New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-05
TIE TIRED MINORITY"

The Hon. Thomas E. Watson, in a speech at
Atlanta on Thursday, laid bare to a Southern
audience the utter false pretence involved in
the South's support Of Alton B. Parker Among
other things he said:
Why did national Democratic leaders surren-
der to Belmont and Wall Street? Senator John
W. Daniel, OF virginia, Let tha cat out of the
bag when he said in the Committee on ResoIu-
tions that he was tired of being in the minor
tty"i Not tired Of being in tha wrong. No: he
did not even pretend that he had been in the
wrong Simply because they have been In the
minority, they are ready 70 drop the principles
which they have sworn for eight years were
right. and to adopt those which even now they
do not dare say right Great God! What
an attitude for the leaders Of great national
party!
Mr.. Watson knows whereof he speaks when
he denounces the opDortunist and mercenary
spirit which drew the South to Judge Parker's
support at ST. Louis and makes its leaders now
bis tmeserVing advocates. He himself once
represented Georgia district in the House of
Representatives ana suffered defeat and ostra-
cism at the hands Of Democratic associates be
cause he took in earnest pledges he and they
had made in common to their constituencies
in 1890 these Southern leaders had helped To
fan the fame Of Popullsm But in 1892, hav-
ing renominated Mr.. Cleveland for the Presi-
dency, they reversed themselves and were
eager to stamp it out. Mr.. Watson refused to
eat his professions and vas driven from pub
lie life. But four years later he saw his perse-
cutors tumble over themselves to re-embrace
the creed OF POpulism and strike coalition
with the party which had named him as its
ce-Presidential candidate
He sees the same old influences at work
among the Southern leaders now. They struck
bargain with the mining States in 1896 by
which they hoped to recover the political power
lost through the breakdown of the Cleveland
TIT %.
currency, for an income tax, for all the nos
trums Of Populism. They had high hopes Of
success-hopes not altogether crushed by the
defeat Of 1896. But the more decisive reverse
OF 1900 disheartened them. They were tired of
the Western coalition-"tired Of being in a
minority" Without recanting their professions
of 1896 and 1900, they stole away from an ALI
ance which had failed, and staked their fort
unes on a new political merger. If this mer-
ger involved surrender OF their alleged con-
victions Of 1896 and 1900, what of it? They
were tired Of losing battles; and, frankly. they
wanted the Offices
Mr.. Watson lays his finger unerringly on the
plague spot in Democratic politics. The Demo
cratic party is dominated by the South. Yet
the South tolerates no genuine political discus
sion and has no fixed political principles. Ter
rorized by the race issue. Southern voters dare
not think for themselves. The leaders do the
thinking. and, as they differ among themselves
every rational political ISSUE they have drift
ed gradually to the point whare they hold issues
TO be merely the small change Of politics. Their
only guides are opportunism and expediency
They are willing to be for "cheap money" one
year and sound money" the next year. They
are @antifmperia1ists" On the stump and "tni-
perialists" of it They thunder In defence Of
the Constitution away from home, and at home
applaud the skill with which they have nulli-
fed the Constitutions attempt TO guarantee an
unrestricted manhood suffrage. The old school
Southern statesman. like Roger Q. Mills or the
late George G. Vest. boldly argued for free