The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-23
DEMOCRATS GATHER
A GREAT SCENE AT MANHATTAN
CLUB LAST NIGHT.
PARTY REUNION THE THEME.
A SPLENDID LETTER FROM HENRY
WATTERSON.

David II. Hill, Judge Truax, Mayor
Collins of Boston and Edward M.
Shepard the Principal Speakers.
Ex-secretnry IL. A. Herbert. Gen.
Joseph Wheeler and other Promi-
nent SOutherners Were Present.
Address Ourselves TO the Business
of the Country, Said Mr.. Waiter
son.
New York, Feb. 22.-The Manhattan
Club was the scene tonight of one of
the greatest gathering of Dem
ocrats in it's history. Demo-
Gratis of local and national
reputation from thirty-eight states
were present. 1t was "recep-
ton given to out Of town members of
the club The resolution Of the club
authorizing the reception stated that
the time is ripe for reviving the in
terests of the people in the fundamen-
tai doctrines upon which our govern
ment was founded"
The plan of the reception, which was
in the hands of a committee consisting
of j. G. Carlisle, Charles II. Traux,
John Hone and William S. Rudie,
made the speeches precede the sup
per" as it was called.
The speakers announced were ex-
Gov. d. B. Hill, Judge Charles H.
TruaX, Mayor Patrick Collins of Bos-
ton and Edward M. Shepard.
At the guests table, among others
were H. A. Herbert of Alabama, II. st.
George Tucker of Virginia, Gen. Jo-
seph Wheeler of Alabama, William Ell
liot of South Carolina; Charles f..
Hooker of Mississippi, X. Elias OF
ginia, George w. Taylor of Alabama.
Mr.. WattersOn's Views.
A spirited letter from Hon. Henry
Watterson was read, which was in part
as follows
1t is to be tested in 1904, whether the
Democratic party is, as of old, leader
of nations and of men, or whether it
is to exist under the shadow of a great
name merely as a bundle of quiddities
not even efiicacious and coherent in
opposition.
We need to get away from visionary
and theorizing politics and to address
ourselves to the business of the coun-
try. We have had surfeit of ex-
tremism and sentimentality. Moderate
counsels are generally wise counsels.
The fewer and simpler the issues, the
surer the popular comprehension and
approval. The lesser differences will
merge in the greater and in the end
adjust themselves.
The Republican party is a party of
false pretenses. 1t is a clever oppor-
tunist, seeking to impose upon the pub
lie credulity with sleepless activity and
alert intelligence; but, sharp practices
failing, its ever-ready resort is menace
and force. Even so good a ReDubli-
can as Mr.. Hoar is told on the floor
of the Senate that his official privileges
alone secure him against prosecution
for high treason. A single year ago
such threat would have exposed it's
author to derision. Republicanism,
however, is progressive at least in as
sumption. and the scandalous imputa-
tion is echoed and re-echoed by thou
sands of people who ought to see in
1t nothing other than a covert attack
upon free institutions.
That is not of course, its immediate
intention, or aspect. The Republican
party has not quite got so far as that
1t is at present less an imperiaIist than
commercialist: and yet, behind the
ear of corn ii holds out to the country
may be seen the blind bride of arbi-
trary power. All its acts and utter
ances tend toward policy of conquest
and aggression in the outlying terri
tories that come under our Jurisdiction
as consequence of the Spanish war by
comparison with which the reconstruct
tlon or the Southern states will appear
In the light of the merest trial trip.
'Ihe underlying principle of contem-
porary Republicanism reads "scratch
my hack and TIL
The reverse proposition reads 'if Won
don't, I'll crush you" The odious Sc
dition laws of the old Federalists are
revived and upon these are grated the
modern gospel of subsidy and tribute
to be levied in favor of those organ
lied interests that exude freely to RE-
publican campaign funds. Thus we
have a government Of the syndicates.
Tor the syndicates and by the syndi-
cafes: Patriotism, as construed by the
Republicans. is but another name for
syndication. In Cuba it evolves about
the sugar duties and tobacco. In the
Philippines about the offices, the con-
tracts, the public franchises and
hemp.
1t semes TO me that we have here a
very pretty quarrel as It stands. WHY
complicate ii with visions, which NAV
be premature and out of the common
sight, or with theories, about which
there will be differences of opinion? It
Is good rule TO cross no bridges until
we come to them. We live in a coun-
try where, there being neither rank
nor titles, business considerations are
bound to prevail. We live In an age Of
things actual and real. Let us meet
the Republican claim that the Republic
can party Is the only true representa-
tive of the business interests OF the
country by exposing the fallacies OF
that pretension and at the same time
by showing the merits of our own sys-
tenn of Jeffersonian Democracy: taxa
tion for public purposes, embodying a
tariff for revenue only: cleaner meth
DDS Of administration at home. and IN
the outlying territories: recognition OF
the power Of the people and a greater
sense Of official accountability: IN
word, let us oppose against the Re-
publican government Of syndlcation and
the syndlcates. "a Democratic govern
ment, laid In the written law OF the
land, strictly construed, and headed for
the benefit Of the many. not the enrich
mfnt Of the few. on these lines ] be-
iieye We can carry the election OF 1904.
Henry Watiers0n.
The Hon. Charles ~. Truax, President
Manhattan club.
Jusnrs Truax began the spseedmlk-
Ing nnd WIS followed BY David ~.
Blil who WIS loudly appisuded. ne
aid 10 port.
Ssoa DocffiBs From uilI.
Nr nlll. among other fhinRs, ssid
= speak forniFhf in favor ~ The
malgtfnancf ~ fhe 0i1 landmarks Dem
oegsile party. in ibst pah there iiss
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