Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-08-29
HENRY WATTERSON
SAYS PARTY GOVERNMENT is A
HUMBUG.
Party Extremists We're Responsible
for the Civil War, Says The Dis
tinguiShed Journalist. Our Gov
ernment One of Party Organism,
Not Public Opinion.

At The opening of the Kentucky
state fair last week, the leading fea-
ture was an address by Henry Wat
terson, the veteran editor of the
Louisville Courier Journal who said
in part:
Il do not say that party govern
ment is failure, but | do say that
party government claiming to be the
representative of public opinion, is a
humbug. 1t is a mischievous hum
bug. Already it has cost us a gigan-
tic war, which public opinion might
have averted, and would have avert
ed, if it could have overleaped party
lines and sectional lines, for, in 1861,
an Overwhelming majority of the
people North and South were opposed
to war. They did not believe war
possible until it was upon them. A
proceeding hotly from opposite prem
iseS, were able to make that an ir-
repressible conflict, which the wis
dom of both sides now knows to have
been world problem waiting still
to be solved and hardly touched by
the forces of the Confederacy and
the Union, depicting us by an ocean
of blood and treasure.
"We pride ourselves upon living
under a government of public opin-
ion. Would it not be truer to say
party organism? Is it not also true
that this party organism takes small
account of public opinion where it
feels itself strong enough to defy it?
The corruption of parties-the reve-
lations of this corruption which have
reached thy common knowledge the
last few years-has confounded the
democrats and brought the republi-
cans to their knees. The politicians
of both parties are appealing as never
before to the people. Mr.. Roosevelt
of specifics more or less novel and
drastic, but each claiming to be cur
ative.
Craftsmanship, yielding to the
sentimental and humane pressure of
the times, has turned doctor. The
chief aim of the leaders seems to be
to take a short cut 10 the millen-
MUM; and just now it is race be-
tween two ambitious popular favor
ties, which of them shall get there
first. All this while, however, there
ganization going on in the back Of
flee; in Mr.. Roosevelt's back office
and in Mr.. Bryan's back office; the
people at large separated into oppOs-
ing camps, in each of which indepen-
dent thinking is held to be treason.
"a majority of one in either camp
settles it. A majority of one between
the two camps settles it. In both
camps the more violent and active
men. ever intriguing for advantage,
draw the more moderate and passive
men after them; and although the
two sets of moderate men united
might constitute a majority, they
cannot get together because of an
artificial line raised in the interest
of the professional place hunters too
often at the expense of the country.
Il protest against that religion
which sands the sugar and waters
the milk before it goes to its prayers.
l protest against that morality which
poses as a saint in public to do as
it pleases in private. AS the Old
woman said of the old mans swear
ing, If there's anything l do hybom-
mate, it is Hypocrisy In my opin-
ion that which threatens Kentucky
are not the gentlemanly vices of the
race course and the sideboard, but
perfdy and phariseeism in public and
in private life.
"The men who made the Bluegrass
famous, who put the brand of glory