Evening star., 1896-03-28

gressive view Of matters. and did not hesi-
tate to put the complete reunion OF the
sections above every other consideration.
He advocated 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 Of
the greater part OF the south, to his side.
He was one of the men who helped make
Samuel J. Tilden the democratic nominee
for the presidency in 1876, and in every ma
tonal campaign since then he has borne an
equally conspicuous part. His pen and
voice have both been at his party's service.
and both have been recognized as among
it's most potent influences
It is difficult to convey to those not
familiar with Kentucky life and the Ken
lucky people just the power Mr.. Watterson
exerts at home, and how he does 1t. 1t is
not the power simply of a writer, although
he is charming writer. 1t Is not the power
simply Of a man who controls the news
paper with a wide news service placed first
in the hands Of the people i'm the morning.
1t Is a, combination power of brilliant
writer, Of controlling editor. of genial and
companionable man, Of alert political OBJ
crat. indeed. with a 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 recollections Of early Ohio
journalism. has treated Of Horace Greeley's
wide influence at that time; how people.
even at that distance, were impatient to
hear what Horace" thought about things.
and devoured the Tribune upon its arrival.
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 guild
ance. And far beyond the borders of Ken
tucky-as far down as the gulf states-his
name carries very great weight.
His Home and His Work.
And for this work. which he has been do
ing SO long, and still does so well. Mr.. Wat
terson has drawn inspiration from a happy
fireside. and devoted wife and children.
He lives modestly, but with every comfort,
on 4th avenue, in Louisville, and does the
greater part of his writing at home. Morn
ing is his time for work. and he yields to
working spells. When the spell comes on
he almost monopolizes his editorial page.
and when it passes he quits and gives the
boys a chance. He keeps up his lick"
with surprising freshness and effect He
has been in the every day harness now for
almost thirty years without break, and
yet leaders. magazine articles, lectures and
speeches show that his resources are still
uneXhausted. 1t is not unlikely, indeed.
that thirty-five or forty years from now,
when 1t will not be dangerous to refer to
him as an old man. it may still be truth
fully 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 himself clear
OF all such entanglements, and to hold to
the true independence of a writer for the
daily press. He has, in the largest meas
ure kept his faith. But once has he ever
turned out Of it, and on that occasion he
yielded to q pressure which was simply
irresistible.
He mas, of course, always participated
in political conventions of his party, state
and national. He could not avoid that SER
vice, for it grew out of his leadership in
the discussion of political questions. He
presided over the national convention
which nominated Mr.. Tilden, and he was
chairman of the committee on resolutions
in the convention of 1SSS which renomina ted
Mr.. Cleveland. At Chicago, in 1892, he led
in the debate in the convention which re-
suited in the rejection of the compromise
tariff plank reported by the platform COM
mittee 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 prom
inently identified with the making of cur
rent political history.
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 admira-
ton and affections Of his neighbors. 1t
was in 1876 The member 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 OF in Congress, and the demo-
Gratis. it was seen, would stand in need of
all the clear heads and stout hearts they
could command. Mr.. Tilden, to whom MIR.
Watterson had already rendered great serv-
ice, and who trusted MIN implicitly, wanted
him elected to the House, and SO did the
Louisville democracy, to a man. The ten
der of the place was made in this tone of
semi-commaad, and Mr.. Watterson yielded,
and, of course, was easily elected.
At that famous session of Congress, when
the electoral commission was ordered, Mr..
Watterson was much in useful evidence.
He championed Mr.. Tilden's cause with
great earnestnesS, insisted that he had been
elected, and that he should be seated. He
exerted himself to the utmost to bring
about Mr.. Tilden's Inauguration. But when
the decree went against him, lie accepted
the situation without further protest, and
gave his influence toward the peaceable
| carrying out Of the commissions decision.
n =