The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-20
Watterson Looks Ahead.

pdptis tiN So
Associated Press printed yesterday
very readable th"ee-column interview
mad in Paris by enc of its representa-
tves with Henry Watterson. Americas
ltinerant ambassador extraordinary.
Il was devoted to consideration or
the lessons of the recent presidential
election. and for a wonder the impul-
sive Kentuckian repressed his eNuber-
ant spirits and reined in his fondness
FOR sensational epigrams and met
Rphors long enough to present a singu-
larly thoughtful and impressive state
ment of beliefs.
He does not consider the defeat OF
Bryan as final to the agitation which
Bryan lately represented. That defeat
In his judgment ends the free silver
frenzy of the l6 to / kind. but the ele-
ments of disorder it has called into be-
Ing and the agrarian issues 1t has set
In motion remain to be reckoned with.
He fears the early dissolution of the
Republican and Sound Money DEM
ocratic alliance, and still holds to MS
familiar antagonism to Protection,
which is the rock upon which he looks
for that alliance to split. I'm 19Oo,' he
continues. I'VE shall have to face the
same question in new form, and the
Issue will be, under existing conditions:
Are orderly governments and popular
government concurrent possibilities!
If we are to have many presidential
campaigns like the one just ended, they
are not. Unless the great body of the
people can be brought to realize the
changes Of a century of progress, every
four years will witness party taking
the field in support Of the alleged rights
of humanity whose very existence is
menace to the public order, the peace
of society. the just balance of the peo-
pie, the credit of the nation and every
other good and perfect thing supposed
10 emanate from our republican sys-
tenn"
The problem, therefore, is to combat
the spread of sectionalism and agrari-
anism, disarm the disconnected as far
as possible of their just reasons for
complaint, seek to overcome ill-found-
ed class prejudices and work for the
development of a unifying patriotism.
He looks to the East to lead in this
work, and says to it, in words that may
well be pondered: I'm its concentra-
tion of the wealth of the country and
in it's ostentatious display of this
wealth, in the gradual cultivation of
caste, in the tendency to hug its vast
riches and in the finding of means to
keep its millions at home, let 1t behold
a danger it will do well to consider in
the light Of both ancient and modern
history, and If it has any real states
men they cannot put their genius and
resources to better uses than by the
construction OF policies which will
bring them alliances and make them
friends-policies wise and broad, justi-
flying in some measure the unlimited
accumulations they have been able to
pile up in such a relatively short COM
pass of time. Those accretions not only
serve to breed corruption among them
selves but they unite against the SIM
pie rights of property all the forces OF
cupidity and rapine, operating on agrar-
ian and sectional lines. States have
been saved before now by timely fore
cast"
We cannot agree with Colonel Wat
terson in his views on Protection; but
to all else that he says we subscribe un-
reservedly.