New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-06
WATTERSON IN THE SADDLE.
CHAIRMAN OF THE PLATFORM COMMITTEE.
NOT CONTENT WITH THE PAST UTTERANCEs OF
DEMOCRACY AGAINST THE TARIFF
FEELING SURE OF A RADICAL

NOT CONTENT WITH THE PAST UTTERANCEs OF
DEMOCRACY AGAINST THE TARIFF
FEELING SURE OF A RADICAL
MAJORITY.
fRy TELEGRAPH rRrsrsEf
ST. Louis, June 5.-The Committee on Resolu-
tions met late this afternoon and elected, not
Senator German, as was generally expected, but
J Henry Watterson. This was surprise numbes one
! Then it went to work and appointed o sub-commlt-
tee, ignoring 10 its makeup the States Of Pennsy-
vania and Ohio. This surprise number two
At first blush the defeat Of Senator German and
the election Of Henry Watterson chairman Of the
| Committee would seem to be defeat for the Ad-
minstration. Neither German nor Watterson IS
| known to enjoy its confidence. Watterson. it Is
needless to say, is much more of free-trader than
| Cleveland while the relations of German with the
! White House have been anything but friendly for
the last six months. To conclude from this that
the Administration had received a setback in its
/ endeavor to map cut the work of the Convention
in detail before it met, would probably be wrong
On the contrary, it is more reasonable to suppose
that the Administration recognized the necessity
of giving the proceedings of the Convention some
slight sembance, at least, Of Independence
and freedom from dictation and outside inter-
! ference, and that therefore it made at the
outset concession 10 the radical free-trade ele-
ment of the party which, so far from being harm
full is rather advantage. IL is not difficult TO
conceive that Henry Watterson, as chairman OF
the committee is more harmless than he would
be were he to occupy the position Of free lance
in the ranks Of the committee Aside from this,
it must be some qualification to have the honor
of the chairmanshp, though it increases his re-
spOnsbity, and may render him more cautious.
On no other grounds could be explained the good
IL. L
viewed the result tonight. On no other grounds
could the action of Governor Leon Albeit and
A. Il. Burr be accounted for in casting their votes
for Watterson. Both are men with strong pro-
lection eanings. Both stand the President,
and both must have had some decided reasons
for apparently voting contrary to their convlc-
tions The vote by which Mr. Watterson was
elected chairman of the committee was % to 20,
two members being absent In the proceedings
OF the committee the Territories have a voice and
vote. though on the floor Of the Convention only
There is one reason given by Mr.. German, in
default OF any better, TO account Tor his deteat
/ That there was any enmity on the part of Scott
in the matter, he denies most emphatcaLy, and
20 prove the correctness Of his assertion, points
to the facts that William Mutchler Of Pennsyl-
vania Mr.. Scotts representative on the committee,
put his name in nomination. He says, moreover,
that both sides a mum Der Of personal votes
were cast: for instance. that Of Georgia. repre-
sented by 7. G. DubignOn, who, though under
instructions 10 take sides with the extreme wing
I
Mr.. ABBETT REFUSES TO GIVE REASONS.
Ex-Governor Leon Albeit was reticent when
asked for his reasons for supporting the Watterson
men in the committee. hal good reasons for
doing it, he said tonight, but of course it would
not be proper for me to state them"
WAS it with the idea Of making Mr.. Waiter
son more harmless that you voted to make him
chairman?'
fhat I had
induce me to take the course L did You may
depend upon that
wATTERsON SURE OF A PREFERABLE PLANK.
! Colonel Watterson was in high spirits He re-
garded his election as indication that his men
were in the majority and would control the framing
of the platform. That much even Senator German
seemed disposed to admit. Asked what the plat
form would embOdy, Colonel Watterson cautiously
said:
Good, sound Democratic principles; free trade,
of course, Endorsement of the Presidents mes
sage, and sundry other things
:" A mere reaffrmation of the platform Of 1884
would not suit you 2?
1t would not That is out Of the question.
It Will 30 further. IL must do So We are III
position to do it.
" If defeated in committee will you carry the
fight in the convention? ?"
" But won't be defeated, l tell you. We
are in majority"
And good deal more, all 20 the same purpose
genial Henry Warterson had to say tonight. Even
the influence OF the honor conferred upon him
in the chairmansiip, there are others standing
ready TO carry the contest TO the floor OF the
Convention. Prominent among these are the
Iowa member of the committee, I. w. Lehman
is "a young man OF considerable ability and still
greater ambition. In his State he has made q
record as a free-trader Of the most pronounced
type For some time he has evinced desire to eX-
tend the field of his activity. This is his oppor-
tunity 1t will not be his fault il he misses il.
lie declares in the most uncompromisng manner
possible that if WattcrsOn shows signs of weakness
or Yields he will step into the breach and appeal
from the decision Of the committee to the Judgment
of the Convention
An interesting bit of information, which is going
the rounds Of the hotels tonight, is that the most
extensively circulated badge bearing the Likeness
Of Mr. Cleveland. was manufactured not in this
country aud by American worlmen, but IN Eng
land. 1t may be no great matter, but it Is sig
nfcant and practical Illustration of what the prln
ciple advocated by the Democratic party, II
adopted, will lead to-
A. late hour tonight the subcommittee OF
the Committee on Resolutions was still in session
witt the prospect that their task OF framing
nlatfOrn would keep them up till morning So
far the only work known TO have been performed
bv the committee is TO give hearings to an Illi-
nois DELEGATION, which desired a strong river i'm
movement plank inserted Texas delegation
in behalf Of an anti prohibition plank and 10 re-
ccive Tammany resolution for Home Rule. The
subcommittee is composed as follows: New
York Edward Cooper; New-Jerscy, Leon Albeit
Connecticut b. \. Burr; Indiana, David Tnrpie;
Colorado. Thomas NJ. Patterson: Oregon, VI. ).
Holman: Louisiana, John Diamond: Mississippi,
w H. Sims. Michigan, ex-Congressman iaples;
Kentucky Henry Watterson; Maryland, A. =.
German.