The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-23
WATrERsoN AS A PROPHET.

Henry WatterSOn. returning from a
trip to Europe, authorizes an interview
in which he makes the curious predic-
ton that Governor Hughes of New
York will succeed Roosevelt as presi-
dent of the United States. To show
that he means it. the Kentucky colo
mel says he bought Paris mutual at
100 to 1 that Hughes will be it. In
passing it may be remarked that the
colonePs usual discrimination in sport
ing affairs seems to have deserted him;
any gambler ought to have been willing
TO make the odds at least 1000 to /,
provided he knew the conditions and
wasn't looking for much the best of it,
But to return to Colonel watterson
as a prophet: He once said that Mr.
Cleveland was leading the Democratic
party through a slaughter house to an
open grave" but the open grave proved
to be the presidency. In sporting par
lance, every bet Watterson has made
in recent years on political issues has
been good TO copper Nominally
Democrat, he opposed Bryan's NOM
ination the second time, and then re-
fused TO support him after the nom
ination. More recently he fought Beck
ham for the senatorship, and Beckham
won. Within his own party this most
brilliant of all Democratic editors has
been valuable to the party chiefly as
cOunter-irritant The only success
full candidates who have benefited by
his policy have been Republicans; and
they have profited, not by his support,
but by his unwiliingness to be a Dem
ocrat in print.
Speaking of Mr. Bryan, the colonel
gets sarcastic.
MIR. Bryan is an individual man
with certain following he says He
is not law giver. He may be law
unto himself. IT remains TO be seen
if the fragment of the Democratic
party lying around loose can be united
in a new program.
Il think that organized Democracy
at the present time can see no osher
being seriously considered except him.
Nobody except him is seriously consid-
ering running. 1 sometimes doubt
whether ne himself cares fig for the
presidency. For, 1 should think, if ne
believed Democracy had a reasonable
chance Of carrying the country and
that he might be nominated, he would
be more circumspect and would show
a greater sense of responsibility than
he seems to be showing"
Much of what Watterson SAYS is true.
Mr.. Bryan does not act as though he
cared fig for the presidency, and he
is not letting his political ambitions
suppress his convictions for an instant.
If he were a politician in the common
sense of the word. he wouldn't have
any convictions in public, and what he
had in private would be subject to re-
vision If necessary to secure NOM
nation. In spite of that weakness,
however, he is strong with the people
precisely because he speaks the con-
viction that is in him. Many Demo-
Gratis disagree with him on vital ques-
lions. but none question either his pa
triotism or his sincerity-and that is
good deal to say of any public man
who has been in the limelight as long
as Mr.. Bryan.
c 5vernor Hughes may be the next
Republican nominee, although 1t will
not be with Roosevelt's permission or
approval If he is: and the Republican
nomination In 1908 is by no means a
guarantee Of election. At his present
rate the governor is likely to disrupt
his own party in New York before con-
vention time, with a fair prospect of
splitting II hopelessly IL he is nominat-
ed for the presidency.
On general principles Colonel Wat
terson ought to cash in that Paris nu-
tual the first time he can find some op-
timistic Republican who wants it. A
fair consideration in trade would be a
yellow pup, with the option of shooting
the pup IL he costs much to keen.