Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-23

support. In 1908. however, what Mr..
Watterson denor,inated as the ''free
silver heresy' being las dead as
African slavery in the United
States, he became warm supporter
of Bryan.
| When the storm of the European
War, broke over the world Mr.. Wat
| terson assumed an uncompromising
stand in support of the cause and
| ideals of the Entente Allies, declar-
| ing his belief that their cause was the
| cause of freedom and democracy AMI
that of the Central Empires that of
autocracy.
! His attitude was tersely set forth
| in single sentence that appeared at
the end of practically every editor
| ial he wrote on the subject for many
! months: ''To Hell with the Hohen-
zollerns and Hapburgs!"
His scathing indictment of the
German leadership was interpreted
by many of German blood in this
country as an attack upon themsel-
YES, and brought a storm of denun-
, citation about his ears. To these
| Americans of. German blood Mr..
Watter3on made answer that presum-
ably they had come to the United
States to escape the thing he assert
cd the German rulers were endeaVor-
ing to fasten upon the rest of the
world and warned them that If they
identified themselves too closely with
the cause of Germanys rulers by
giving it support, they would later
regard their course with regret.
Mr.. Watterson also devoted some
Of his editorial attention to social
questions. He once made a savage
attack en- New York society women
calling them, "a flock of unclean
BIRDS" He accused them of a fond
ness for display that ruined the men,
and a love of champagne and bridge
that eventually ruined their morals.
/ His dashinS style gave him such
nicknames as Light Horse Harry
and Henry of Navarro" He was
more popularity called plain "Marse
Henry"
AS effectively as he wrote Mr.. Wat
| terson spoke on the public platform.
| His reputation as an orator reached
| its climax when he delivered an adj
dress at the dedication of the Column
| bian Exposition when he appeared
as the governments official spokes-
man.
Among the several books he wrote
or compiled were oddities of SCUM
ern Life and Character" volume OF
Southern humor; THE Spanish
American War;" written concurrent
" with the events, and his latest
work, Compromises of Life" COM
pilation Of his lectures, addresses ""d
numerous editorials from the Cour-
Ter Journal.
OF his career Mr.. Wattcrson re-
Gently said:
II came out Of the war like many
of the young fellows of the South,
very picked bird. indeed. In order 70
escape the humiliation of borrowing
from a Northern uncle, whole politics
did not approve. / went with my
watch to an uncle" who had no poi;-
tics at all and got $50 on it. Along
with two blanket mates who were as
! revived. publication of an cid sus-
J pended newspaper at Nashville. Moth
/ ing could withstand the energy ana
J ardor which we three threw into the
enterprise. We were working fol
! bread and had to have it. When we
began there were nine daily papers
| struggling for a footing in the niue
/ Tennessee capital. At the end OF me
year there were but two, and II these
ours lad two-thirds of the business
| After two years l was called to Louis
vile to take an editorial position ~
the old Louisville Journal, the papej
of George d. Prentice. Six month:
| later Walter y. Haldeman, who own
| cd the Courier, Joined with me in com
bining the Journal and Courier. Incl
dentally this led to the purchase %
the old Louisville Democrat, this pub
LEGATION losing it's identity entirely
That is about all.
The consolidation of the three pa
pers was the first of the gres news
paper combinations 1t resulted in tn'
first appearance of the Courler-Jour
nal. November s, 1868.
In his early years he superintendent
the detail of every department. and fol
more than so years put the paper L
press" every night.
In 1915 Mr.. Watterson sold his in
terest in the Courier-J Journal 20 Judge
Robert w. Bingham Of Louisville, wht
also purchased stock of other owners
and Watterson retired from editoria
responsibility and place, accepting fo1
| several months the title of editor
emeritus. In the spring of 1919 Ii
resigned that position and since thel
has been living wholly retired life
interrupted only occasionally l'y let
ter to newspaper on a public topit
or an interview granted TO sor1e row
| ing reporter.
One example of his characteristic
s+Nle Is found in a letter. written il
I october, 1921, regretting that age rem
dered inadvsablc his attendance upo,
| the Confederate reunion at Chattanoo
ga. 1T cannot be long" he wrote
when we shall meet on that L sautifu
shore. and, when we meet be sure tht
Bonnie Blue Flag will be flying at ths
fore and the bands will be playing
| Dixie on parade, whilst the pretty
girls will be distributing The Chat.
tenooga Rebel to groups Of ragged
| rcd-nosed angels who have not forgot
ten the rebel yell"
| He was born in Washington, D. c..
! on February 16, 1910.