Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-10-09
HE n RY
VVATTERsON
MAKES HIS FIRST POLITICAL
SPEECH SINCE CLEVELAND
RAN-SEES REUNITED DE-
MOCRACY.

LOUISVILLE, KY, oct. 9.-Ielry
Watterson was the principal speak,
er at Democratic rally IN the Ma
sonic Theatre last night. AS this
was Mr.. wattersons first speech
since 1892 and will probably be
his only platform utterances during
the present campaign much inter-
est was manifested. He said in
par:
BORN AT BAD TIMES.
Il truly rejoice that | have lived
to look upon n reunited Democracy.
l was born In a Democratic camp
during what proved to be a bad
year for Democrats. and sttained
my majority just In time to see .he
party go over the precipice of sec
tionalism to what seemed its ruin.
The politicians tell us there are
many issues, but l see only one. II
we cannot change our rulers at will.
IL an organized and defiant minority
inside a fortress can withstand the
siege OF an undisciplined and i'll
equipped majority on the outside.
how shall talk about trusts and tar
iffs. about rebates and bank de-
posits, about money and morals and
stocks and bonds profit us?
81 behold now an almost repro
duction OF the evil conditions of
ru N hl lon
party, grown corrupt and arrogant
Is putting forth n tremendous ef-
fort to retain the power which II
has SO much abused. If Il succeeds
1t Will never surrender 1t short OF
some dire cataclysm. making It's ex-
IL the signal for, IL may be, a civil
war. To that all its policies OF mil
itarism, fayoritism and class dis
tinction have long been tending. I
pray God that this may never come.
The way to avert It is by occasional
change OF party. bringing home to
our public men their subordInation
to the people.
"If were a Republican I would
vote for Bryan. III were a Re-
publican / should let the big chief
OF the big stick" go hang. II !
were Republican should turn
my back on a candidate, no matter
how personally acceptable. who rep
resents the vicious methods Of ring
rule and the steam roller.
OUTLINED USEFULNESS
Whatever usefulness the Repub-
lican party possessed It has for the
time outHved. It stands today a
menace to equal taxation and eco
nomic administration II not to or
derly government and free institu-
tions. It's leaders know this, and
knowing IT,, they began early TO
prepare for the coming presidential
battle; to fortify field which they
thought to make lmpregnable by
the outlay OF vast resources and
engineering skill.
They expected to draw US into
this bloody ambuscade and to slaugh
ter us like sheep in the shambles.
Disappointed in their plan, what do
we now see? We see all disguise
OF decency thrown aside; the black
flag Of trustism run up to the mast
head; the decks crowded with cor
poeation counsel The occuIbnt Of
the White House summons the an
speakable Hearst as his star with ess
The honest Tich are invoked 90
make common cause with the law
less rich. All the perspectives OF
truth and soberness and common
sense are lost amid the roar OF rant
and cant Of self-glorifying 1audation
and self-accusing promises OF re-
form, with Aldrlch and Cannon,
with Payne and Dalzell and Sunny
Jim Sherman for their examples.
Having pitched the campaign on
false note, starting out with a
man OF straw on a platform OF i'm
posture, no argument is too absurd
no illustration Is too rank for the
men and the interests that do not
mean TO be dislodged II fraud and
force can save them"
Referring TO a reported speech Of
Congressman Nicholas Longworth
atRock Island, Ill, where II was
alleged that Mr.. Longworth spoke
OF President Roosevelt as success
sor OF Taft az president eight years
hence, Mr.. Watterson said:
THE LONGwORTH SPEECH.
Nicholas 1ongworth, the presi-
dents son-in-law. says he did not
say &C. But Eve thousand listeners
say he did. The notes OF two ste
nographers say he did. what
boot Il whether he did OF
did not? No one who knows
what is going on at She ma
tional capital and has been going
on for a long time, needs to be told
that fhaV arp UNDERMINING the uon-