The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-22

younger hand was necessary to guide
the paper and renew its strength, and
Mr.. Watterson was chosen. He came,
and soon. gave the town such n taste OF
his quality that attention was attract
ed to him. Walter N. Haldeman was
the editor of the opposition paper.
and. being a shrewd man OF business.
saw that new move on his Part would
be necessary. This move took the
form Of negotiations for consolidation
ot the two enterprises, and thus the
Courier -Journal-the most cuphonious
name Of all the hyphenated ventures
was agreed upon as the name for the
new paper.
MIR. Wattcrson's task was difficult
even for him. He had not only to make
a name for himself. but In the very
| shadow of Mr.. Prentice's name. But he
did It. Their gifts, however. were not
alike. Mr.. Prentice was the father,
and remained the MASTER of the para
graph. He was capable of sustained
EFFORT, but he was not at his best In that
style Of .dsliverance. Mr.. Watterson.
on the other hand. cultivated the lead
er, and made 1t racy with the colio-
Quialisms Of the soil. He studied his
constituency, and finding how best to
appeal to 1t. did so with conquering ef-
feet. AS the turfmen say, he struck
his gait" and he has been keeping It,
and with 1t keeping the lead at home
ever since.
HIS INFLUENCE IN POLITICS.
The new paper dealt very largely
with national politics. and Mr.. Waiter
son, while sturdy Democrat, took q
broad and progressive view of mat
ters. and did not hesitate to put the
complete reunion of the sections above
every other consideration. He advo-
Gated fair treatment of the new citizen,
the black man, both In the courts and in
politics. He swung the paper to the
support of Horace Greeley in 1872. and
brought the Democracy of the state, as
or the greater part Of the south, to his
side He was one of the men who
helped make Samuel ]. Tilden the Dem.
ocratic nominee for the presidency IN
1876, and in every national campaign
since then he has borne an equally con-
spicuous part. His pen and voice have
both been at his party's service. and
both have been recognized as among its
most potent influences.
1t Is difficult to convey to those not
familiar with Kentucky life and the
Kentucky people Just the. power Mr..
Watterson eXerts at home, and how he
does It. 1t Is not the power simply Of
q writer. although he Ia a charming
writer. 1t Is not the power simply Of a
man who controls the newspaper with
wide news service placed first in the
hands Of the people In the morning. 1t
Is combination power, of brilliant
writer, of controlling editor. of genial
and companionable man, of alert po-
litical observer, all rolled into one. He
Is an autocrat, indeed, with q writing
pad placed under his fist. His people
believe in him. follow him. look out for
him. want to hear from him. William
Dean Howells, In some delightful recol-
lections Of early Ohio journalism has
treated of Horace Greeley's wide infiu-
ence at that time: how people. even at
that distance were impatient to hear
what Horace" thought about things
and devoured the Tribune upon its ar
rival. This picture fits Mr.. Watterson
and the Courier journal in Kentucky.
The people in all the little towns-in
the small stores, at the crossroads, in
the country court houses-all want to
hear from "Watterson," and hail his
double-leads as charts for guidance
And far beyond the borders Of Ken
tucky-as far down as the gulf states
his name carries a very great weight.
HIS HOME AND WORK.
And for this work which he has been
doing so long. and still does so well. Mr.
Watterson has drawn inspiration from
a happy flreside. and devoted wife and
children. He lives modestly. but with
every comfort. on Fourth avenue, in
Louisville. and does the greater part
Of his writing at home. Morning Is his
time for work and he yields to working
spells. When a spell comes on he al
most monopolizes his editorial page. and
when 1t passes he gives the boys"
chance. He keeps uD his "lick" with
surprising freshness and effect. He has
been in the every day harness now for
thirty years without q break, and yet
leaders, magazine articles. lectures and
speeches show that his resources are un-
exhausted. 1t is not likely, indeed, that
thirty-five or forty years from now
when 1t will not be dangerous to refer
to him as an old man, 1t may still be
truthfully said that "age cannot wither
him. nor custom stale his infinite
variety"
Mr.. Watterson, at the very outset Of
his career, renOunced the thought Of |
office for himself. He resolved to keep |
ClCdI VI Ill SuCIl euItlilS lGtIbciltS,
and to hold to the true independence Of |
q writer for the daily press. He has, in
the largest measure, kept his faith. But
once has he ever turned out Of 1t. and |
on that occasion he yielded to pressure |
which was simply irresistible.
He has, Of course, always participated |
in political conventions of his party, |
state and national. He could not avoid |
that service, for it grew out Of his lead
ership In the discussion of political |
questions. He presided over the nation |
al convention which nominated Mr.. ]
Tilden, and he was chairman Of the |
committee on resolutions in the conven-
tion Of 1888 which renominated Mr.. |
Cleveland. At Chicago. in 1892, he led in |
the debate in the convention which re- |
suited in the rejection Of the comprom-
ise tariff plank reported by the platform |
committee and the adoption of the free
trade deliverance on which the party |
went to the country. In this way, and |
in many other ways, Mr.. Watterson |
has long been prominently identified |
with the making of current political his
tory.
FORCED INTO CONGRESS.
He was drafted for his one term in
office, and In circumstances testifying |
to the very strong hold he had, and has,
on the admiration and affections OF his |
neighbors. 1t was in 1876. The men,
ber of the house from the Louisville
district had died and the vacancy was
to be filled. A great contest over the
result Of the presidential election was
coming on in congress. and the Demo-
Gratis, 1t was seen, would stand in need
of all the clear heads and stout hearts
they could command. Mr.. Tilden, to
whom Mr.. Watterson had already rem
dered great service. and who trusted
him implicitly, wanted him elected to
the house, and so did the Louisville
Democracy, to man. The tender of
the place was made In this tone Of
semi command, and Mr.. Watterson
yielded, and, Of course, was easily
elected.