Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-22
GOLD DEMOCRATS
Their Return to the Fold in
New York
WELCOMED WITH JOY
BUT THE UPSTATE PoPUL1STS
ARE DESERVING.
Effet of Tom Watson's Speech Being
Felt in the Country - A South
ern Statesman's Comment.
" ELCOMED WITH JOY


apparently laying a great deal of stress
upon the accessions to the democratic ranks
of gold democrats in New York who have
voted the republican national ticket In the
past two presidential campaigns. The New
York World, which Is supporting the demo-
cratic ticket this time. is raking Manhat-
tan with a fine tooth comb for expressions
from those democrats favorable to Judge
Parker's election.
1t Is a notable fact, by some politicians
considered significant, that while the World
is thus catering to the reluctantly return
ing gold democrats the American, Mr..
Hearst's newspaper, which supported the
democratic national ticket when the World
was backing Mckinley, is exhorting its
readers to pay respectful attention to the
doctrines Of Tom Watson, the populist.
Mr.. Watson, as was shown by his speech
Of acceptance, has no faith in the present
organization of the democracy, although he
has in times past hitched up with the
democrats when they were nearer akin to
his own party.
The next question the democratic man
cares probably will have to ask in New
York probably will be Are we losing ten
populists where gain one insurgent gold
democrat?" The prodigal gold democrats
who are coming back for their prospective
veal are in the lower end of the state
needed The populistically inclined vote is
upstate, in the counties where every vote
going to the democratic ticket would be
worth its weight in gold, almost.
Counting on Populist Vote.
The democrats have been counting on
that vote in this campaign. They thought
that Judge Parker, honest and horny
handed farmer that he Is, would surely
stick a wisp of straw in his mouth and
capture the whole outfit of New York pop
ulists. OF course, it was to be expected
that their vote would be given the state
ticket also II 1t went to the national ticket.
But here comes Mr.. Tom Watson all the
way to New York to be notified; somebody
hires Cooper Union. and the only thck-and-
thin democratic paper in New York, which
has stood by the democrats in the past, a
regular Cascabianca. whence all but it had
MP W 3Sa sne p pGpus.
warmth and plays up his remarks in type
so black that all who run may read.
The honest populist up state who had
been contemplating voting the Parker tick
ct was called upon to pause and consider.
Mr.. Watson made some remarks about the
democratic party that were not likely to
endear that organization to the upstate
specs, and he Is supposed to view for all
his followers, the democrat of today looked
as much like green-goods man as the re-
publican, who up to this time has been the
bane of the supplemented and unsuspect-
ing populist.
The populist vote upstate has been con-
servatively estimated at $1,000. In the last
gubernatorial election in New York the re-
publican plurality was about 1000.
A Southern Statesman's Comment.
II don't kinder like the way In which
thae New York gold democrats are coming
bcak to the old homestead said a southern
statesman in an uptown hotel today
There isn't much of the prodigal son about
their present attitude. They are not COM
ing back prodigals, but more as the heir
and owner of the place, sort of showing the
old man aside.
1T reminds me of something that hap
pened down In my state In reconstruction
times. We had hired colored orator to go
around among the cOlored folks and try for
a few votes. He told about the south
coming back to the fold, after rebellion
like the prodigal son. He thought as much
consideration ought to be shown the con-
trite south as was shown the prodigal son.
But republican colored man, who was
speaking in joint debate with him, kind Of
broke up our fellows argument.
L tells you about dis we're prodigal SON
business he said. De real prodigal son,
he was sorry He did not ask for anything
He was was willing to go round to de back
door and eat wild de fiel' hands. But desc
yere southern folks, is dey sorry? No, subj
Dey strops a six-shotter on and marches
into de place and says: "Whar's dat veal?' >
1T seems to me that this Is very much
the attitude of our returning New York
gold democrats, although may be little too
critical"