The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-17
THE IaTEsBURG DEBATE

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THE HiTEsBJRG DEBATE
7 attended the much talked Of de-
bate that took place at Batesburg last
Wednesday between Senator Butler
and Congressman Watson. On the
first page we publish this week q full
report Of the speeches. sent special
from there last week and 1 regret ex-
eeedingly that it had 50 many errors
in il. Some of the sentences had no
connection. The fault was not that OF
the debate and ! don't think it was
mine. The boys say the chirography
OF the operator was such that they
could not make it out. BE that as 1t
may, the errors were there, and only
make this explanation in justice to the
deoaters.
No synopsis of the speeches need
be given by me in this connection
as it is published in full elsewhere.
Batesburg is charming little vii
lage. 1 reached there early in the
morning and everything was as quiet
as Newberry on a dull day. The
speakers and their escorts arrived the
night before. But the town gave no
evidence of the big debate that was to
take place. The crowd was not there,
and when the horn called the clans to-
gether at half-past eleven O'Clock, do
not think the crowd all told exceeded
700 or 500, to state the fact. Every
body seemed to be in good humcr, and
so far as I could observe the best OF
: feeling prevailed during the entire
day. The audience was attentive and
both speakers got plenty Of applause.
Col. Thomas E. Watson is Congress
map-elect from the tenth Georgia dis
trict in which is the city Of Augusta.
His home is at Thompson, and he is a
lawyer by profession, although recently
after having lost most Of his iawliorary
by fire, he sold the remainder and has
given up the practice. He is said to be
yell-fixed in this worlds goods, hav-
ing large farming interests. He is a
young man just Sc years old; small Of
stature, I would say weighing not
more than 130 pounds. He wears no
beard, but has "a p!enteous supply Of
dark hair which he wears combed
straight down over his forehead like
s'bangs.' He has bright eye, is quick
at repartee, aud whenever question is
put to him he turns 1t to his advant-
age. He is one of the best stump
speakers I have heard in a long time.
He knows how to get next to, down
into, around and under crowd as sue
cessfulIy as any man have ever heard.
His anecdotes were at least new in
South Carolina. They may be old IN
Georgia, but they were different from
those used by all the other speakers
have heard on that side of the ques
ton. There is no doubt he made a
good impression on his audience.
Whether there was any argument in
what be said or not is another ques-
ton. There is nothing particularly
striking in the personal appearance Of
Col. Watson, and yet he would attract
your attention. His face and express
sion has the appearance Of student.
IT
Everybody knows Senator Butler.
His personal appearance was in strik-
ing contrast to that of Col. Watson.
He treated his Georgia opponent with
the strictest courtesy, and enjoyed as
much as any one else, his humor and
wit and flights Of eloquence, for at
times Col. Watson became eloquent.
Col. Watson chose to open and reply,
and no limit seems to have been placed
on the time each should occupy. Col.
Watson spoke altogether something
more than three hours while Senator |
Butler occupied only little more than !
one hour. Most of the audience held |
out faithfully to the end.
~
listened attentively to both of the
speeches Of Col. Watson. I heard all
he said. I did not hear all of Senator
Buffers speech. And to be candid, I
do not think either one discussed the
sub-treasury plan very extensively, at
least. The burden Of Col. Watson's
speech, as I understood it, was that the
government loaned the national banks
money at one per cent; therefore the
banks ought to be abolished, because
they constitute favored class, and the
government ought to loan money
direct to the people at two per cent, on
land and nonperishable farm products.
This, however, as DR. Stokes would
say, ''is merely deduction by logical
process" from his language.
~
l have heard President Polk, Of the
National Alliance; I have heard Lee
turer Willctts, of Kansas; President
Stokes, of the State Alliance, and Col
Tom Watson, Of Georgia, and yet so
far as ! have been able to see none have
shown just how this great financial
scheme is to be Of practical benefit to
the farmer in its practical operations.
I may be obtuse-the scheme may be
beyond my comprehension-but I
know l am not perverse for l have
tried to see the relief in it that seems
to be desired, but I have not yet been
able to discerne it.