New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-22
THE HUNT FOR A MOSES.

CoIoneI Henry Natterson witnessed the Sham-
rock III-ReIiance race on Thursday from Slr
Thomas Lipton's steam yacht Erin IN an ln-
promptu speech expressing his appreciation Oh
Sir Thomas's hospitality, he is SAID 10 nave III
vited the Irish knight 10 come ashore anu De
the Democratic party's Moses in its next nShI
for the Presidency. This playful outburst seems
TO prove that Colonel Watterson. though
looker-on here in New-York, has not recently
been casting his weather eye athwart the New
Jersey horizon. Apparently he has missed GER
tain momentous signals flashing across the SKY
from Newark and Princeton to Fourteenth-sl'
and Third-aYe., this city. If he had seen OF
understood those signals. how could he ever
have dreamed of going so far to sea as SANDY
Hook Lightship for a Democratic Moses:
1t is barely possible that Colonel Nattersoh
did read the famous Smith-Little epistle and
was not melted and proselyted by it. But we
hate TO think so. How could any one turn a
deaf ear to its sanguine persuaSioDs-ltS glow
ing assurances? Charley Murphy for Cleve-
land. ex-senator Jim Smith for Cleveland
Tammany Hall for Cleveland, And 1.-The whole
East and the Middle States" ready to fall IN
line at a moments notice behind the Smith
Murphy vanguard. Was it not vision to
captivate and startle-to nfame a political inn
agination even less buoyant less restless. less
vivid than Colonel Watterson's?
Unhappily, there are always the blind who
will not see. Though one rise from the dead,
they will not listen to him. Though Moses
looms ready 10 answer the trumpet call of duty,
they continue 70 scour the highways and by
ways for beggar TO put on horseback. In
spite of the illumination scattered by the Smith
Little letter, Colonel Watterson still persists in
dwelling in darkness. For in The Philadelphia
Press only last Wednesday he once more de-
scribed Mr.. Cleveland as "a selfish politician,
who cares nothing about anybody but himself.
Talk of his fourth nomination and third cleo
ton the Editor of THE COurier-Journal" added,
was too wild to be considered by sensible peo-
pie, and will not be considered by any nomi-
mating convention" Mr.. Bryan is equally
taboo" with Colonel Watterson. and we are
not surprised to find him turning in despair for
a political Moses to his gallant friend Of the
ShamrockS.
But Colonel Watterson is not the only great
mind unconynced by the Smith Murphy resusci-
tation. There are others in the dumps. The
Editor of The Springfield Republican" does not
seem to have noticed the dawn of a new day
across the New-Jersey marshes. He calls Colo
nel Watterson "a blind fakir in a cave because
the colonel thinks that certain moral currents
are at work to force party victory next year
IF Democrats have sense Then comes this
descent into the blackness of darkness:
There are moral currents I'm the turbid streams
Of politics. but so far there is nobody launching
his little bark any of those channels of COM
municaton with the peoples conscience. The
poor peoples conscience! It is a pitful vic
tim Of the partiSans on either side, to whom
1t has committed it's fortunes. Whatever hap
pens in the contest OF 1904, it can be nothing
less than a cataclysm that shall awaken the
people themselves to know what they ought
TO do.
What this means we do not know, and do not
pretend TO know. But 1t indicates that news
of the Smith-Murphy discovery has not yet
penetrated the upper reaches of the Connecticut
Valley.