Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-08
ATTACKED ROOSEVELT
WATTERSoN's ADDRESS AT COM
MITTEE's BANQUET TO EDITORS.
500 Enjoy HospitaHties of the National
Democratic Managers in New
York Last Night.

A dispatch from New York last night
says: Nearly 800 democratic editors from
all parts of the United States met at a
banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria tonight. the
occasion being a national conference of
democratic editors, which was called at the
instance of the democratic national commit
tee.
The toast list included several of the best
known democratic editors in the country.
and all of them responded to toasts on DO
iitical subjects
Sylvanus E. johnson. Washington corre-
spondent of the Cincinnati ENQUIRER. and a
former president of the Gridiron Club. was
the postmaster.
A large orchestra furnished music dur
ing the dinner. When Dixie was played
the diners, many of whom were from the
south, jumped to their feet and the rebel
yell was given several times. Enthusiasm
was at the highest pitch when the selec-
ton was encored.
Col. Johnson, in a brief speech, intro
duced Col. Henry Watteison, who respond
ed to the toast, 1.-THE Issue and the Out
look"
Mr.. Watterson said in part:
I'm the five debatable states of New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut in the east;
Indiana and Wisconsin, In the west there
are, Oh d TOuSn estimate, million OF these
independent voters. Half million of them
are Germans The other half are mug
Wumps and ffoaters. For the life of me
L cannot see how any self-respecting mug
wump can vote for Roosevelt, the recreant
civil service refOrmer, nor how any intelli-
gent German, much as the President re-
sembles the kaiser, can be willing to take
even a lottery chance in a war with the
mother country, precipitated7 upon the drop
of hat, to glorffy the. administration
Parker, the jurst, means peace with
all nations, entangling alliance with none
Roosevelt the war lord, means compiled
tons abroad and corruptions at home, de-
signed to prolong single party dynasty.
and to perpetuate its favorites and agents
in power. Every economic question must
pause before an issue transcendant.
Attack on Roosevelt.
Inevitably the personality, the character
and performances of Theodore Roosevelt
occupy the foremost place in the public
mind They will constitute the chief horn
of the peoples dilemma in the coming
campaign. They are. as it were, the be-
ginning and the end of the chapter. Yet,
because we propose to discuss the Presi-
dent, and to hold him to a Just measure
of accountability, we are accused of abus-
ing him.
II would not, for my part, utter an I'M
kind or discourteous word. l admit that
he is as sweet gentleman as ever scnt-
much that kind of a gentleman; for hoist
ing the black flag over the south, has he
not scuttled the ship of civil service re-
form and cut the throat of reciprocity?
Has he ever obeyed the law in case it
stood IN the way of his humor from the
time when, over the acqutting report OF
his own commission, he removed a states
attorney from the office to which the peo-
pie had elected him, here in the city and
county of New York, to the time when, by
a scratch of his pen he usurped the power
of Congress and added many millions of
outlay to the pension rolls? Is he not
responsible for the fy-by-night theatrical
combination miscalled the republic of PAN
anna? Was his treatment of Miles and
Schley the act of wise or considerable
President? Was his promotion of Wood
just either to the army the people?
Was his proceeding in the postal scandals
not shuttle designed to surpass, while
seeming to expose? Were his opera tons
against the Northern Securities not the
thus far, nothing beyond the throwing of
a little dust into the eyes of unthinSing
people?
"SelfWilled Adventurer."
Does not this whole career. illustrated
by his writings, his saying and his do
ings-his needless criticisms, his spectacu-
lar explorations, his broken promises-re-
veal to us a self-willed adventurer upon
the high seas of public life, having no
rudder or compass except his own ambi-
ton, no principle rule of conduct save
tnat OF decking the machine with the
fiounces and furbelows of civic righteous
ness while violating the spirit and sacri-
ficing the actualities of the civil service
by a line of partisan appointments to Of
nee never surpassed during the worst times
of the spoils system he has so stigmatized
and exemolifed?
WAS Jackson, whose ignorance he re-
Dukes, more personal and autocratic than
py,f yxyhn
he persistently antagonized, more indif-
ferert to the admonitons of public senti
ment? And if We have seen such things
in the green leaf what may we not ex-
pect to see in the brown? If electedSPresi-
dent in 1904. why not again in 1908? The
tradition broken, what may not be the
possibilities in 1912?
AS republican, I would take no such
risks; as an American, Shall not. I dread
the one-man power"