Arizona republican., 1909-11-29
Col. Watterson's Wsoer

Col. Henry Watterson must be hua- gry 10 the point of desperation. He is wanting to involve the New York World in a wager for a dinner of
 Wittles with maybe a drop or two onbeknownst to the w. c. T. U. to wash 'em down, to-wit, a dinner for twenty-four to be given in Washing ton City, District of Columbia, on or before the first Monday of December. 1911. the World to invite twelve. the Courier-JOurnal to invite twelve. the chief justice of the United States. the vice president and the speaker of the house of representatives to serve as judges and referees. and to sit at table as additional. ex-officio, guests"
 The proposition is this; If at that time President Taft and Col Roose- welt, who will have returned, are not at daggers' points. Col. WattersOn will pay for the dinner; if daggers have been drawn even part way from their sheaths, the World must pay. The referees. the 'ex-officio guests" are 10 be set at a unique task. not that of deciding the result of fight, but of deciding whether there is a fight
 This wager has grown out of an in terview given out by Col Watterson on his return from Europe. where he said he had heard much more of the movement to put MT. Roosevelt in the presidential chair in 1912 than stay at-homes knew about. Politicians were at work trying to break up the brotherly relations of MT. Taft and MT Roosevelt. and in the opinion of Col Watterson. so skiIlfully laid were their plans that they could not fail of suc- cess. The ultimate result would be the disruption of the republican party.
 The World, like mos: other news papers of the country, reviled the colonel's perspicacity and hinted that he was taking the back from Elba" movement seriously.
 The World took the colonel kindly by the hand and thus reassured him:
 The republican party is tough and efficient. Its discipline is magnificent The habit of party loyalty is firmly established in national affairs. If Mir Taft lives he will be renominated, uni less he abdicates. There is less re- publican opposition to him than there was to Mckinley during McKinley's first term, or than there was to Roosevelt during either of Roosevelt's terms.
 Talk. is very cheap between cleo tions. It is about the only thing left l in the country that is cheap. and | everybody that does not get his mail | promptly or is overcharged by rail- | road, or has trouble in borrowing | money at the bank for the next two | years will be cOndemning the Taft 1 administration. This will be the case ! especially in the middle west But | when the time comes for decisive ac- l ton there will be few politicians who | care to quarrel with the national ad- l ministration and nobody of influence | 10 lead the Roosevelt third-term move | nent. unless MT. Roosevelt leads it | himself"
 Col. Watterson was especially az | grieved that he had been accused of viewing the Back From EIba Club | seriously. and his indignation, if not | ravenous appetite impelled him to the foolish bet
 The ground of his faith is set forth:
 Men like Theodore Roosevelt do not do something for nothing He is a Gf1 mt ifa1 is but just turned fifty, in the very middle and high noon of life. What is an ex-president to do but die or get drunk? a dictum which used to be ascribed to one of them, does not apply to Theodore Roosevelt. His African journey was sagaciously planned It is being systematically achieved.
 The reception which awaits the hero will beggar anything of the tri- umphal kind the world has ever seen In Berlin and London and Paris. not 10 mention Rome. they are waiting for him: the kaiser and the kings. for their cousin-german, the people be- hind their monarchs. for their fling: the Parisians' for their spectacular. which they will make an extravagan- "a; the Teddy Bears for Teddy him. self! There is nothing. we are told. which succeeds like success.
 ''Nor is there anything which is so easy as the raising of misunderstood ing between friends. A wink and nod and a word by chance. and the trick is turned: presto, a blow is struck. The go-between in love. the marplot in hate Othello and Iago and sweet Desdemona, Shall the repub- lican party play the role of Desde- mona?"
 Col Watterson is. perhaps. the ablest journalist in America Many regard him as his country's most shining orator, beside whom MT Bryan