Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-11-12
MR., wATTERsoNs LAToHsTR1Na

Mr. WATTERS0N'S LATOHSTRINa.
Now that all of the mischief has
been done, MIR. Watterson denies his
responsibility for the remarkable
scourse the Courier-Journal pursued
in the late campaign. He says. "With
the beginning of the year it was for
mally and expressly announced in
these columns that he would not APP
pear either in the State convention, or
an the succeeding campaign; and as
IA matter of fact he has not been in
the State for any consecutive period
during the year." So it was an
snounced, but we have long since
learned that the Courier Journal re-
serves the right to change its mind
on very short notice and often with
no notice at all. Despite his implied
denial, Mr.. Watterson did appear in
the campaign in more than one care
fully prepared leader, not one of
which had for its object the good of
the Democratic party. The particu
lar onslaught upon the "rural press"
THAT provoked the remarks that Mr..
Watterson is pleased to characterize
sas ''resentful," was especially bitter,
&unkind and unworthy of the great
journalist the younger members of
the press have all delighted to love
and respect. Descending from the
&high plane he usually occupies, Mr..
Ratterson dipped his pen in gall
and called names, hurled epithets
and heaped abuse upon the heads of
ahe 'jabberwocks" and "silver luna
tics" who are still believers in the
seven great principles of bimetal
ism Mr.. Watterson advocated in his
paper only a few years ago. The
great editor did not "refuse to quar-
rel with his friends"as he claims. He
deserted his friends in the face of the
enemy. He forsook the principles
he had taught. He denied the con
rrTh-tions of life time. He guarded
with and abused all who refused to
face about with him on the currency
question. He helped with his own
pen to divide his party, and his own
counsels led it to defeat. These are
not idle charges, but facts known of
all men. The Courier-Journal has
been the leader and mouth piece of
the Democratic party in Kentucky
for generation. Its great editor, as
he himself says, has represented his
State in every national convention for
twenty-five years. No man in Ken
lucky has ever been SO honored. Yet,
in the face of all this confidence and
unsolicited honor, Mr.. Watterson de-
iberately refused to lend a helping
hand when the party that had SO
often trusted and exalted him was
engaged in the greatest struggle OF
its existence. He did more than
asulk in his tent. He professed friend
ship only to keep his party on its
knees throughout the whole cam
paign praying to be saved from
its friends. His hostility was
i'll concealed. The friendly and con-
ciliatory spirit in which Mr.. Waiter
son now wr ties comes too late. BE
may well assure us that he has re"
tired from the personal activities of
politics" in the Democratic party.
He has left hardly enough of his par
ty in Kentucky to make the game of
politics worth his attention. His
''latchstring" is not alone i'll being
on the outside The party of which
the Courier Journal has been the "of-
I fetal organ" SO to speak, loved and
trusted, is in the same condition
Alas! the trip to Europe has been
. too long delayed. ...