Evening star., 1902-03-25
VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS
Biennial Banquet at Metro
politan Hotel.
AN ENJOYABLE AFFAIR
COL. wArTERsoN FLAYs PREs1-
DENT ROOSEVELT.
Speeches by Lewis Nixon, Tammany's
New Boss, and Others-Gov.
Montague Absent.


Montague Absent.
About 100 guests were present last night
at the biennial banquet of the Virginia
Democratic Association, held in the banquet
room of the Metropolitan Hotel. They in
cluded democrats Of national prominence and
most of the political leaders and democratic
members of Congress from the old domin-
ion.
Owing to the fact that the constitutional
convention is in session and that the Vir-
ginia general assembly is nearing it's close
Governor Montague. Senator Daniel and
Attorney General Anderson We're unable to
be present They sent their regrets.
Col. Robert N. Harper, president of the
association, acted as POSTMASTER
1T is well'' he said, "for Virginians to
meet together in this way from time to
time, that they may have constantly in
stilled in their minds those feelings of fra
ternal patriotism which have for so long
justly entitled our old commonwealth to
that well-merited distinction of being the
mother of Presidents, states and states
men,
Col, Watterson's Speech.
Col. Henry Watterson Of Kentucky made
the principal address of the evening He
urged on democrats a general union of
forces in opposition to Imperialism in all
forms. He said:
There is no drop of blood in my veins
which is not Virginia blood. Although for
purposes of my own, having a deep design
beneath them. l chose this capital of the
nation for my birthplace, my earliest viaion
of paradise-the very dawn of all my con-
ceptions of honor and duty and glory
a1 o.
tOmac, and when | go hence my ashes shall
repOss upon the bosom of kentucky-Vir-
ginia's first-born and faireSt daughter.
There seems, therefore. some fitness In my
sitting among you. Anyhow, being Ken
tuckian and democrat am glad to be
here, and YOU will not. hope, think me as
suming any consequential airs and graces if
/ add that l feel very much at home.
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
government OF the trusts for the trusts and
by the trusts, and restore lit to the keeping
of those who will have some regard for the
rights Of the people. The republican party is
syndicated party. Arbitrary power is its
motor, the almighty dollar its trade mark.
If it be not checked in the gait it is going
it will in the end surely Mexicanize the re-
public.
Reference to Roosevelt.
"Once again in the White House we have
the man on horseback. Affecting the sim
plicity Of the cowboy, he conceals beneath
the self-confdence and: queer manners of
the broncho buster the sentiments, charac-
ter and ambitions, if not the talents Of
DiaZ. To him little thing like treating
an admiral of the navy, wearing the laurel
leaves of imperishable renown. as If he
were baby in arms. now to be dandled
and now to be spanked, Is merely an un-
dress affair. begun and ended during off
1lrrS
TO him the reprimanding of the lieutenant
general of the army, grown gray in the
fighting of the battles of his country be-
comes amusing horse play, meant to re-
lax his muscles and illustrate his high
mightiness. while warning lesser officers of
the army to obey orders and say nothing.
AS these things go forward, partaklng some
what of the character of feats to divert,
and blinds to hoodwink public opinion, bill
of army reorganization is prepared and
urged upon Congress, whicn 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 mill
tary dictator.
Because the reprimanded lieutenant gen.
eral answering the summons of a commit
tee of CongreSs-aS was his duty-eXpreSSeS
opinion adverse to this bill 1T Is pro-
posed to retire him from the service Taken
in connection with some other matters Of
more or less sinister suggestion these are
menaceS of most ominOuS import.
A Whack at Congress.
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, while old ship subsidy
does the regulation cake walk in the SEN
ate Everything for the syndicates; moth
ing for the people. And, not content with
their arbitrary power in the White House
and their mercenary power in Congress,
the leaders of this party of federalism and
false pretensions would rip open Pandora's
box to fitch thence the black. piratical flag
Of negro dOmination-the equally disrep-
utable and bloody shirt Of sectional agita-
tiOn-and, in order to make sure of the next
House, they are preparing to bring forward
another force bill to smite a land teemng
with love and peace into a land reekng
with hate and strife. Such is the banquet
to which the exit of Mckinley, the states
man, and the advent of Roosevelt, the
Rough Rider. has invited us.
Il am something of jingo myself 1 be-
lieve in the expanding greatness and glory
Of my country. / never the flag floating
above the dome on yonder Capitol that my
heart does not throb with the proud, glad
thought-that my eyes do not fill with
happy, eXultant tears-that /, too, am an
American citizen God bless the flag, and
God bless the boys that fight beneath 1t. 1
would carry 1t inviolate I would keep them
spotless. And with this in view, l want
yonder across the multitudinous, the mys-
terious waves of the Pacific sea. / want
other witnesses than self-seek!ng polit-
| clans and self-exploiting soldiers to come
here and tell me. / refuse to hold my
| tongue; refuse to rest content. And if l
am told by whppersnapper In shoulder
straps that unless / do 1 am traitor to
my country. my reply to him shall be a
slap in the face. f
Appeal for Union of Forces.
Friends. brothers. democrats, let us
have done with dissension. Let us turn our
| backs to the past our eyes to the future,
calling the old fight off and the old scores
square. He who stands with me against
these things is my comrads. no matter
| what he thinks or ever thought about sill
yer or gold. He who would deny me a
place by his side to fight them must be
either very perverse or 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 WILL be but one
test of democrat in 1984-toe the line-toe
| the line, saying to arbitrary power and alb