The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-30
wATTERSOs's APPEAL TO THE
DEMOCRACY.

DEMOCRACY.
A few days ago the Post-Inteliigencer
commented upon a remarkable editorial
from the pen OF Henry watterson which
appeared In the Louisville CourIer-Jour-
nal under the caption What Shall the
Democratic Party DO to Be Saved :"
The article ELECTED considerable COM
ment from the press OF the country and
numerous personal letters to the author.
Among the letters received was one
from a prominent free silver Democrat
which il used as a text by Mr.. Waiter
son for another striking editorial under
the same caption as the original The
writer asks: Accepting for the sake of
argument, your view that silver is, IL
not q dead issue. at least a dead weight.
with what would you replace it, and
how would you line up the party in 1900
20 an TO give us a lighting chance?"
Mr.. Watterson answers. saying that
before he began the work OF recon-
struction he would throw out the debris
OF Populism. which has accumulated
among the general mass OF Democratic
wreckage; would accept the verdict OF
1896 as to the currency; would accept
the verdict of the Spanish war as TO
the acquisition OF foreign territory:
would recognize the elevation of the
American union into world power.
and accept the responsibilities Of this.
nor question how or why.
Then. having cleared the decks for
action. he would formulate a line OF do
mestic policies, having these four ends
in view:
Il. The destruction OF combinations OF
capital designed 10 limit production, TO
raise prices and to promote monopoly.
-. The raising OF the public moneys
by taxes fairly divided between production
and consumption, beginning with tariff
for revenue only ana ending with a grad
ed income tax oppressive TO no class or in
terest
20. The recovery to the people Of all
franchises belonging to the people. but
diverted from public to private uses by the
purchase of corporations and individuals,
corruptiy working through state and ma-
nicipai legislatures.
II. Such a reorganization and reform Of
our judicial system as will remove the
courts further from the influence of the
rich and make them more accessible 10 the
poor--a result not to be reached by excit-
ing appeals and revolutionary menaces.
but by calm. conservative methods. orig
mating In the benign and orderly opera
lions OF an enlightened public opinion"
Mr. Watterson warns his party asso-
ciates that the Republican party can
never be dislodged from power by
movement so radical in its character as
to make Republicanism synonymous
with the preservation of the public
credit and the maintenance OF the pub
lie order; that the party which even
seems to be a menace to the national in
tegrity must inevitably lose in national
elections so long as the national charac-
ter and resources are upon the ascend
ing. and not upon the descending, scale
Of development. On the whole he makes
a very strong argument for the support
of the Republican party and Republican
principles. That he has but little hope
OF influencing the present Democratic
leaders TO abandon their course may be
gathered from his conclusion in which
he says:
Ordinarily the answer which the organs
OF these leaders return to such appeals as
this is an exclamation Of traitor and an
ADMIRATION 20 go 10 that not very remote
cut very hot place with a very short
name. That Is very easy, almost as easy
lying. because, under their advisemcnt,
that is where all Of Us seem 10 be bound.
As long as they can stand Il We
can stand IT. But 90 the people who have
hitherto called themselves Democrats
want another ealaniltoas presidential bat
tie with all lis attendant consequences Of
disruption ana RUM