The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-08-01
GRAVES AND WATSON
Independence Leader Takes Exception
to PnnuIfst Chiefs Criticism.

NEW YORK, July Sim signed
statement handed to the Associated
Press tonight John Temple Graves,
candidate OF the Independence party
for the Weep presidency, makes reply
to recent utterance Of Thomas u.
Watson. in which the presidential can.
didate of the Populist party described
the Independence party as owned and
controlled by William II. Hearst.
Whit watson Said.
In the course of his expression, which
was published here yesterday, MI.
Watson said:
IN my Judgment political party
owned and controlled by one man. no
matter how rich and good and great,
can never amount to much in Aneri-
can politics. The so-callcd Indcpend-
rence party Is copyright affair
financed and steered by Mr.. Hearst
Its so-called leaders are his EDITORS
and employees. Almost without eX-
ception.s those who are prominent IN
The movement are upon the Hearst
payroll. , 40
sl''Tn a country like ours. where the
.sense of Individual freedom is SO
strong. the people will never consent
TO com promise their own liberty Oh
action by becoming members or per,
.sonaily conducted and privately owned
political Organization.
THE Democratic party changes JUS
creed every four years, but the lnde-
pendence party has already changed us
creed twice during this year. When
81 met in Indianapolis some months
ago 1T was in favor of ship subsidy
and the Wall Street system OF finance.
In Chicago it adopted practically every
one of the planks which have so long
been the platform of the Populist par
ty. IF Populst principles are correct,
there would seem to be no good reason
Why the Populist national ticket
should not receive the votes or those
" SaI IN nnntiligmV
Reply Mndc by Graves.
To the foregoinG. Mr.. Graves takes
exception in the following language:
Il ask the courtesy of the. Associated
honorable Thomas E. watson should
have rushed so swiftly into hostile
criticism of the Independence party.
with which SO large a number, of the
Popuifsts are in active sympathy. and
which fin simple consistency he should
be glad to indorse.
1T is. to say the least ungracious
In Mr.. Watson TO speak of the In
dependents as "a one man party. He
has made of the Popuists far more
one man party than the Independents
have ever been or will ever be- he has
been as many times the defeated candi-
date of the Populists az Mr.. Bryan has
been of the Democrats. He seems to
be by the official records the one man
In it-as absolute as Roosevelt. as die
thtoitai ds pis an. anu DIS ,uii aSNeSsiut
As the last.
Tie prescribes its tenets. dictates
IT'S policies in things personal and
otherwise; and is invariably named as
dts candidate.
There has not been in fifty years
a convention freer from the boss and
the steam roller than the one Just adj
journed Mr.. Hearst was 1000 miles
across the sea during all the prelim-
snaries that led UP to 1t. He reached
the convention twenty-four hours be-
fore It's opening. He did not lift his
hand to dictate a plank in It's platform
or TO name the least of its candidates
lie went down into its committee room
on equal terms, and no more than equal
terms. He wrangled for thirty-six
hours over the platform. winning some
Of the things he advocated and losing
others. and accepting success or defeat
With equal temper. like the genuine
independent that he is.
Free and Representatives.
No fair and truthful man can deny
to the Independence convention the
merit of q frsedoIn worthy of its name.
And 1t was as representative as it
was free OF tho roo delegates
present from all sections, from