Los Angeles herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1890-1893, 1891-10-03
wATTERsoN AT HIS OLD WORK.

Henry WattersOn, the cratic and
brilliant editor of the Louisville Courier
Journal, has an article in the October
number of the North American Review,
under the head of 'straws." In these
luminous gobs OF wisdom the Hon.
Henry Gays that one mans opinions on
the outcome of political events are as
good as anybody else's. This, in our
Judgment, is true, only more so. When
the one mans opinions happen to be
different from those of Col. Watterson
they are pretty sure to have more sound
ness, more verisimilitude, more likeli-
hood of realization. so to speak, than
those of the great journalistic II am"
The Colonel philosophises at great length
about what the Democratic party ought
to do to win next time. Everybody
knows what it ought to have done to
win last time, and that was to have left
Watterson alone-not to have spoken
as the two passed by-so to abbrevi-
ate the matter. In 1884, when Mr.. Cleve-
land was elected, the Hon. Samuel j..
Randall had great struggle
with Mr.. Watterson and his forces.
As a result, the Hon. Henry was laid to
one side, and Mr.. Randall wrote the
tariff plank of the national Democratic
platform. 1t was worded IN wise and
conservative way; and, as usual, when
so worded, the Democratic party won.
In 1883, however, the Hon. Henry Wat
terson got in his work, and the tariff
plank of the platform was Unexpectedly
worded. AS usual, under such circum-
stances, the Democracy was beaten.
With his ualimpetuous and ingenious
but by no means ingenious eloquence,
in his article in the North American Re-
view, Mr.. Watterson proceeds to fib like
blazes about the real attitude of the
Democratic party. By ignoring such
Democrats as Thomas Jefferson and An
drew Jackson, he succeeds in developing
the idea that the Democratic party is
opposed to tariff for revenue, with in
cidental protection to American manu-
features and American labor. If the
Hon. Henry were again allowed to write
the tariff plank, of the Democratic ma
tional platform he would ditch the party
again, as he did before.
But the party is entirely too wise for
that. 1t will look upon the Honorable
Henry Watterson with an eye askance.
Not even his ''star-eyed goddess" could
beguile them into such folly again. A
tolerably level-headed man or party
may be fooled once, but he would be a
ninny and the party would be a nom
entity that should allow the second
putting OF the ''comether." The next
Democratic national convention, if it
desires to place it's candidates in the
white house and the capitol, will in
weigh even more energetically than
Watterson against the war and McKin-
ley tariffs, butt will have good deal
to say about so placing the reduced
duties as to give the largest possible
protection to American workingmen.
If it has assembled only to go through a
form of words, preliminary to Repub-
lican walk-over, it will go to Watterson
to find out what to say.
Mr.. Watterson also thinks that the
silver issue--that is free coinage
will be secondary issue in the next
presidential contest. As to this, we
confess that there is a chance. 1t is a
twin brother of moderate tariff. Both
are in the interest of the American
workingman. The tarif-revised, re-
duced and made equitable-is the older
issue. They may both very we'll go
together, however; and, for our part,
we believe they will. The process of
education on the silver branch of the
subject has not yet been far-reaching
enough to determine whether the people
understand its significance. But the
not uncertain notes from all quarters of
the west, south and northwest show
that there is remarkable unison Of
opinion on this question. Watterson,
however, to maintain his dual incon-
sistency, is just as far off on one topic
as the other. Endowed with very
marked rhetorical facility, and certain
pyrotechnical brilliancy in presenting
his apology for arguments, the great
Kentucky journalist seems to be gifted
with what the Italians call the evil eye.
The things political which be favors
wither and die.