The Lafayette gazette., 1902-03-29

Tho Kentucky journalist Makes
aGOOd speech at Washington.

Tho Kentucky journalist Makes
| Good Speech at Washington.
Col. Henry WattersOn was one
of the speakers at the recent
banquet given in Washington by
the Virginia Democratic Associa-
tion. Col Watterson said:
I'VE are Democrats. We love
our country. Our hearts beat
true to it's institutions. We
would rescue the government
from the hands of those who are
converting it into a government
of the trusts, for the trusts and
by the trusts, and restore it to
the hands of those who will have
some regard for the rights of the
people. The Republican party is
a syndicated party. Arbitrary
power is it's motto, almighty dol
lar is it's trade mark. If it be
not checked in the gait it is going
it will in the end surely Mexican
ize the republic
Once again in the White House
we have the man on horseback
Affecting the simplicity of the
cowboy, he cOncealS beneath the
Self-cOnfidence and queer man
ners of the brOnchO buster the
sentiments and ambitions, if not
the talents, of Diaz, To him a
little thing like treating an ad-
miral of the navy, wearing the
laurel leaves of imperishable re-
nOwn, as if he were a baby in
arms, now to be dandled and now
to be spanked, is merely an un-
dress affair, begun and ended
during off moments between
breakfast and luncheon. To him
the reprimanding of the lieuten-
ant-general of the army, grown
gray in the fighting Of the battles
of his country, becomes an anus
ing hOrSeplay, meant to relax his
muscles and illustrate his high
mightiness, while warning lesser
officers of the army to obey or
ders and say nothing. AS these
things go forward, partalxing
somewhat of the character of
feats to divert and blinds to hood
wink public opinion, bill of
army reorganization is prepared
and urged upon Congress which,
if it becomes a law, will make the
power of the president absolute,
and which, it is not too much to
say, ought to be entitled, An
act to make the president of the
United States military dictator.
Because the lieutenant general,
answering the summons of a
committee of Congress-, as was
his duty, expresses an opinion
adverse to this bill, it is pro-
posed to retire him from the ser
vice. Taken in connection with
some other matters of more or
less sinister suggestion, these
are menaceS of most OminOuS i'm
port.
But turn from the White
House to the Capitol, and look at
the Republicans in Congress.
The trail of the trade mark is
over them all. Old High Tariff
dances the can-can in the House,
while Old Ship Subsidy does the
cake walk in the Senate. |
Everything for the syndicates. |
Nothing for the people. And,
not content with their arbitrary
power in the White House and
their mercenary power in Con
gress, the leaders of this party of
federalism and false pretension
would rip open Pandora's box to
flch thence the black, piratical
flag of negro mountaineering
disreputable and bloody
shirt of national agitation-and,
in order to make sure of the next
House, they are proposing to
bring forward another force bill
TO smite the South, to blight the
North and to convert a land
5eeming with love and peace into
1 land reeking with hate and
strife. Such is the banquet to
which the exit of Mckinley, the
statesman, and the advent of
Roosevelt, the Rough Rider, has
invited us.
Il am something of a lingo
myself. I believe in the expand
ng greatness and glory of my
I never see the flag
1oating above the dome on
7onder Capitol that my heart
loes not throb with the proud,
glad thought-that my eyes do
lot fill with happy exultant tears
that I, too, am an American
citizen. God bless the flag, and
Tod bless the boys that fight
it! I would carry it in
iolate. I would keep it -spotless.
md, with this in view, I want to
now what is going on away out