The Goodland republic., 1902-03-28
HITS FUNSTON AND ROOSEVELT.
Henry WattersOn's Great Speech at
Democratic Banquet.
fsThe Nan on Horseback in the White
House and @Syndicates triumphant
His Subject -Characterizes Fun
stOn a WhiPPer-snaPPer.

dressed $50 old liue democrats seated
around the banquet tables spread by the
Virginia democratic association. Col.
Watterson's speech is notable. In the
course of his remarks ne said:
II want to know what Is going on away
out yonder across the multitudinOus, the
mysterious waves of the Pacific sea. 7
want other witnesses than self seeking
politicians and self exploiting soldiers to
come here and tell me. I refuse to hold
nay tongue. And, if am told by a whip
snapper in shoulder straps that unless
1 do I am a traitor to my county, my
reply to him will be slap in the face.
'We are democrats. We love our coun-
try. Our hearts beat true 10 its institu-
tions. We would rescue the government
from the hands Of those who are convert
ing it into a government of the trusts, for
the trusts'and by the trusts. aud restore
it to the hands of those who have some
regard for the rights of the people. The
republican party is a syndicated party.
Arbitrary power is its motor, the almighty
dollar its trademark. If it be not checked
in the gait it is going it will in the end
surely Mexicanize 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
manners of the broncho buster the senti-
ments and ambitions, if not the talents,
Of a Diaz. To him, a little thing like
treating an admiral OF the navy, wearing
the laurel leaves Of imperishable renown,
as if he were a baby in arms, now to be
dandled and now to be spanked, Is merely
an undress affair, begun and ended dur
ing of moments between breakfast and
luncheon.
TO him the reprimanding of the lieu
tenant general of the army, grown gray
in fighting the battles of his country,
becomes an amusing horse play, meant
TO relax his muscles and illustrate his
high mightiness, whilst warning lesser
officers of the army to obey orders and
say nothing. As these things go forward,
partaking somewhat of the character of
feats to divert and blinds to hOOdwink
public opinion, a bill Of army reorganiza-
ton is prepared and urged upon congress
which, if it becomes a law, viii 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 a military dictator
Because the reprimanded lieutenant gen
eral, answering the summons of a CON-
mittee of congress as was his duty-ex-
presses an opinion adverse to this bill it
is proposed to retire him from the service.
Taken in connection with some other mat
ters of more OF less sinister suggestion
these are menaces of most ominious i'm
port.
But turn from the white house to the
capitol and look at the republicans in
congress. The trail of the trademark is
over them all Old High Tariff dances
the can-can in the house, whilst Old Ship
Subsidy does the regular cakewalk 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 federal
ism and false pretensiOns would rip open
Pandora's box to fiIch thence the black,
piratical flag of negro dominstion-the
equally disreputable and bloody shirt of
sectional agitation and in order to make
sure of the next house, they are prOpos-
ing to bring forward another force bill to
smite the south, to blight the north and
to convert a land teemiug with love and
peace into land reeking with hate and
strife
He who stands with me against these
things is my comrade, no matter what he
thinks or ever thought about silver or
gold He who would deny me place by
his side to fight them must either be very
perverse OF very blind. Let US cross no
bridges till we come to them. but already
We can see far enough ahead to take our
reckoning. There viii be one test of a
democrat IN 19O4-tOe the Iine-toe the
Hne-saying to arbitrary power and absO-
lutism: Thou shalt go no further; We
too, are in the expansion business; but
our expansion is for the religion Of the
constitution, DO less than for the religion
Of Christ, and Him cruci6ed; our expan
sion means peace not war; the honor moi
the degradation of the flag; and just as
surely as jefferson wrote the Declaration
Of Independence and jackson fought the
battle Of New Orleans resist despOt
ism-shall We make new Fourth oi
July and celebrate another Eighth oi
January. IN resisting this unrighteou'
scheme to abolish the constitution and
Mezicanize the government"