The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-08-09
FIVETHOUSAND DEMOCRATS
GREET THE GALLANT
BATE.
Widest Enthusiasm for the
Nominee and the Platform.


Not since the days of Jones, Henry
and Johnson has there been such 8
political gathering in Tennessee as
that which so enthusiastically met
Gen. Bate, the Democratic candidate
for Governor, at Union City to day.
Fully five thousand were present,
many being from the neighboring
counties of Gibson, Weakley and
Dyer.
Major Smith introduced General
Bate in neat speech, as the
standard bearer of Democracy, and
said: He was a man who had al
ways been a true Democrat, never
deserting or bolting because he did
not receive political preferment, but
was always found fighting in the
ranks, or wherever his party placed
him. This gallant soldier and states
man has been placed by our party
in command of the Democratic hosts
of Tennessee at this time of politi-
cal peril, and the Democracy of
Obion county will present a solid
front for him.
This immense crowd was evil
IDENTIFY in full sympathy with Gen.
Bate and the Democratic platform.
Gen. Bate spoke for two and a half
hours, and his brilliant eloquence,
coupled with his clear and logical
arguments, made the Republicans
and all the Republican Aid Associa-
tions quake in their boots. He had
the closest attention, and the crowd
showed their approval by frequent
applause. He said that Democracy,
in this contest, was confronted by
the main army of the Republican
party with Hawkins at its head,
while Russell, with the Boilers,
armed with kind of double barrel
ed gun, shooting bogus temperance
from one barrel and fraudulent State
credit from the other, attacked one
flank, and Beasley, with his Green
backism and threatened repudiation,
was firing into the other flank. In
this connection Gen. Bate depicted,
in a most feeling manner, the hor-
rors of Radical rule as experienced
by Tennesseans in the past. His
appeal to Democrats of every shade
to stand by the party in this critical
hour was a magnificent piece of elo-
quence, producing fine effect. His
argument for unity and its impor
tance, and against the boilers
groundless position was simply un-
answerable. Gen. Bate says he had
been waited on by committee of
gentlemen this morning, asking his
position as to the temperance propo
sition. In reply he had to say that
he did not recognize the right OF
any man or organization, however
much he might respect them, to in
troduce any plank in his platform.
There were side issues not named
in his platform, and no one had
right to add to or take from it. He
said he had been informed by the
same committee that it was indus
triously circulated that he was an
advocate for the repeal of the four
mile law, and that he was pledged
to the interest of the interest Of the
whisky men. AS to the fourmile
law, he said it had for the first time
in Tennessee been put i'll politics by
the boiling Democracy, for what
purpose any sensible man could see
and any loyal Democrat appreciate.
1t was to aid in dividing the party
and give Hawkins a better chance.
Many good Democrats had been de-
ceived by it, but, when they under
stood it, they would not be led astray
and caught in such trap. He had
read that plank in the bolters' plat
form and said he would not re-
commend its repeal, and they might
as we'll say they were against the
repeal of the law furnishing murder,
etc. As to the other, it was false
hood; that he was not pledged to
any ring or organization, neither
temperance nor whisky. He wanted
the votes of both temperance and
whisky men, and was going to get
many of both. He was temperate
himself, in habits, and liberal in his
views, and no true and loyal Demo
crat would be caught by side issues.
On the conclusion of the speech,
Rev. DIR. Waterfield, of the Metho-
dist church, one of the leaders of
the temperance alliance, arose and
said he had listened with pleasure
to that good, old fashioned Demo
cratic speech, full of eloquence and
logic, and one that all Democrat
could approve. He wound up by
inviting everybody to an old fashions
ed Democratic barbecue.
Thereupon the thousands went
and partook, with zest, of one that
was truly unsurpassed in excellence.
After Dr. Waterfeld had finished,
Capt. Pat. Boyd, an old gent
who is upwards of seventy in years,
and who once represented this coun-
ty in the Legislature arose and said
that he had noticed his name pub
lished among the Boilers delegates,
at Nashville. He wished to say that
he never bolted in his life, and never
would vote for a Bolter, but was for
Bate and his platform, now and for
ever. He said that several good
Bate mems names had been publish
en- as delegates to that Boilers Con-
vention without authority. Your
correspondent made diligent inquiry
through the vast crowd, and is salts
fed that this county will give Bate
within one hundred of her full
Democratic vote. There were more
Democrats and more barbecue here
than ever saw together before. At
this hour, nine clock, large crowd
has gathered in front of the hotel,
and Gen. Bate is aga'n speaking.