Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-08-14

rWeI tnls year Tor bfYan and Kern
that we had in 1892 for Cleveland and
Stevenson. Those things go in seasons,
and the Republican party is due for a
beating. 1t certainly deserves 10 be
beaten, aud believe it will be.o
This is the confident forecast of Col.
Henry Watterson, the famous Louis
vile editor, who, from opposing Bryan
in 1896, giving him lukewarm sun
port in 1900, has come IA 1908 to be his
most enthusiastic supporter and cham
pion.
Seated before his work table In his
room IN the Manhattan Club, where
he is busy forming the advisory press
committee, which is TO be one Of the
most important aijuncts of the DEM
ocratic national campaign, Editor
Watterson yesterday gave to The
World his views on the campaign
to date
81 believe that Bryan and Kern are
going to be elected, he said 'The Re-
publicans are facing two ways, and
they will fall between two stools. Any
way, / think, II is their turn to be
beaten. ! think the people want
change, just for the sake of change.
democrats, who for the last several
elections have not been voting with
their party, will this year vote for
Bryan. The Democratic party, after
being in power for nearly sixty years,
made their exit from power the signal
for great war. Now the Republicans
have been in power for nearly fifty
years, and it is time for them to 90.
party power is almost as danger
ousias one-man power.
FASTENERS WILL SUPPORT HIM.
"Do you believe the conservative
eastern Democrats will support Mr..
Bryaa?n was asked
II have talked with great ma my
conservative Democrats here who have
not voted for Mr.. Bryan before. They
do not like Mr.. Bryan and they say
so frankly, but they tell me now they
are going to vote for him. They are
private gentlemen who do not give
their views to the newspapers, but
what they say represents the tendency
of a very important element ofyoters.
"What is there to prevent these
men or any Democrat who knows why
he is Democrat from voting for Bry-
an this year? The same old issues
which divided the party in the days
of Tilden and Cleveland are the issues
today. The Republican party stands
for all it stood for in the days of Grant,
Hayes, Garfield and Arthur.
democrats who know why they are
hating on these plain propositions =
srrest Of the breakneck speed toward
Capitalization Of power, some real, net
spurious, purpose toward traiF reform,
some sure separation OF the politics OF
the country from its partnership with
high financiers, some breaking Of
groups and rings Of wheels inside OF
wheels, always involved by a change
Of parties, even when made only for
the sake o. change
"Nhat impression do you believe
Secretary Taft has created?V
| taft is rafting around in Roose-
velt's garments. In many ways 1t is a
masquerade. All the system Harn-
man, Rockefeller and the rest OF those
fellows who cuss Roosevelt are for
Taft now. These very men who put
up the money to elect Roosevelt four
years ago are putting it up for Taft.
They'll get the very biggest kind
of campaign fund. And they don't
have to show the books. The Republi-
can convention refused to put pub
Iicity plank in the platform, for the
very reason that they expected to get
a huge corruption fund and did not
| wish to disclose its source.
| SAME OLD MONTY DEVIL.
"Taft's peace has been made with
the system-perhaps net by Mr.. Taft
himself, but these men who give the
money for campaign funds are content
with Taft. What do we see? The same
old money devil, surrounded by his
maps, occupying the seats OF the mighty
but disguised as friend of the people;
preaching civic righteousness while
Ievvinp hiackuaaiI rp0u nyedafarv
wealth; preaching tariff reform, Big
Brother Of the Rich appealing for
aims to the low y and the poor. That
is what we see"
as the Democratic chance of success
better than in 1896 or l900?n
III think so. Talk of The Democrats
being divided, the Republicans are
worse divided than the Democrats.