The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1909-11-19
WATSON AND TIE DEMOCRATS.

non. nOIudS T., WILSON III 6GHddy q
Constitution reviews the history of the
party, quotes from the platform Of
1856, comments on the conflicting
views of Democrats of this day and
closes as follows:
with those grand principles again
prominent as the true test of what is a
Democrat, would gladly and with
all the strength that is in me, work
with the Democratic party. Put
Jeffersonian Democracy back into
your platform and you can unite the
South with the West; then we can
fight side by side against New En-
gland craft and spoilation."
Mr.. Watson is most entertaining
writer and an able and brilliant man.
Ii he wishes to join the Democratic
party again we shall not try to keep
him out. But we do not mind
making few remarks in regard to
this periodic proposition of hts to re-
organize the Democratic party. We
agree with him that the party needs
some sort of recognizing but we
doubt if Mr.. Watson is the man to
undertake the job.
Mr.. Watson was once a Democrat
and was elected to Congress as a Dem
Ocrat. While holding that commits
sion he went into the Populist party.
We have no quarrel with the Populists.
They were mostly farmers and they
were in hole and trying to get out,
and lot of demagogues fooled them,
with the result that the demagogues
got Office and the farmers got the
goose.
The Democrats of the Tenth dis
trict, having been deserted by Mr..
Watson, made up their minds to beat
him. They did not mean that they
were going to beat him fairly. They
meant they were going to beat him.
There are some things done that are
not according to law. They happen
sometimes in Georgia. This was an
occasion when the whole subject was
summed up in the statement that Mr..
Watson was not going to Washington
any more. The stuffing OF the ballot
box was the mildest of the PROPOSE
tons considered. They voted the
cemeteries, and the city directories,
and the telephone lists, sign boards,
mile posts, cats, dogs, anything and
everything that happened to be handy
and from that day to this Mr.. Watson
has been in a bad humor with the
Democratic party.
We think it was wrong, but in re-
turn, Mr., Watson has been fighting the
Democratic party for fifteen or twenty
years. IL he cared to see it live, he
should have quit fighting it years ago.
Mr.. Watson has been candidate for
the presidency several times. In 1904,
he fought Parker in the interest of
Roosevelt. Last year, he fought Bryan
in the interest of Taft, The Populist
party has in time polled heavy vote,
but last year Mr.. Watson received
about $4,000; Mr.. Bryan last year re-
ceived $3.50 If Bryan had received
all of Mr.. Watson's votes, they would
hardly have been drop in the bucket.
In Georgia Mr.. Watson cuts some
ice. In national politics he does not
amount to so much. So it is not to
be supposed that he could successful
ly boss the job Of recognizing the
National Democratic party. He could
not do so even with the assistance of
the Atlanta Constitution which is now
80 fond of him, but which he recently
denounced in language that we would
not repeat.
The Democratic party is hot dead Ii
is the Populist party that is dead. Most
OF the good men whoIwere il that party
are back home with the Democrats, and
are there to stay.
There is one feature Of this subject
to which we will call attention. The
Democratic party in 1908 received over
six million three hundred thousand
votes. Nc party is dead that can poll
such vote as that Let Mr.. Watson
compare these figures with his own
$4,000.
What the Democratic party needs is
really strong leaders and some plain
business sense. II needs TO follow
men who are practical in matters OF
government and in matters of bust.
ness Mr. Bryan lost because be Il a
theorist, just as Mr.. Watson IL a
theorist. The people 81 this country
simply doubted Mr.. BTyan's ability AS
apraetlcal man. But for that he would
have been president long ago