River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-09-22

On the evening of Sept :. t004 the
land was at peace, and no augurieS Of
dread possessed it, Vermont had said
its say, in no unmeaning manner, and
all was calm in city and country, while
in New York was gathering Il band. just
a few faithful editors of Democratic
antecedents, to talk over the political sit
uation, and incidentally devour that
square meal which, when eaten in public
and accompanied by speeches, is called q
banquet.
Among the chivalry which gathered
there was Henry Watterson Of Ken
lucky. The moment he was seen at the
festive board those editors ami special
torS who are accustomed to observe tho
usual progress of events knew that some
thing was going to happen. They di-
vined that Henry had been seeing
things 1t is way he has. Aal then
he says things.
Time rolled on. The rich New York
viands, prepared for the unaccustomed
palates of the visiting editors, the fiery
cocktails, the generous wines. the nips of
strong waters, all these had mot the
fate prepared for them. And then came
Watterson, as chief speaker of the even
ing.
Watterson is at times an excitahIo
man. This was one of the times. lie
was not only excited, he was painfully,
morbidly, scared. And of all things in
the world, this brave, loyal. chiyalrous
American gentleman was afraid of an
other brave, loyal, chivalrous American
gentleman-the President of the United
States, Theodore Roosevelt.
There was rant about raising tho
black flag" ''scuttlng the ship OF civil
service" land cutting the throat of re-
Ciprocity" which made Watterson's hear
ers turn pale, though they knew no more
than did the speaker to what these trucu-
lent words referred.
The trembling editors listened, appall-
cd WattersOn lowered his voice and
muttered forth charges Of ruth and ruin
against Roosevelt past Roosevelt pres
emf, Roosevelt future. Again he paved
the earth, shook his fists aloft and bell
lowed his predictions of an everlasting
candidate for the presidency, and an cv-
erlasting President III the person of The
odore Roosevelt, if the Republicans con-
tinue in power. WatterSon's auditors
thought of Carter ii. Harrison |, and Car
ter H. Harrison H., perennial and ever
blooming Mayors of Chicago, but, rs
these examples of political longevity be-
long to the Democratic party, it. calmed
the nerves of the wrought-up banquet
ers, and they were able to brace up and
listen to the imprisoned gentleman from
Kentucky
The flood Of oratOry went on and on,
and when it was over the editors felt re-
lieved, because no seizure of a fatal
character had made fitting climax to the
utterances of the choleric speaker, whose
eloquence has been whetted for years,
upon the obtrusive angles of his own
party.
And then the Geographic wires bore,
as upon the wings of the wind, the
words of Watterson, to be printed in the
morning papers that there could be read,
by the toiling millions, the fatal words
OF objurgation, adjuration and divina-
ton.
The public read the burning words
of Watterson with that fatal apathy
which greets the efforts of those who, i'll
the first place, talk too much, and in the
second place, habitually overshoot the
mark. There was a good-natured laugh,
perhaps, as some stalWart American
glanced over the ''scare heads Of the
morning papers, and one or another OF
the great army of freemen said to his
neighbors, as he looked up from tho
warnings, denunciatiOns and predictions
of the hysterical orator Of Louisville,
"Watterson's broke loose again.
And that was all