The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-01-25
BEN TILLMAN
IN DEFENSE OF
GOV. WILSON
THE "PITcHFoRK" SENATOR OF
SOUTH CAROLINA SAYS THAT
THE HARVEY-WATTERsoN IN.
cIDENT HAS PROVED BOOM
FRANC TO THESE TWO.

The Mobile Register of yesterday
contained the following special from
Washington:
Senator Benjamin R. TiIlman, of
South Carolina, is of the opinion that
the Harvey Watterson incident has
proved boomerang for these two
gentlemen and will react to Governor
Wilson's credit rather than injure
him as a candidate, While Senator
Tillman has not committed himself,
and will not, yet he is strongly in
clined to favor the nomination OF the
New Jersey executive as the most
available candidate.
Net Ready to Commit Himself.
Il shall wait before committing my
self, but am greatly impressed with
Governor Wilson. 1 do not want the
Democratic party to name a Republic
can in disguise, as has been done in
the past. AS things now appear, I
believe Wilson is stronger with the
people than he was before the Har-
-Watterson incident. He has been
tried in the fire and came out with
out singed wings. l had given Henry
Watterson credit for more sense than
to try to foist off story like this
with the material fact concealed,
though now recall that he went back
on free silver and Bryan. Instead of
Wilson showing lack of gratitude to
Harvey, as We have been led to sup
pose, he saw through the scheme,
measured Harvey and Watterson cor
rectIy and refused to be lasSoed and
tied to Thomas F. Ryan.
viii Make Him Stronger.
This fact should and will make
him stronger with the masses of the
people, for believe they are sick and
tired Of being betrayed by men who
have climbed into higher offices under
false pretenses. Governor Wilson may
as well be prepared for other attempts
to destroy him. as he is evidently very
obnoxious to the Wall Street bunch
of men who run big business Every
time one of these big antiWilson
bombs are discharged the people soon
discover a Wall Street clock lying
around with a time fuse attached. If
they keep on, I expect to see him get
the nomination and, If nominated, 1
expect to see him elected"
Many Take Same View.
While Democratic senator's and
members have been loath as a rule to
comment on the Wilson Harvey Wat
terson affair, because of regard for the
venerable editor of the Courier-Jo Jour
nal, there is no doubt that with few
exceptions they feel about the con-
troversy much as Senator Tillman
does. They are fully convinced an
attempt was made to draw financial
aid from Thomas F. Ryan. In other
words, it was sought to mortgage the
governor to the interests with a view
to future contingencies. If he became
the Democratic nominee and was elect
&c to the presidency, then interest at
the high Wall Street rate would have
been demanded of him in the shape OF
immunity for big business" from dis
turbance or in some other form.
Would Have Him In Power.
If Governor Wilson failed of nomi-
nation, no direct attempt would be
made to collect interest or foreclose
the mortgage, but the interests would
have him in their power and thus
have an anchor to wfnward against
various contingencies. The fact that
the governor refused to walk into the
alleged trap set for him and spurned
the supposed offer of aid from Ryan
has brought to his support many
Democrats in congress who like Sena-
tor Tillman had been debating whom
to support as the party's presiden-