The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-15
GREAT SHOUT FOR wATTERsoN.
The Famous KeRtuclkian Returns to
Save His Party.


The Hon. Henry Watterson, arising amid
a bedlam of shouts for the distinguished cit
izen, followed Senator Lindsay and quickly
on the heels of a generous, expectant
greeting a silence fell over the house,
which bespoke the pleasing anticipation ex-
perienced of being treated to such speech
as Mr.. WattersOn so attractively garbs and
presents when at his best. Mr. Watterson
spoke as follows:
II had thought never again to cross the
threshold of a party convention, or to make
another political speech. For thirty years
the chief aim of my life as far as that life
sustained any relation to public affairs was
the restoration of the Union, and the re-
Mobilization in that Union of the people of
the Southern States. The end of the war
between the sections left the country ex-
posed to all the dangers of threatened
policy of subjugation: To stay the hand or
imperialism at the North to restrain the
turbulent elements at the South; by APP
peals constant and earnest to the good
sense and good feeling of the people of both
the North and the South to induce them to
go back for their inspiration not to Shiloh
and Appomattox, but to Bunker Hill and
Yorktown, and to take up anew the OLD,
sweet song of national brotherhood, seemed
to me the best service the wisest states
manship could render the Republic. Hap
PLY the invocation was not made in vain.
The battle for the Constitution won-the
South rescued from historic companionSh1p
with Poland and Ireland, the North spared
the disgrace OF Russia ana EnBldnU-Ine.
people of each Of these territorial divisions
saved the loss of their free Institutions
the cup Of my happiness was full to the
brm | had seen the country meet and sur
viye too many perls to feel that l need
pass any more sleepless nights. The larger
ends of the fathers and founders of the
Union achieved-the deeper problems of
century of agitation solved-the citadels of
civil liberty secure-some one else might
pace the floor and count the hours, whilst
l. emancipated from sense of public duty
none the less burdensome because it was
eelf-imposed could afford to take little heed
what happened so it did not happen to me,
Il had lured myself into the belief that
I should not cheat my age of any or its
rights or claims that l should leave to
younger men the tasks and the opportunl-
ties which had been mine; and | was in
expressibly cheered by the fancy
" TO husband out life's taper at the close,
And keep the flame from wasting by re-
pose.
CONSTITUTED as God made me and as
am this was not to be- From a far, for
eign land I saw that party, which l have
always held to be at once the bulwark of
constitutional freedom ana the sunshine or
enlightened progress-impregnable alike
against the crusades Of fanaticism and the
temptations of expediency-the citizens one
hope of individualism. and home rule in the
state as opposed to the theories of paternal-
ism and Capitalization in the federal gov
ernment-the Democratic party OF Jenerson,
Jackson and T1lden-Cut loose from Its con-
sttutional moOrings and cast adrtft upon
the shoreless sea of political adventure. 1t
is drifting still without a pilot or rudder or
compass. l should not be true to my birth,
to my teaching or to you If l stood aloof
if / denied the obligations of convictions
and comradeship; if I refused to join in
making one last effort to bring back the
derelict to port. to reclaim the honor of the
flag These, and these alone are the mo-
tives and the purposes which have brought
me here to-day.
REACTIONARY MARPLOTS.
1.-The internal history of the Democratic
party the last three decades has been
marked by an almost unbroken struggle
against the forces of reaction. Those forces
arrayed themselves first upon the side of
visionary scheme to upset the three last
constitutional amendments and thus to al