The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-07-25
N

From His Retreat In Switzerland, Discusse.
the Situation as Regards the Democratic
Party The Ticket Unexceptionable
Personally, But the Platform MOnstrous
Advocates Another Platform and
Another Ticket.
NEW YORK, July Is special cable
dispatch to the Herald from Geneva,
Switzerland, says:
Col. Henry Watterson. who is So
journing with his family at Geneva,
was interviewed Thursday in regard
to the democratic crisis in the United
States.
For more than a year" said Mr..
Watterson, Il have been out of active
politics. and on that account l have
declined to be drawn into the discus
sion of public matters and into expos
ing myself to criticisms and RESPONSE
b%ilities which could not be met. But
the condition of affairs at home is too
serious to justify the silence of any
man whose opinions may be desired.
What is it you particularly wish me to
speak OFF"
The ticket nominated at Chicago"
PERSONALLY it is an unexceptIonable
ticket. MIR. Bryan is 4 most worthy
and well educated young man, with 4
talent for what passes as Oratory. Mr..
Sewau is a democrat of long standing
and credit. 1t is 4 ticket hat may be
made to arouse d good deal of enthusi-
asm. both real and artificial"
And the platform"
"Monstrous. 1t not only means ma.
tional Reputation and s~poliation, but
is an open door to revolution. If the
leaders of this movement could como
into power those of them who have any
ms of accountability, any conception
Of orderly government, would be quick
ly set aside by the wild elements be-
hind. In this way civil war, as fore
shadowed by the Chicago outbreaks
last year, could be precipitated upon
the country, when the strong hand
OF the federal power was interposed,
but if this were withheld the reign of
the mob would DO easy enough"
What of the proposal to put an
other democratic ticket in the field?"
You will Observe" said Col. Wat
terson slowly. weighing and measur-
ing what he said, that those who are
SO quick to urge concentration Of all
sonnd-money men upon Mckinley are
either republicans or those democrats
who, from a sense of sheer outrage and
disgust, leap at conclusions, not caring
to take two bites at a cherry. But
there r conditions which neither
class takes into account. There arc
from two to four millions of 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 repub-
Ecans who directly support Mckinley.
These democrats must have some
under the flag of which one-half is for
sound money and the other half for
protection. Hence a new democratic
convention with another democratic
ticket and directed by wise couIsels,
is the sole hope of the democratic
future and would be the one refuge
for those democrats who have nowhere
else to go.
Failure to respect the convictions
and ~exigencies of these democrats will
be in the highest degree unsafe"
1T is not certain that a ticket
by Messrs. Carlisle, Whitney
or Russell, and placed upon a real
democratic platform would not get
votes than the ticket headed by
Mr.. Bryan. The complete disintegra-
ton of the democratic party is an
event to be contemplated by thought
full persons only with forebodings Of