The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-09
CONDITIONS OF FIFTY
 YEARS AGO REPEATED
Watterson Declares That If Corrupt Practices of the Republicans Are Allowed to Continue Civil
 War May Result.

WattersoH presided and was the prin- the Masonic theatre here tonight. As this was MT. Watterson's first political speech since 1892, and will probably be his only platform utterance during the present campaign. much interest was manifested. Others who addressed the assemblage were former United States Senator William Lindsay and Congressman Sherley.
 MT Watterson said in part;
 "I truly rejoice that l have lived to look upon reunited democracy. l was born in democratic camp during what proved a bad year for democrats. and 1 attained my majority just in time to sec the party go over the precipice of sectionalism to what seemed it's ruin.
 "The politicians tell you that there are many issues up for settlement in this campaign. l see but one. If we cannot change our rulers at wll-if an organized and defiant minority inside fortress can with stand the siege of an undisciplined and ill-equipped ma iority on the outside-how shall talk about trusts and tariffs, about rebates and bank deposits. about money and morals and stocks and bonds profit us? Evil Conditions.
 q behold now an almost exact re- production of the evil conditions of 30 years ago The republican party, grown corrupt and arrogant, Is putting forth a tremendous effort to retain the power which it has so misused. If it succeeds it will never surrender it short of some dire cataclysm, making it's exit the signal for. it may be, civil war. To that end its policies of militarism, favortism and class dis tinction have long been tending, pre- pairing a new irrepressible conflict be- tween capital and labor I pray God that this may never come. But the way to avoid 1t Is by occasional changes of party bringing home to our public men their subordination to the people.
 'If I were a republican l would vote for Bryan. If I were a republican I would let the big chief with his big stick go hang. If I were a republican l would turn my back upon a candi- date, no matter how personally accepta- ble, who represents the vicious methods of ring rule and the steam-roller.
 Outlived Usefulness.
 
 can party ever possessed, it has for the time outlived. It stands today menace to equal taxation and economic administration, if not to orderly gov ernnient and free institutions.
 Its leaders know this, and knowing it, they began early to prepare for the coming presidential battle; to fortify field which they thought to make impregnable by the outlay of vast re- sources and engineering skill.
 'They expected to draw us into this bloody ambuscade and to slaughter us like sheep in the shambes 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 masthead; the decks crowded with cor poration counsel. The occupant of the White House summons the unspeakable Hearst as his star witness The honest rich are invoked to make common cause with the lawless rich. All the perspec- tives of truth and soberness and common sense are lost amid the roar of rant and cant, of self-glorifying laudation and self accusing promises of reform. with AL drich and Cannon. with Payne and Dal- zell and Sunny Jim sherman for their eX- amples.
 False Note Uttered.
 Having pitched the campaign on
 
 straw on a platform of imposture, no ar gument is too absurd. illustration is too rank. for. the men and the interests that do not mean to be dislodged if fraud and force can save them.
 Nicholas Longworth, the Presidents son-in-law, says he did not say it. But 5000 listeners say he did The notes of two stenographers say he did What boots it whether he did or did not do. no one who knows what is going on in the national capital, and has been going on for long time, needs to be told that they are undermining the popular founda- tions of our democratic government and converting it into an imperial republic, with nothing wanting of monarchism and titular nobility except the nomenclature. The White House is already the palace of q king. The President Is already sov- ereign in everything except the name. Why should not a member of the court circle blurt 1t out that Taft is expected merely to hold down the job for Roose- vet, since 1t was thought premature to run Roosevelt for the immediate success sion.
 The campaign was. and it is. family affair. If the machine which nominated Taft was so merciless toward the repub- lican allies who dared to resist 1t, why should il be counted on to share our free institutions after eight additional years of monled hccretion ana augmented power? Only this can account for the personal interpretation of the President, who throws duty and dignity to the winds and gets down like a matador into the bullring, mud-staiped and powder smirched swear ing like trooper at all who come within the sound of his voice and the reach of his nfiamed fancy"
 Petition In Bankruptcy.
 Anniston, October tSpecial)-W M