The San Francisco call., 1901-10-16
AUCTION SALES
wATTERsoN TO THE FRONT.

~ EPORTS from Louisville are to the effect
X that Colonel Henry Watterson has announced
thar he is candidate for the Governorshp of
Kentucky and is added that if elected believed
bewill be candidate for the Democratic nomination
for the Presidency in 1904. The report is only
important, if true" but is decidedly good if true
What We will need in this country at the next cleo
ton will be a good old-fashoned, light-hearted
everybody-is-happy, whoop-it-up campaign and
Watterson will give it to US.
Il matters not upon what platform he be nomi-
mated, free silver free gold, the lost the
winning cause his personality will be bigger than the
planks his feet placed In fact as as the
campaign got fairly started Colonel Watterson would
be leap from the platform TO the blue grass
swing his hat over all the country round and make
the wekin ring with bugle blast all his own After
that no one would pay any attention planks plat
forms, policies or principles Throughout the
Try there would be but one question-Are you for the
colonel or agin him?
The coiouers politics are we'll known. They could
not be nailed up into platform nor kept out Of
bottle. The colonel represents the Star-eyed God
dess of Reform, straight liquor, the boys in the
trenches ard the spread eagle rampant red all over
the blue sky. He is for everything that begins with
a capital letter-Liberty, Law, Fraternity, Peace,
Commerce, Labor, Capital Man, Lovely Woman
the North, the South the East and the West, the
Union and Glory Halle1ujah His letter of accept
ance would read like speech following Fourth of
July banquet at about o'clock in the morning. 1t
would have the of the preprandial cocktail the
sparkle Of champagne, the fervor of old rye and the
manifold subtle eegances of the pousse cafe Ii
would have charm for all minds and tickle for
every fancy. 1t would be a record breaker and an
epoch-maker in the way of public documents, and for
generations to come Democrats would hold annual
festivals for the purpose OF reading it and try
ing TO live up to it for just one night.
II will be remembered that when the election con-
test OF 1876 decided in favor of Hayes Colonel
Wstterson called for 100000 men to march on Wash
ngton and seat Tilden. 1t was as brave warwhoop
heard on ''the dark and bloody ground"
in, the days when Daniel Boone and the red
skins yelled against another 1t was not only a
ringing thing in itself but it inspired others to ring
and it set Joe Blackburn to shouting his immortal
slogan, HE who dallies is bastard and he who
doubts is damned"
That is what Watterson did for Tilden but no i'm
sginztion depict what he will do for himself
should he be nominated, or what he would do should
he be counted out. It-is certain there would be a
great uproar in the country from the frozen lakes
TO the sun-kssed waves of the Gulf and from the
stormy pillows Of the Atlantic TO the gentle rpples
of the far-reaching Pacific, but nobody would be
alarmed. Everybody would know that the country
is safe The Star-eyed Goddess of Reform talks
much but she never bites. Her tongue is fierce but
her hands are lily white and her eyes are full of
benediction. The people would understand the ex-
uberant candidate. Some would call him Colonel :"
some would call him Hank" and some would call
him Henri" but all would cali him good fellow
and vote against him with sigh.
1t is therefore to be hoped that Kentucky will stand
by Watterson and give the country good blue grass
race for its money in the next Presidential sweep
stakes. Bryan too bitter, and Quincy of Mas
sachusetts would be too Watterson would be
Iust right As candidate for the Presidency he
would be the sweetest thing that ever raised tumu-
tuous cheering and never got vote.