The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-23

ern people especially, that anything hi
says upon the present conditions is mat
| ter of interest to those who have so long
| followed his political teachings. Col
| Watterson has not for some time been
engaged in the strife of partisan warfare
as an active journalist, so that his Opin-
| ions will be taken as the ripe conclusions
| of a man free from all influences that
| would excite his prejudices or cloud his
clear reasoning. Col. WattersOn has for
a year been doing Europe, and is now with
his family in the Swiss mountains near
| Geneva, where he was interviewed by a
representative of that ubiquitous journal,
the New York Herald, whom Col. Wat
| tcrson answered as follows
| First, the ticket nominated ut Chi
| cago"
"PcrsonaIly it is an uneXccptional tick
ct. Mr. Bryan is most worthy and
well educated young man, with talent
for what passes for Oratory. lie is fervld,
sincere, poor and honest. Mr.. Sewall is
Democrat of long standing and credit.
He is millionaire from Maine, who, hay
ing nothing to lose politically, thinks he
can afford to crafty caprice and amuse
himself by playing with populism. 1t is
n ticket that may be made to arouse II
good deal of enthusiasm, both real and
artificial"
"And the platformT
"MOnstrous 1t not only means ma
tional reputation and spoliation, but it is
an open door to revolution. If the lead
crs of this movement could come into
power those of them who have any sense
or accountability, any conception of an
orderly government, would be quickly set
aside by the wild elements behind. In
this way civil war, as foreshadowed by
the Chicago outbreaks last year, could be
precipitated upon the country. Then the
strong hand Of The federal power was in
telposed, but if this were withheld the
reign of the mob would be easy enough
What of the proposal to put another
Democratic ticket in the fieldY'
"YOu will Observe" said Col. Waiter
son, slowly weighing and measuring what
he said that those who are so quick to
urge concentration of all sound money
men upon Mckinley are either Republi-
cans who naturally seek to swell their
party ranks by such an unexpected aces
sion, or those Democrats who from
sense of sheer outrage and disgust leap at
conclusions. not caring to take two bites
at Il cherry. But there are considera-
tons which neither class takes into ac-
count. There are from 100000 to 4,OOO,-
600 stanch Democrats who may not be so
easily transferred from one party to the
other, yet whose votes can be made just
AS effectual in suppressing anarchy as the
votes of those Republicans who directly
support Mckinley. These Democrats
must have some abiding place They can
not find it under flag of which one-half
is for sound money and the other half for
protection.
"Mr. Mckinley can not compromise an
issue which he has made the cornerstone
of his political belief. 1t is true that the
money issue, not the tariff issue, is in the
ascendancy now, but there must be logi-
cal consistency in all things, and neither
Mr.. Mckinley nor his party can ignore
tariff pledges without disqualification.
Hence a new Democratic convention with
another Democratic ticket. and directed
by wise cOunscls is the sole hope of the
Democratic future, and would be one
refuge for those Democrats who have no.
where else to go. Failure to respect the
and cXigencies of these Dem
ocrats will be in the highest degree I'M
safe. As between Mr.. Mckinley and
Mr.. Bryan, in the final outcome Mr.. Bryan
would probably get rs many of these
voters as Mr.. Mckinley. while many
would refuse to go to the polls, but Il
sound Democratic ticket would get them
all. Thus after the election, the Oppo-
SitiOn may be organized on Il sound basis
and not rclcgatcd to the wild horses of
Populsm for three years more Of ruinous
agitation. with another life or death
at the end of them. 1t is not
certain that Il ticket headed by Messrs.