The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-06-22
WHY wATTERsoN DECLINED.

He Tells Why He Could Not Servo
on tho Resolution Committee.
CHICAGO. June 22.-The feature of the
meeting Of the Kentucky delegation yes
terday was Henry Watterson's declina-
Tho delegation insisted upon Mr.. Wat
terson accepting, but he declined and
another man was named. Explaining
his action afterward to a United Press
reporter Mr.. Watterson said:
IL have for some time regarded the
nomination of Mr.. Cleveland as assured.
If he is nominated he and his ante
cedents will be u platform in them
selves. His animal message of 1887 in
the matter of the tariff and his silver
letter of 1891, with his many utterances
upon the anti-coinage side of the silver
controversy will constitute in reality the
issues on which the campaign will have
to be fought to square the ticket with
the record and to make the situation
logical. But with my well known op-
position to the nomination of Mr.. Cl.ve-
land, if should go upon the platform
and urge such course l should be at
once charged by the free coinage Cleve-
land men with the purpose to make
trouble by my eXtremeism. while on
the other hand, if j should propose IL
free coinage plank or straddle should
he charged by Mr.. Cleveland's eastern
supporters with purpose to handicap
his election in advance. Taking either
horn of the dilemma l should be sus-
pected and distrusted in the beginning,
to be made in the end, and in the event
of disaster, answerable for a result 1
ain powerless to influence OF control. In
other words shotld be required to as
suIne grave responsibilities without the
confidence and support of the gentle
men Immediately back of Mr.. Cleve-
land. felt myself under no obligations
to take any such false position, and SO I
refused it.
''If Mr.. Cleveland ia nominated no
one will support the ticket 1Hore heartily
than shall. | am his friend, not his
enemy. / came here for peace, not war.
But l am not the man who ought to
place Mr.. Cleveland upon his own plat
form, and cannot consent TO be party
to placing him Oil a platform stultifying
him as to tho record. In 1864 we had q
war candidate on the peace platforms; in
1868 a hard money candidate on a soft
money platform; in 1879 Republican
on Il Democratic platform, and in 1850 u
protectionist on free trade platform.
In each instance disaster followed.
"As l said, Mr.. Cleveland is plat
form to himself. Both his personality
and his opinions are unacceptable, ard
even if we desired to straddle the silver
question he could not mount or ride our
our straddle with any grace or safety,
AS l have opposed his nomination
could not go upon the platform COM
mittee without incurring the suspicion
of each party to the silver controversy
in the Cleveland camp"
did you offer your delegation any
alternativeT
s;Yes, did. In response to the con-
tinued and very gratifying importuni-
ties of my colleagues L finally told
them that if they would pass resolu-
ton instruCtipg me to vote to embody
Mr.. Cleveiand's great tariff message of
1897 and his famous anti-silyer lett.r of
1891 into the platform l would 30 upon
the committee and do my best to serve
the party and the country. This the
delegation very properly and very wisely
declined to do and the matter ended"
1t was reported that at the meeting of
the delegation Mr.. Watterson had made
q speech declaring for Mr.. Cleveland.
MIR. Watterson last evening denied very
emphatically this statement and said:
II certainly made no speech in which
] said that would support Mr.. Cleve-
land in the convention. / only stated,
and stated very plainly, that 1 would
support him if nominated. l shall not
vote for him in the convention. If Mr..
Boies' name is presented my vote shall
be cast for him. II no other name but
Cleveland is mentioned shall not vote.
do not know what the balance Of the
Kentucky delegation will do. but cer-
tainly the claim that the solid vote Of
Kentucky will be cast for Cleveland is
unfounded. That is all have 10 say"