The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-04-07
workIngmen and the Parties.

nected with the Temple BaptlSt church
of that city The question under dis
cussion is: (Which offers the best
practical political means for the bene-
lit of the workingmen of this country
the Democratic party, the Peoples
party, the Republican party, or the
church," Colonel Henry Watterson
opened the DEBATE on Friday evening
last on behalf of the Democratic party,
and he will be followed, at intervals
of about a week between lectures, by
Rev. Russell H. Conwell, General
James B. Weaver and Senator Wood
ford speaking on behalf of the church,
the Peoples party and the Republican
party, respectively. Colonel Waiter
son is an able man, eloquent and Il
shrew1 debaUer; and if there be II man
fitted to make clear the superiority of
the Democratic party as the friend OF
the workman-a man thoroughly quail
fed to demonstrate if it be capable of
demonstration, that the policy and po
ltical programme is in the interest of
the workingmen-Colonel Watterson
is that man. The large audience that
listened to the eloquent Kentuckian on
Friday night must have como to the
conclusion that nothing can be said on
behalf of the laboring classes, and
that there is nothing in its policy from
which labor has anything to hope, or
else they must have concluded that
for some reason, Colonel Watterson
did not wish to say whatever might
would not, surely, have accepted the
position as the exponent of his party's
claims unless he intended to say what
he could in its favor or in. its defense,
yet the fact remains that for nearly
two hours he spoke without even once
endeavoring to demonstrate that any
one single plank IN his party's platform
or any one of its avowed purposes in
volved the lettering of the condition
of the working classes. The speech
was~1 witty ore, pleasant to listen to,
and, withal, not uninstructive, but as
an exposition of the policy of the
Democratic party it was dismal fail
ure. The Colonel began by revamping
the old clap trap platitude that there
ought tn be no classes in America.
1--WE are all workingmen, he de-
clared; the scholar in mis- library as
well us the collier in the mine; the
banker, merchant, lawyer as much as
the farmers boy. Indeed, yes, and
the burglar. the confidence man and Il
whole army of parasites are workers;
but it does IOt appear to have occur
red to the eloquent Colonel that there
is useful and useless and even hurtful
labor, or else he found it easier and
more convenient to dodge the question
of what useful labor has to hope from
his party than to face and discuss it
The Colonel uttered many eloquent
periods calculated to draw applause
from an audience willing to be easily
pleased. His picture of the ivy-cov-
cred cottage of the workingman was
very pretty. but, unless it be the
banker workingmen or the lawyer
workingmen of which he talks, ordin-
AIRY workingmen do not possess ivy
covered homes, while the chances are
lx,t fhot ha,, hi 60
boy workingmeD comes To own home,
if the policy of Mr.. Watterson's party
and it's Republican twin continues. it
will be more likely to be covered with
mortgage than with ivy. The silly
old platitude about the poorest boy
having an equal chance with all others
for the presidency was not omitted,
and really it ought not to have been as
it was thoroughly in keeping with the
greater part of the speech. Mr.. Wat
terson is a great aamirer of the Swiss.
He considers Switzerland an ideal re-
public. and he is right. Really it is
the only republic, and it is the refer
endum and initiative that make it so.
But why boast of Switzerland while
championing the American Demo-
cracyP What has the pure republic of
HelvetiS in common with Tammany
hall or with party that is willing to
profit by the notorious electoral frauds
of the southP If General Weaver and
Senator Woodford should take it into
their heads to tell funny stories and
indulge in eloquent but wholly irrele-
want periods. as did Colonel Waiter
son, the audiences that attend the de-
bate win be at loss to discover any
difference between The three parties or
any good in either of them.-Knights
Of Labor Journal.
Kansas PopuIIsts and Republicans.
e ~ K.,r,,., -