The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-14
WATTERsoN AND BRYAN.

WATTERsoN AND BRYAN.
Henry Watterson's appearance as
chairman of the reception to Mr.. Bry-
an in Louisville. and the tenor of his
speech OF welcome ought to dispeI any
doubt as to the attitude of the south
toward the Nebraskan. Watterson has
never hesitated to express his differ
ences of opinion with Mr. Bryan, nor
has he been AT all reserved in his con-
domination OF what he believed were
heresies entertained by the Democratic
leader. At this juncture, like a good
many other Democrats, the great Ken
lucky editor takes no stock in Mr.
Bryan's leaning toward government
ownership of railroads, but like most
Democrats he has an abiding faith in
Bryan's honesty and sincerity of pur-
pose and in his desire to forward the
cause of good government regardless
Of the effect his beliefs may have on
his personal and political fortunes.
AS Mr.. Watterson expressed il. there
Is but one paramount issue for the next
presidential battle. and that is the res
cue of the government from hands that
have misused and debauched it. and
its restoration to the custody of the
plain but sovereign people," On this
issue Mr.. Bryan stands out as the one
man in political leadership qualified to
make the fight because he has made
that issue ever since his advent to
prominence and he has not deviated
from it even when persistence spelled
defeat for him and his party at the
hands of the men who have debauched
the government"
II any individual today personifies
the sentiment OF the south, that indi-
vidual is Mr.. Watterson. With his fol-
lowers he is no believer in centraIiza-
ton such as would follow government
ownership of railroads; on the con-
trary, he has fought the Capitalization
embodied in the Roosevelt policy of
executive interference in legislative
and judicial functions But. with all
the south back of him, he is the un-
compromising foe of the tariff which
rObs the consumer for the benefit of the
privileged trusts. the bitter enemy of
corruption in government wherever If
may be found, and he has found a
platform which appeals to all the peo-
pie Of whatever political creed when
he declares war for the rescue of the
government from the hands that have
nisused and debauched II. His en-
trance into the lists therefore. as one
of Mr.. BrYan's champions is tremend-
ously significant and important be-
cause it insures in advance the sup
port for the Nebraskan of all, or a very
large section Of the south, which Mr..
Watterson represents by authority.
Mr.. Bryan's own utterance on this
occasion is equally significant He re-
peats his New York speech insofar as
II relates to government ownership of
railroads, and reiterates. what he said
in New York. that he does not pre-
sumo to speak for his party nor pre-
tend to commit it to his own beliefs
on the subject. II still advocate strict
regulation" he declared, land shall re-
joice II experience proves that regula-
tion can be made effectively. I will &c
further than that and say 1 believe that
we can have more efficient regulation
under a Democratic administration
with a Demo cratic senate and house
than we are likely to have under Re,
publican administration with a Repub.
lican senate and house." Which latter
sentence states an axiom.
In his position Mr. Bryan's utter.
ances on government ownership con
tinue the interesting parallel already
noted between Bryan and Lincoln IL
their attitude toward great public ques
tions. II viii be remembered that Lin
coin wanted to avoid war over tn,
slaves, he did his utmost TO avert it
when the radicals Of his party sough
IL, and he deplOred the necessity wheI
IL was thrust upon him for the strug
gle which he foresaw would be Ions
and terribly costly. He hoped for III,
solution of the problem by the pur
chase of the slaves and their gradua
admission to citizenship, and his con
victions brought upon him the suspi
cion of his own party's radicals anC
the hatred of his opponents. yet h,