New-York tribune., 1905-08-09
AS COLONEL WATTERsoN SEES 1T.

Colonel Henry Watterson is doing business
again at the old stand. After years rest in
Europe he has resumed the functions which for
the last thirty years he has discharged so brill
iantly in national politics. AS copfdant and
guardian of the star eyed goddess" as guide
philosopher and friend of Democratic statesmen,
as eucidator and critic of Democratic policies.
he has contributed much 10 public wisdom and
even more TO public gayety. year ago, during
the Parker campaign, Colonel Watterson was
disposed to see the end of democratic institu-
tions writ large on every blank wall To the
Democratic editors who paid a midday pilgrim
age to Esopus and then evened up by dining
at the Waldorf-Astoria, he pictured the Republ-
can candidate for President as the mildest man
nered man who ever scuttled a ship or state,
and gloomily predicted that victory for that
candidate would mean the early "Mexicaniza-
ton" of the Republic. Colonel Wattersons pict-
uresque and graphic rhetoric sent cold chill
down the spines OF Democratic managers and
editors who him thus transform their favor
ite campaign argument into q reductio ad abb
surdum, and he was bitterly censured by his
less courageous and less imaginative associates
for saying frankly what they thought it better
to say by innuendo Chagrined and mortified, the
Kentucky publicist took to the woods, and when
imperialism" triumphed over constitutional
ism" in November he philosophically accepted
the result and bought ticket for Europe.
1t is encouraging to find that years yaca-
ton has somewhat quieted the Kentucky Edl-
tors alarms. His latest utterance indicates
that he has outlived his nightmare of the man
on horseback" He thinks that he may survive
to see another President elected. He is willing
TO concede that the two great parties will hold
nominating conventions In 1908. that candidates
will be put in the field and voted for, and the
rho fha ali
nducted into Office in the good old way. just
as if the Constitution had not been suspended
and the Republic "C@sarized"
Colonel Watterson seems even reconciled In
advance to the fact that there is no hope for a
return to those Jeffersonian ideals and that
"Jeffersonian simplicity Of living" which, ac-
cordng TO the last Democratic national plat
form, are now only memory in Washington
He calmly predicts that the next President 'wiu
be Republican" This forecast moreover, is
hedged with no conditions and qualified by no re-
grets; for the Editor of THE Louisville Courier
Journal" confesses that the Democratic party is
in no condition 10 elect President or to govern
the country 1t is "hopelessy divided and
crassly Incompetent and every patriotic citi-
zen must agree with his apparent deduction that
the return TO power OF party so disqualified
would be an immense misfortune not only from
the national but from the narrowly partisan
point of view.
Colonel Wattersons conclusions may not be
welcome to the politicians who manipulated the
| last Democratic national convention and man
| aged the Parker campaign in 1904. These lead
ers may still have a blind faith in the theory
| that party need have no principles and that
its only business in politics is to win and hold
the offices. Colonel Watterson's view is saner
and more up to date He sees that national
| organization which comprises elements as wide
apart in feeling and purpose as the Eastern
| Democracy, the Southern Democracy and the
Western Democracy can never reach an honest
agreement on principles or apply those principles
| to legislation and government Separately these
elements can only seek to "buncO" one another,
and Jointly they can only seek to "bunco' the
public. The Democratic party must tarry at
Jericho until it develops some common and seri-
| Gus purpose Then only can it aspire to egis-
late and rule.