The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-10-24
WATTERSON's WAR
Kentucky Editor Planning New Dem.
ocracy in His State and will Fight
Organism and Gobelism as
Means Of Harmony.

enter the arena as an aspirant
for gubernatorial honors is the
political sensation in Kentucky
His purpose, as declared by his
intimate friends, is to stamp
Organism out of the democratic
party in his own state, first, and,
if he succeeds.here, in the nation
afterward.
Mr.. Watterson is not only in
favor of the gold standard, but
he is an ardent expansionist. He
Is in favor of the construction of
an isthmian canal. He is for the
expansion of the army and the
navy in keeping with the expan-
sion of the nation. and he favOrs
other movements which find
favor with the republicans, and
for that reason alone are opposed
by a large number of Mr.. Bryan's
followers.
But Mr.. Watterson is not a re-
publican. Not only on the ques-
ton of the tariff, but upon many
other important issues too we'll
known to be enumerated does he
oppose the republican party.
He believes, and says so editor
tally from time to time. that the
republican party is not the party
of the people. And believing as
he does, Mr.. Watterson's task is
to build up a new democracy
upon the wreck of Organism.
1t is three years task he has
set out for himself. 1t means
the abandonment of policy de-
clared twenty-five years ago,
when he avowed he would never
accept the responsibilities of any
Office within the gift of the peo-
pie. Now he may be presiden-
tial candidate.
1t has already been announced
that Mr.. Watterson will be can
didate for the democratic nomi-
nation for governor of Kentucky
in 1903, and that if he is success
full in this he may then be in line
for the presidential nomination
in 1904. 1t is known to his
friends that his only ambition is
to reunite the scattered sections
of the democratic party.
1t is a big task, and Mr.. Wat
terson has already set about it.
The democratic party in Ken
lucky was split in 1895, when the
influential democrats refused to
follow Mr.. Bryan. Republican
electors were sent to Washing
ton and cast their votes for Nc
Kinley.
Mr.. Watterson led still another
fight against Organism when he
supported Hindman for clerk of
the court of appeals on a gold
democratic ticket. The race was
so decisive in favor of the Bryan
democratic candidate that Mr..
Watterson, still crying against
Organism, went into the Bryan
camp not as a follower and sup
porter put as man opposed to
many of the tenets of the party
and yet still more opposed to the
doctrines of the republican
party.
A third party having proved
itself not the means of saving
the democratic party, Mr.. Wat
terson decided that the work lay
within the party, and he set to
work He opposed the renomi-
nation of Mr.. Bryan at Kansas
City. When he was nominated
he gave him his support. though
disagreeing with him on the
most vital issues of the cam
paign- And Kentucky cast its
electoral vote again IN the dem
ocratic column.
But meantime Mr.. Watterson
had other important party duties
in his own state. Family affairs
ever demanded his first attention.
The Bryan democrats, seeing
the state lost to them because of
their fidelity to the free silver
illusion, set about to draft an
election law which would make |
the election of a republican i'm
possible. That measure came to
be known as the Goebel law. In
school and out of school Mr.. |
WaftQTSOD ATTACKED If viOoroue