The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-12-13
WATTERsON'S IDEAS.

~
~ Presidential aspirations are false. Mr.. Wat
terson has desire to be President That
much is made evident by his speech at the banquet
OF the Massachusetts Association. He stated ex-
pressy that he would not be a candidate for the
Presidency unless he assured beforehand of re-
ceiVing the electoral vote of Massachusetts, That
settles it.
Having thus put aside ambition, Mr. Watterson in
the remainder of his speech disported himself with
the recklessness of free lance He admitted that in
some things Massachusetts is better than Kentucky
but attributed the superiority to the fact that Massa
chusetts is quite old settlement, while Kentucky
is young yet" Passing to a consideration of the
tariff he declared that the time is not far off when
Pennsylvania will be for free trade and Kentucky
will be insisting upon the continuance of protection
Then he broke forth: what comedy the thing
We call government; and what a hunbug the thing
we call politics! And yet, after all, how inevitable
believe we shall never approach the ideal in gov
eminent until we have forced public men to speak
the truth
From that point the orator proceeded to discuss
truth and how to restore it to the service of politi-
cians rather how to bring politicians to a worship
OF truth lie believes the change is going to be &C
compished by filling the people so full of lies they
will become stated and refuse to swallow any more
He says: The press-particularly the yellow press
is dong noble work to the correction of this
evil because already people beginning to believe
nothing they read in newspapers, and after while
firing of the endless daily surfeit of msinformation
they will begin to demand journalism less interest
ing and more trustworthy; and, believe me- when
ever they make this Observation-Disclosures they dis
crminae between the organ of fact and the organ of
fancy-there will not be lacking editors who prefer
to rich telling the truth than to die poor tell
ing lies"
Mr.. Watterson, it will be seen, is an optimist He
believes we are living in untoward times" but he
thinks the excess of evil will work its own cure He
says are in danger of Mammon and that there
is growing use OF money in elections. By way Of
getting rid OF that evil he suggested to Senator
Hanna, who present at the banquet that the
national committees Of the two parties should ar
range to give their joint note for whatever sum they
deemed advisable to expend during campaign; that
the thus obtained be equally divided and that
after the election the winners should pay the whole
note.
Leaving that proposition to be considered bv the
intelligence and morality of the country the gifted
Kentuckian pursued his oratorical flight to other
themes and cheered his listening Bosonians by as
surfing them that matter what may happen to in
dividuals here and there who fall victim to the
temptations OF Mammon, the people themselves will
never be corrupted He declares we are going to
redeem the nations and the races of the earth not
only politically but morally. eve are" he said TO
revtalize the primitive religion, with its often mis-
leading theologies into a new and practical system
OF life and thought, of universal religion, to which
the Declaration of Independence the constitution of
the United States and the Sermon on the Mount
shall furnish the inspiration and the keynote to the
end that all the lands and all the tribes shall TEEN
with the love of man and the glory of the Lord"
Such is Mr.. Wattersons platform 1t sounds like
a bid for the vote of Massachusetts, but really it is
farewell to the Presidential bee Mr.. Watterson
will retire.