The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-06-23
Colonel Watterson Foreiyes,

Ii any PROOF was lacking of the sim
certify and volume of the Macedonian
cry now waited across the Atlantic to
a certain Democratic statesman trav-
elling on through, that evidence is
supplied by Colonel Henry Watterson's
soul stirring appeal to the wanderer
aforesaid to come home and befor-
given. Democratic conventions in In
diana, Missouri and South Dakota have
sent hurry call to the distinguished
absentee imploring him to return post
haste and save the party and the coun-
try. A monster committee Is being
formed in this city to celebrate his
arrival. The sixtyseven varieties Of
Jeffersonians hereabouts are prepar-
ing to welcome him as the only true
and apostolic successor of Jefferson.
But till Colonel Watterson spoke the
projected apotheosis lacked absolute
completeness and finality. No onecan
doubt after thecolonel's outlying that
in Democratic hearts and hopes VIII
liam j. Bryan is really "the man of
the hour" To the conservatives he
has become reconstructed pillar of
safety and sanity" To the radicals
he is still the peerless leader of 1896,
twice the presidential nominee of the
Populist party and the stalwart advo-
cate of Populistic "isms" which he has
never recanted or apologized for. To
the hungry Office hunters he figures
as the prospective Moses-Joshua who
will turn the rascals out" and distrib-
ute the spoil among the faithful.
Colonel Watterson can read the
stars when there are any stars to read,
and his agility in getting into the Bry-
1,or To &c
dor and sang froid as politician. A
politician must be ready to forget and
forgive, to strike truce with the past
and dismiss bygones as bygones. Col
onel Bryan was not always a Henry
Clay and Thomas Jefferson rolled in
one in the Office of THE Courier Jour-
nal" AS late as 1904 Colonel Water
son was hard put to it to decide which
exercised the more sinister influence
in Democratic councils-Grover Cleve-
land or William ]. Bryan. In an analy-
sis of the Democratic situation just
two years ago he wrote:
Two dangers menace the democratic
party. One of these is the Cleveland
influence and the other is the Bryan
influence. Eliminate these aggressive
and greedy politicians and there would
be no trouble for the rank and file of
the party to get together, to adopt
platform and agree on ticket.
AS grasping, and heartless, though not
SO crafty as Mr.. Cleveland, Mr.. Bryan
preferred to play the role of Neither
Milestone to Mr.. Cleveland's Upper.
Now, as yer, they ar between them
grinding the grist out of the wellbeing
of the party. They are simply pair
of self-seking politicians, having axes
to grind and whetting them upon the
hand and head of the party that has
so greatly honored them. 2. Mr..
Cleveland works behind the screen of
self-glorifying civic virtue, which the
image worshippers carry around to
conceal the SNUG features and oleag-
nous complacency of their rather too
portly idol. Mr.. Bryan goes about with
knife and club Draining every one
who ventures to cross his path.
This gloomy and pessimistic picture
was drawn in 1904. Since then Mr.
Bryan has INDUCED In two years of
"study and travel" and isto return in
August with increasing wisdom" He
has served his probation and earned
his reward" and can now be trusted.
"the knife and the club" andto take
the helm and steer us away from the
breakers of gang and graft politics"
Great is the virtue of judicious foreign
travel. Let US hope that 1t will bring
the new Democratic Man of Destiny
home In mood to forgive as hand
somely as he Is being forgiven.-New
York Tribune.