New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-14
INIT LETTER AND WHAT BECAME or 1T.

4
Mr. Watterson stands by his letter advising
Covn,ror Till no, to get in the way of the Cieve-
Iond oynress in 1892, and giving him permission
70 RIM an express of his own IN 1870 ine
letter is genuine, and It's author IS lloO dSnah'cu
Of il. though grieved to learn that INC "o'eihor
disagrees with it and that 1t dlsa4teeS WIFI ,'e
Governor. 1t was written, but 1t was never re-
ceiyed nor was it returned through the Deau
otter Office. Where was and IS the or8lhal
Was it kidnapped or merely mslaIdT our OWN
bplief is that having written, signed ehVeioped
and addressed the document Colonel Natterson
cave if 10 his handmaiden, the Star-Eyed GOD
dcss of Reform, to stamp and mail aha' elthef
Loc,rso sbo imagined that in a calmer mood the
Colonel might regret his impetuoslty or be-
CAUSE she didn't happen to have po>2ge-S1aniP
in her pocket and the drug-StolcS were all
closed. that she retired TO the seciuSlon OF her
own apartment and used the precious mlSsive
for curl papers. This theory implies sad
breach Of faith on the part Of the Star-Eyed
but in the first place she has always been tniie
giphty. and in the second place she Is woman
and the Colonel has been guilty OF numerous
in6deties. Hero in this very letter, for ex'
annie. he assures Governor Hill that he thinks
i
and know him better How could she be ex-
pected to put up with such tniiing cohp'aceht-
Iv? We have assumed that the letter was
sealed when it was placed in her hands bu'
there was nothing to prevent hcr opening Ii
with hairpin, after the manner OF her SEX
As for the letter itself, we sec no reason why
il should be casSed by the writer, even in the
light of events, among things which one would
rather have left unsaid, though that seems to
be the Governors view Of it. We suppose that
we are not violating confidence when we say
that Mr.. Hill is a candidate for the Presidency
ut tho fist and all subsequent opportunities.
And we are certain that we are not violating
the truth when we say that 1t never occurred
to Colonel WattcrSon that the Editor OF ." The
Courier Journal needed anybody's permission
TO declare his opinions, gratuitouSly or other
wise. for the benefit Of the party or OF an lndi-
yidual. Not even Governor who expects to
hold two great Offices at once in the immediate
future is beyond the Colonies pale. Mr. Hills
wrath is inexplicable. What is there Of insult
or impcrtnence in a letter which advised him
to take a course which he has since taken NJ
the dictaton of his own judgment? One OF the
Governors most admirable qualities has always
been his freedom from bitterness and resent
ments We are afraid he is getting thin
skinned
There is one cause for regret in connection
with this incident, and we shall not soon for
give the Star-Eyed Goddess for ScquesterlnS
that letter Suppose that She had no stamp;
| it is possible that Colonel Wattcrson may have
had > cents about his person. This was case
in which she would have been saved not lost by
hesitation. Her not altogether unnatural wrath
would have subsidized in Il moment, the letter
would have been mailed, and the Governor
| would have received it. He would not only
have received it, but-and this is the point-h'
| would have answered it, for he says - HIM
self: ard if he had been half as angry a he Is
now his reply would have made mighty inter
esting reading. He probably would not have
published the correspondence himself, but Tie
| Couricr-Journal" knows a good thing when II
| sees it, and would have been apt to reason, with
the late Samuel BowleS: This may be poor
politics, but il is blank good journalism