The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-07
COL. WATTERSON TALKS.
he Discusses the Future of Roosevelt
and Cleveland.

New York, Feb Tn an interview in
the New York Journal, Colonel Henry
Watterson gave his views on the effect
OF President ROoseVeltS policy toward
the negroes of the south. Prefacing his
observations. with the remark that it is
almost impossible to make northerners
really understand the question, Mr..
Watterson said:
Ihe presidents mistake is in raising
up hopes among the great body of black
people which can never be realized, and
concurrent with this in arOusing among
the whites corresponding irritation.
Mr.. Roosevelt does not distinguish be-
tween questions OF abstract justice and
questions of ineradicable racial antipa-
thy. This racial antipathy is even
greater al the north than at the south.
The average northerner will not ac-
cept the negro as concrete proposition
at any price; vet the president not only
purposes to thrust him upon an unwill-
ing southern community as an office
holder, but he signalizes him for a sO-
cial recognition wholly misleading.
Already we see the i'll effects of this
upon the blacks by such meetings as
thar held in Washington the other even
ing, where the most violent expressions
were given out. IF such meetings should
become common, they would provoke
retaliatOry meetings on the part of the
whites. Thus we should have the
foundations laid for a race war, the
evils of which it would be easy to con-
ceive.
4 don't believe the. president realizes
the bad influence of his course upon the
vast horde of ignorant negroes, by ma
ture emotional and easily excited. He is
a young man, and has not come to his
wisdom"
DO you think Mr.. Roosevelt will sue
coed in capturing the Republican nomi-
nation in 1904?" inquired the inter-
viewer.
I have no doubt of it. I very much
doubt that he will have any competitor
in the convention. He seems to have ii
mind the peculiar circumstances to
which President Arthur owed his defeat
in 1884, and to have steered clear Of
those particular rocks and breakers
What chance viii he stand after he
gets the nomination."
well, if the Democrats have any
sense or wit left in them, RoOsevelt's
day of sorrow viii come on election
day"
what do you think about Mr.. Cleve-
land as a possibility in the next conven-
mfr. Cleveland is obviously suspend
ing his lightning rod well to the wind
ward. He is man who never does
something for nothing. When he puts
himself in evidence we may be sure that
he has an objective point before him.
and he has been greatly in evidence of
late.
His appearance as one of the mourn
ers at the funeral of the late Mr. Hewitt
is very suggestive. if not very impress
sive. Mr. Hewitt certainly desDised Mr.
Cleveland, and Mr.. Cleveland could not
have been ignorant of that fact But
the opportunity to pose as the apostle Of
civic virtue was too good not to be
improved by the ex-president.
In a like manner his appearance in
public with David b Hill and his sub
sequent dallying with Tammany Hail
are significant of his peculiar methcds.
He plainly intends to let Tammany hold
while the mugwumps skin the next
Democratic nomination"
will he land it2''
No. If by some miracle his nominal
ton could be brought about, the party
would split wide open then and there.
and Mr. Bryan might be expected to
lead a boiling ticket, polling the greater
part of the vote of the west and south. =