Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-12
HENRY WATIERSON
Gives an Authoritative Interview to q
Chicago Reporter
ON PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
He Practically Calls Upon Mr. Cleveland to With
draw From the Field-Hs Does Not Think
Hill Stands Any Chance-Must be
Western Man.


CHICAGO, March 11.-Hon. Henry
Watterson, in an authorized interview
at the Richelieu Hotel to-day, virtually
called upon Mr.. Cleveland To withdraw
from the race for the Presidential nom
ination. Mr.. WatterSOn said the nom
ination of the ex-President would be SUI
icidal for the Democratic party. Hill,
too, he believed, had dug his own polit-
ical grave in New York, and he regards
the conflict there aS practically irrecon-
cilable.
The party, he said, must come West
for its candidate, or seek him in either
Of the three States: Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania or Maryland. In prac-
tically calling upon Mr.. Cleveland 10
withdraw, Mr.. WatterSon rather scored
the eX-President. The kentucky editor
read the interview after it was written
und endorsed it as incorrect. Three
questions were propounded TO the dis
tinguShed Kentuckian. The first and
second related to Mr.. WatterSon'S well
known views upon the tariff and silver.
The third and most important question,
that OF the Presidential nomination,
Mr.. Watterson answered last. He said:
Il have never INDUCED myself very
much in hero worship and any good
Democrat whom the National Conven-
ton NAV see fit 70 nominate will suit
me. II had 20 put man in the White
House he would be Mr.. Carlisle. re-
gard him as the best equipped Democrat
| in public life. He is able and honest.
He is sound to the core and has the
courage of his convictions. He was
making great expoSitionS in Democratic
lore and leading Democratic tariff bat
ties when Mr. Cleveland was Mayor of
Buffalo. He would make an eminent
| President Him aside, anybody will
suit me If he does not come from New
York"
"Why SOP"
Because the factions there have
made the nomination OF any New York
er impossible. Governor Hill has killed
Mr.. Cleveland, and in doing so he has, |
think, killed himself. The nomination
must come west or 90 TO Massachusetts,
or Maryland or Pennsylvania. II we
could not elect Mr. Cleveland in lSsS
when he was in the White House and
when we had all the outer forms and
shows OF harmony in the State Of New
York, what chance should we have
against the present vehement opposi-
tion? Mr.. Cleveland made Us a
good President. In great affairs he
has many Of the elements OF great
man. / am most sincerely his friend.
But ! must contest, and sometimes |
feel like resentinz the notion that he is
our sole, our only and most original
Moses, in the mater OF the tariff reform.
Mr.. Cleveland allowed three years Of his
administration TO pass before he declar-
ed himself. When other Democrats
were struggling with the demons Of
darkness, he was passive and silent.
When he did speak out, he spoke well,
but he was skeptcal OF the issue he had
himself perpetrated. He sent Mr..
German and the late William l..
Scott to ST. Louis with cut
and dried platform ignoring his own
message, ignoring the Mills bill, and
reasserting as the party law, the
straddle we had made in Chicago in
1854. ! do not mean TO impeach or
criticize Mr.. Cleveland in tine least. He
is as good tariff reformer as anybody
but he is no better than half a dozen
who have an equal claim with him to
the public confidence. In the face Of
the New York affairs, IL seems TO me
his nomination would be suicide. and |
have so much respect for his sense Of
dignity and honor that | take II for
granted that he will in due time with
draw his name"
do you think Senator Palmer is too
old?"
why what is the matter with Glad
stone or Bismarck? No; certainly not.
He is an excellent man, and II there are
no silk holes IN his record, would make
an excellent candidate. So would Gov
ernor Bo!es, of Iowa. So would Gov
ernor Russell, or Governor Pattison. or
Mr. German, II we decide 20 20 East.
The woods are full Of possibilities"
In reference to hint that he himself
might be a candidate. Mr.. WattersOn
sarcastically remarked: when there
has been a foreign war and have had
the opportunity to sink my Confeder-
ate record under a Union commission
and do prodigies OF valor on the tented
field. or words 10 that effect, come TO
me and / will talk TO you about it,"
Tonight Mr. Watterson left for Lou
isvfiip