The Washington herald., 1907-04-22
WATTERSON CYNICAL
Declares Roosevelt Cannot
Get a Third Term.
PEssIMISTICABOUT DEMOCRACY
Believes Bryan Must Have New
Idea 10 Retain HOId-BIames Ne
bTashan for Driving Democrats
Oat of the Party-CaIIs the Presi-
dent a Machine Politician.

New York. April 21.-Henry Wa1terson.
the veteran editor of the Louisville
Courier-Journal. discussed the political
situation to-day. He is in excellent health
and will pass through Washington on his
way 10 Louisville.
Although he was abroad since early in
December. ne had managed to keep tab
pretty well on events in the United States
He had heard a good deal about the talk
in this country of third term for Mr..
Roosevelt but he didn't believe that the
President would accept the nomination
again. He was willing to take Mr.
Roosevelt at his word
ut is my understanding. said Col.
Watterson, that Mr. Roosevelt said last
winter TO a group of journalists that II
the Republican national convention met
aud nominated him. and adjourned. It
would have 10 reconvene. / know that
happened. and / have accepted The Presi-
dents word in good faith"
Even II Mr. Roosevelt did want a third
term II was the colonel's opinion that he
couldn't get it. A reelection for Roose-
Welt would be too much like Mexicanizing
fhe country.
1T would said Col Watterson. BE
just as much Of a MexicanizatiOn as the
adoption Of l6 TO / -
Col. Watterson couldn't throw any light
on the rich mems conspiracy. but he WAS
pretty certain that the lines Of battle
were already being drawn pretty sharply
between the administration and the field.
Interested I'm Hitchcock.
The colonel was interested in the news
that Assistant Postmaster General Hitch
cock was in the South searching out the
unfaithfuI Republican Federal oficehoId-
ers.
1T goes without saying" he commented.
that the Vice President is not in the
field for fun. and the Vice President has
plenty Of means with which to pay the
freight, and there is a good deal Of freight
lying around loose in the South
It has been said that Vice President
Fairbanks has already got a pretty
strong hold on some Of the Southern
states.
Col WattersOn thought that the defeat
OF Taft in the primaries in Ohio wouldn't
necessarily mean his withdrawal as the
administration candidate. The colonel
recalled the nomination Of Grover Cleve-
land in 1892. after the New York delega-
tion had refused to support him. and
had declared he could mot carry the
state. He thought Mr.. Roosevelt might
be maneuvering to put New York State
safely behind Taft,
Good Machine Politician
'The President said Col watterson,
it true that he threw the civil service
system out Of the window after ne en-
tered the White House, and that he has
been playing politics eyer since? BY the
way. he seems to have played Mr. Harri-
man pretty effectively"
The coIonel's view of the Democratic
wasn't rosy. He thought they
might have a glorious chance of winning
If there happened to be cholera in the
yellow fever in Cuba. and if
wheat dropped to 40 cents a busheI and !
sorn to 10 Then again. there might be !
doing for the Democrats If |
the split in the Republican party was
big enough.
tS
In regard to Mr.. Bryans latest fetch. |
The initiative and referendum, the colonel
said:
mfr. Bryan is fond of speculation. and /
[ shouldn't be surprised at any novelty /
ne might trot out. Mr.. Bryan is a public /
speaker, and he has to be both enter /
-aining and attractive if he is 10 hold /
1ut"
The colonel didn't doubt Mr.. Bryan's
lbility to carry out his threat to drive /
,verybody out OF the Democratic party /
Who didn't accept initiative and the refer /
.ndum.
"He is pretty good driver" said the
colonel. He has already driven a good
many thousand out of the party: has
Iriven the power of the Democracy out of
he North, and has driven Democratic
majority out of Congress
Whether the Democratic party would be
ble to accomplish anything depends, in
he eolonels opinion. on whether the
ia agn1ents that are lying around loose
n every direction can be collected and
ntted under one programme. At present
here seems TO him TO be in the North
It least two factions of the Democracy.
which detest each other more than they
etest the Republicans. In the South the
Democrats wear the label only. and are
eld together by the race question. Be
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