The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1902-07-03
Effect Of Cleyeland,s Speech.

A Washington special to the New
York Herald says that the speech deliv-
cred by eX-President Cleveland at the
opening of the Tilden Club in NewYork
is unfavorably commented on by most
of the southerners in congress, but is
commended by democrats from the
great debatable states of the north and
west
The southern comment, however,
shows some notable exceptions to the
rule, Congressman Jas. d. Richardson,
Of Tennessee, the minority leader in
the house, characterizes the speech as
wise and timely.
Senator Culberson, of Texas, while
not an admirer of Mr.. Cleveland, said
his speech was splendid one from his
standpoint. He was sure that it would
do much good in the north.
Senator Bailey, of Texas, who broke
with Cleveland, soon after the second
inaugurated, said at is a'temperate
and well-timed speech-the best speech
Mr.. Cleveland ever made"
Senator Bate, of Tennessee, said: at
will not do to laugh down the wisdom
of Mr.. Cleveland's speech. We must
bury our past factional differences and
make an earnest effort to get together"
Senator Gibson, of Montana, said
'If Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Hill are
willing to come together in the interest
Of party harmony, l think their exam
pie might we'll be followed in other
states. 1 believe party success is only
possible by general hormoni2ing of
factional differences. I believe good |
results will follow if the sentiments ex-
pressed in New York are lived up to by
the democratic party in all parts of the
country" IL
The leading democratic papers of the
country, with few exceptions, approve
the ex-president's speech, and welcome
it as indicating in general terms the
course that the party should pursue.
The most prominent exceptions are the
Louisville Courier-J Journal and the
Atlanta Constitution, both of which are
edited by men who are known to have
personal reasons for being hostile to
Cleveland. Henry Watterson, in his
insensate egotism, imaginined that he
was the chief factor in the democratic
victory of 1884, and undertook to tell
the new president how to run his ad-
ministration. He got the boot In
1899 he predicted overwhelming disas-
ter to the party if Cleveland should be
nominated. Cleveland was nominated
and swept the country. Watterson,
therefore, hates him, both as a would
he adviser who was numerically snub-
bed, and as a prophet who was made
ridiculous by the event. Consequent
ly he never misses an opportunity to
snarl at Cleveland, and exhibit his sore
toe.
The Howell family, who control the
Atlanta Constitution, got mad at Cleve-
land because he gave cabinet office to
Hoke Smith, the chief owner and di-
rector of the Atlanta Journal, and the
Constitution has since that time been
Cleveland'S unrelenting enemy.
Some of the southern statesmen at
Washington, it is said, resent the refer
ence in Mr.. Cleveland's speech to the
time when democratic, senator's, now
practically extinct, were numerous,
and northern democratic governors,
now almost never seen, were frequent.
: ly encountered They regard it as u
suggestion that the party should direct
its attention mainly to regaining the
lost position in the northern states, and
pay less Difference to the southern dem
ocratic leaders, who were so largely in
strumental in committing the party to
: the disastrous isms of the populistic era.
"The few northern democrats in con
tgress, "says the Herald dispatch, "do
not hesitate TO complain, whenever the
subject is discussed, of the errors of the
1' southern wing of the party, and they
admit that democratic restoration in
the north will be almost impossible
until northern democrats and southern
democrats become united Mr.. Cleve-
l land is essentially northern democrat
and his plea for harmony was plea
that democrats from other sections give
the northern democracy chance
E Plainly stated, his advice was the drop
: ping of free silver as a party issue"
To show how the democratic party il
in the north has been obliterated, the
Herald presents the following compar
ative list of the northern states and th,
number of democratic electoral votes
/. United States senators aud representa-
: tives which they contributed under thu
leadership of Cleveland Second term
and under that of Bryan:
WHEN CLEVELAND LED.
States. Electoral Votes. Sen. Rep
California. ......... 8
Connecticut. .,. 6 0