Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-26
WATTERS0N ON THE RAMPAGE.

We are at loss to understand any
other underlying motive for Henry Wat
terson's attack upon Speaker Crisp for
not appointing Mr.. Mills chairman of
the committee on ways and means but
blind prejudice to every Democrat and
every section of the Democratic party
that does not bend the knee in submits
sion to the ultra-tariff views of the doc
trinaires of the Carlisle -Watterson
school of free trade. The Democratic
free trade. Indeed, free trade in it's full
extent is practical impossibility in pol
itics. The country must have revenue,
and the doctrine OF the Democratic
party has always been to establish
tariff that would afford the necessary rev.
enue to carry on the government and at
the same time SO judiciously adjusted as
to protect American labor and American
industries entitled by their necessities
and bearing upon the public prosperity
to exceptional protection.
The Watterson school. however, go to
radical extremes. They are visionaries
who would rather wreck their party
than see it successful by the careful
adoption of wise and rational tariff
policy. 1t is the nature of such radicals
to kick in the traces whenever they are
denied their own way. They are not
only dreamers, but they are so get in
their dreams that they become personal
and aggressive whenever they are
thwarted in their policy to rule or ruin.
Watterson charges that Crisp. by re-
fusing Mills the craftsmanship OF the
ways and means committee, has thrown
himself into the arms of Tammany.
We have heard that charge before and
often; but not till now from any one
claiming to be Democrat. Perhaps it
would have been better if the Demo-
cratic party had not, when it was in
possession OF the government, been too
completely under the influence OF the
Watterson school OF politicians. Every
Democrat is convinced that great
error in practical politics was made in
1887 by precipitating the tariff question
on the country just before a presidential
election. 1t was done to satisfy the
Wattersons and the Carlisles, and in
despite of the earnest protestations OF
the most conservative and wise leaders
OF the party, who tried to prevent the
ultra school from dashing it upon the
rocks OF defeat by its premature COM
initial to the radical views of the ex-
tremists. We could have carried the
election in 1888 if the party could have
kept this element in the background.
The fact is that Watterson attacks
Mr.. Hill and Tammany Hall because he
sees that the prestige of his kind of
Democrats is gone if the rational ele-
ment of the party succeed. There will
be no room for. such disturbing factors
in it's ranks. 1t is not many months
gall to make personal and insulting
attack upon Mr.. Hill. The mild and
good-natured way in which the New
York governor treated Mr.. Watterson's
ferocious vagary did not tend to lessen
the latter's animosity. He now, through
the action Of Speaker Crisp, in dropping
Mr.. Mills from the Craftsmanship of the
ways and means committee, is trying to
throw irebrand into the party out OF
mere personal spite and from ignoble
motives. Mr.. Springer, as head of that
committee, has announced what will be
the policy of the party during this
congress on the tariff question.
1t is very safe and q very
wise policy. He says it is not
proposed to attack the Mckinley bill
all along the line, but to make such
changes in particular and Objectionable
features OF it as will, in all probability,
meet with the assent of the senate. He
further proposes that a special commit
tee of fifteen shall be appointed to care
! fully examine into the practical work
lngs of the Mckinley tariff, and to re-
port to congress all the information
they have been enabled to gather, to-
gether with their conclusions.
This is certainly . wise programme.
The country is anxious to know exactly
how this radical departure in the tariff
policy OF the country is acting upon the
best interests of the whole country--not
of special classes who are Immediately
benefited by it. Mr.. Springer has done
the right thing at the right time. Mr..
Watterson can inveigh as much as he
pleases against Tammany and Governor
Hill. But Tammany has for over cen
tury been powerful factor for good in
the Democratic party. 1t is true that
for short season it drifted into bad
hands; but some of the greatest names
in the party-indeed in the country
have directed its course and presided at
its uncils.
WE HAD short talk with an army