
cent issue OF the Courier. Journal Mr..
Watterson's speech to the convention was
in elaboration Of the same happy thought.
He spoke eloquently OF the "act 10 still
further plumber the people," OF pap
suckers" "lobby sharks" and "robber
tariffs and he declared that the handwrit-
ing on the wall spelled" "a tariff for revenue
only" l. was to be "a red letter day in
the calendar of progress" q sort OF morn.
Of "the resurrection Of national Democ.
racy." The people all over the Union were
looking not merely for wise and clear
keynote" but for some other good things,
among them Speaker Of the House, and
here was Kentucky's chance. Mr.. Waiter
sons speech, as we learn from Mr. Waiter
sons paper Of the next day, was received
with great applause"
But let US see what the tariffp plank in the
Kentucky platform looked like when the
convention got through with it and saw
that it was we'll: "rhe Democracy OF Ken
lucky in convention assembled reaiiirm
our unaltered confidence in and affection
for the principles and policy embodied in
the organic law OF the Democratic party
adopted at the National Democratic Con.
vention held in ST. Louis in 1876 and rah'
fed at Cincinnati in $780," As keynote
this lacks the clearness which Mr.. Wetter.
son was talking about. 1t is even harsh
and unmelodious, under all the circum'
stances. There is no dash about 1t. Asa
note it went to protest in 1880. AS plank
1t is grained the wrong way and won't
wear. II the Kentucky Democracy are
with Mr.. Watterson this avasiye utterance
is cowardy-the Watterson plank was
brave to rashness II the party in Ken.
lucky is not with Mr.. Watterson on this
issue what is he blathering about? Hasn't
he been wasting on the Democrats OF Penn
sylvania and other barborous States great
efforts which might have been better en-