The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-16
MR.. wATTERsoRs DECLARATION.

the Louisville Courier Journal, is one
of the most picturesque and brilliant
figures that have ever shed luster upon
the profession of journalism. He has
been fearless champion of principles
which he approved. Party ties have
not always been strong enough to hold
him, although his Democracy was in
herited and intensified by environment
and conscience.
Since the retirement of John G. Car
Isle from public life Mr.. Watterson has
been Kentucky's foremost public citi-
zen. His fame as a writer and as an
orator is nationwide.
OF late there has been considerable
talk of the Democrats Of the Blue Grass
state nominating him for governor
and his nomination would have meant
election. 1t has been said he desired
to be governor that the word might be
engraved on his tombstone. But if he
cherished this fond ambition in the past
his mind has changed, for he recently
wrote an editorial declining to enter
the race, or to be considered a candi-
date, in the course of which he made
the following comments:
"Preferment is not for me- Brought to
the point where must look the situation
tull III the eye, l am appalled, by the con-
ditions which the successful candidate
Tor Office must needs meet and overcome
the rogues and cheats he must court or
cozen, the servility he must affect or
iTOnI thn
sonal solicitation. ignoble and humili-
atlng, the use of money more or less cor
rupt and corrupting, for, though he have
an overwhelming majority of the people
at his back there stands the machine
hrSt to be captured, and then to be de-
Yeloped, with all that this implies AL
though have never had a machine l
am not stranger either to the character
or the efficacy of machine Methods
Balzac it is who says that the man
who desires to serve his country in
high station must close his eyes to
many things. The agencies by which
great results are achieved in this world
are rarely those which the authors of
those results would always choose for
their accomplishment. Politics and
political methods do not always con-
form to the high aims which most men
who enter public life set before them
selves. Were the usual incidents Of
political activity to stand in the way Of
the entrance of the ordinary citizen to
public life, there could be no govern
ment by honorable men, and a political
ual degradation.
The political machine is the de-
terrent which operates to pre-
vent Mr.. Watterson from en-
gaging in an effort to secure
election as governor of Kentucky. And
yet Mr.. Watterson says that he is no
stranger to the character or the efficacy
of machine methods. He has, in other
words, been willing to cooperate with
the machine and it's methods for the
election Of other men to the same and
other exalted positions; but he cannot
lend the sanction to them of his own
candidacy for the Office of governor.
The position thus assumed by Mr..
Watterson is a strange one. 1t hardly
admits of discussion. 1t reveals him
| as among those philosophers who
would have the world stand still were
it's progress in any measure dependent
| on the acceptance of standards Of In
dividual conduct which were without
their approval Mr.. Watterson does
well to decline candidacy for the office
| of governor. His own words reveal
him as eonstitutional1y untitled to en-
gage in those forms of service of this
| kind which are involved in the admin
| istration of public affairs.