Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-29
IOM WATSON
TOOK THE
WISE COURSE
In STAYING HERE AT HOME
Gan Now Say, | Would Have
Changed 1t All
Savannah Morning News.)

! NN"'oiiAiou hlOlHlh NSWo,J
Really now, isn't it something of ]
responsibility for doctor to take
We mean, of course, this thing OF
keeping Tom Watson at home just
now, when his absence in Baltimore
next to the presence of Mr.. Bryan--ls
the most conspicuous thing at the
convention?
Wouldn't his doctor be wiser just to
dose him up on heart stimulants and
send him alng.
We trust we do no injustice to the
doctor by rushing to the conclusion
that he is the responsible one TO
Toms absence. We are reluctant to
conclude that any one else would de-
eide that Watsons absence from Bal
timore is necessary health precau-
ton. Least of all, would we suspect
Tom Watson himself of such exces-
sive prudence.
In the first place it seems a foolish
health measure, because we should
think that the suffering of this rel
headed, FESTIVE, imperious spirit un-
der the restraint of forced inactivity
at political crisis like this, would be
something utterly destructive to his
nervous forces. 1t is enough to
nalyo ovau mon lilo NNo +Sor 1,ioIapr
to- be held down at this time when
Bryan is rampaging through the party
and no one at hand to clip his wings
Think of the fretting, exasperating
thought that must fall in upon the
sick Tom, when he knows that his
Georgia followers looked to him to
settle Bryan once and for all.
There are some things these doc
tors ought to think about. Life isn't
all to be measured by physical stand
ards. The avoidance of sleeping car
draughts, undue slumps of the hear
and alarming paleness of the liver
should not play too important part
in the care Of these politica! lights
We should think that physicians would
realize that there are certain situa-
tons in which the restraint of these
fierce spirits becomes far more acute
in it's dangers than permitting them
| liberty.
And think of poor Tom Watson
realizing in this bitter moment of be-
ing mastered by disease, that a cen
serious and unreasonable public finds
it'll hard to forgive a strong man al
illness that happens to strike him at
the wrong time. There is just enough
fierce animalism left in the human
species to despise a sick man-espe-
cially if he happens to be a leader.
There is just enough revulsion against
| a strong man turned weak to make
those who follow him stagger away to
ether leaders when ill-health masters
the master
Also, there is just enough mean
ness in the Average human being who
has not followed, to shout out "I-told-
you-sos" and to hail "the King Of
| Cutters. These are just a few OF
the unpleasant reflections which must
@ torturing the imperious spirit in
exile.
OF course, there are some more
comforting notions which may be en-
tertained and we trust that his good
sicq nurse may present them allur-
ingly to his mind. There is the re-
Section, for instance, that to have gone
to the convention and have failed tC
act as the Testse fly, which with one
potent bite was expected to put Mr.
Bryan to sleep, might have proven
even more humiliating to him-after
his brave promises than beinS
stricken down with heart failure be-
fore starting on the enterprise.
And again, there is the comfort
which may come to him of pointing
out how different things would have
turned out, had he been there.
There will be plenty of Watsonites
in Georgia, in any event, who vii:
.belive, when the convention is over
thatt all the mistakes which were
made and all those which were av-
erted can be traced straight to Wat
son His influence from afar will be
held responsible for the good that Is
done and his unavoidable absence viii
be explanation enough for the harm
These things will be comforting TO
Mr.. Watson to dwell upon-but no
altogether soothing, we should say.
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