Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-19
PLUTOCRACY IS In DANGER
Henry Watterson is Interviewed on the
Defeat Of Organism.
GoRGoN OF AGRARIANISN is YET ABROAD
Protectionism the Father OF Pntcrnni'
Ism and nm Example to Those Who
Imagine wealth Cnn he Gre
atcd by Legislation.

OF the Associated Press,)-Hon. Henry Wat
terson, editor OF the Louisville Courier
Journal, who was prominently urged for
the nomination for the presidency at the
Indianapolis convention, has remained In
this city since the election His views upon
the result OF the national campaign just
closed have been furnished in an inter-
view.
THE election OF Mckinley" said Mr..
Watterson today, us but the beginning of
the end OF the struggle which one way and
another has been going on in the United
States for twenty years. 1t began In the
west and south in a demand for fiat money.
No sooner was the greenback party dis
posed OF than the free silver party took Its
place other questions being at the front
and few OF our public men experts in coin
age, free silver was able to commit TO the
new monetary delusion many men, who eX-
cept for their ignorance OF this particular
question, could never have been reached
and who we're sound to the core as to the
national credit and a safe, stable circulating
medium. Among these public men was Mr..
Mckinley himself The leaders of the fiat
money movement. reinforced by the silver
mine owners. finally made an ncision into
!. the republican party, and got possession OF
the machinery OF the democratic party. This
eliminated in the nomination and defeat
OF Mr.. Bryan. With that defeat ends the
free silver frenzy ana the DANGER OF u 10
to | kind But the elements OF disorder II
has called into being and the agrarian is
sues II has set into motion are left upon
the scene, and we may be sure these Will
continue their assaults upon the life of
the nation and the integrity OF the people
until they are swept out OF existence In
1900. Mr.. McKinley's election settles moth
Ing; 1t merely removes fiat money and de-
preciated silver dollars from among the
rocks ahead"
Mr. Watterson was pronounced in declar
ing that the union between the republicans
and the gold democrats could not last.
Asked whether he did not think the rcpub-
llcan victory had been so overwhelming as
to carry all before 1t, Mr.. Watterson said:
EVILS IN PRoTECTIoNISM.
For the time being, yes. The republican
party has had in its time great good for
tune. 1t has shown itself a clever oppor-
tunst, but 1t cannot rest its case upon the
doctrine of protection. Neither as a pol
Icy, nor as a theory, nor as a keynote, can
protectionism hold its own or stand alone.
1t Is at with the genius. OF American
institutions. II should be no longer neces-
sary. II II ever was truly necessary to the
American manufacturer. 1t Is the father
OF paternallsm and the godfather of popu-
lism. II sets examples to those who imag
inc that wealth may be created by legisla-
tlon. II Imposes grievous burdens on the
agricultural classes: during periods of de-
preston 1t serves both as an instigation
and a preteXt to the discontented elements.
Z is the OCCASION Oh constant corruption
In congress. The manufacturers them
selves ought to lead the movement to dis
card It, They could II they would have
the question settled by statesmen and save
II from the hands OF the mob, On such
line all conservative men could unite to
rescue the people from monarchism. But
with Mckinley in the presidency this seems
impossible, and I confess l dread to think
OF the attempt to which he is committed
to bring back the Mckinley duties under
the mere pretext of supplying deficit
which is not likely to exist at the close of
the fiscal year.
"And what do you think all these things
portend with respect to the future OF the
country"
SAFE FOR THE PRESENT.
81 think the country is safe for the pres
-ent That the future of the republic will
be equally secure I devoutly hope. But
thoughtful men should not be lulled into
fancied security because we have overcome
the dragon of reputation. The gorgon of
agrarianism is yet abroad The Bryan
movement was most dangerous because it
affected to speak In the name OF the people
The whole people must come to see that
there have been mighty changes going on
In the world before such government as
ours can be both safe and free"
'How do you mean, Mr.. Watterson?'
''In 1900. and under the leadership OF
Thomas Jefferson, the principle of demo-
cratic government began its real fight for
life. The issue then was, Are the people
had failed the federalist party would have
gone on suppressing individual liberty and
consolidating the central power until we
should have had republic in name only-a
Florentine commonwealth perhaps a line
OF Medcian princes. But Jefferson sue
ceeded and the written law of the land
strictly construed, was secured to the peo-
pie. In 1900 we shall have to face the
same general question in a new form, and
the issue will be under existing conditions:
Are orderly government and popular gov
ernment concurrent possibilities? IL We
are to have many presidential campaigns
like the one Just ended they are not. I'm
less the body OF the people can be brought
to realize the changes of century of prog
ress, every four years will witness a party
taking the field In support of the alleged
rights OF humanity. whose very existence is
a menace to the public order the peace of
society. the just balance between the sec
tions OF the union, the money of the people,
the credit of the nation, and every good
and perfect thing supposed to emanate from
our republican system"
GROWTH OF CORPORATIONS.
what do you regard the most radical
change of the century,"
In 1900 were few millions of people,
and we loved liberty. In 1900 we are nearly
hundred millions of people, and we love
money. Moreover, individually and collec-
lively, we have a great deal of money,
Most OF this money Is invested in what are
called corporations. From a handful of in
dividuals We have become a nation OF In
stitutions. The individual counts for less
and less, organization for more and more.
1t is the idiosyncrasy of the age we live in.
We may tear down the house. but cannot
at one and the same time both destroy II
and occupy II. That is what Mr.. Bryan
and his followers are pretending that they
can do. Meanwhile must a man lose his
individual rights OF property because he has
invested his accretons in a bank or n rail
way, or even a trust company? That is
the question we have to meet and settle
as against the clamor of the mob before we
can feel entirely sure about anything"
"What OF the sectional spirit and ten
dency?"
Among people great in numbers and
occupying such a vast territorial extent
% sectional distinctions, growing out OF con-
flcting local interests. are inevitable. We
had a north and south now we are begin
ming 10 hear OF east and west. He
who knows the whole country and Is IA
millar with the people from the Canadian
line to the Mexican border and between
the two oceans needs not TO be told that,
Judged by other nationalties the popular
homogeneity in America is little short Of
amazing. United Germany. United Italy,
tho Austro-H Hungarian empire. neither
France nor England. nor even the Swiss
confederation, can boast OF anything like
the oneness OF origin, character ties aims.
homes manners and customs which mark