People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-09
ESTIMATE OF THE CROWD.

ESTIMATE OF THE CROWD.
This is a question on which fair
minds might differ. One newspaper
passed it over in silence, wisely ab-
staining from making a bold asser-
ton, which, perhaps, he could not
reconcile to his conscience. The
representative of another paper said,
'|That Democracy hadssa majority of
the crowd, no one doubted, but the
Third party men claimed to have a
large majority Of the Taliferro
men,"
How did that scribe know that no
one doubted it. I hazard the opin-
ion that at least three thousand men,
who were present on the occasion,
not only doubt it, but absolutely state
the converse of that proposition.
The same report says further on
they did have majority Of the
FARMERS AND OF THE NEGROES.
Why this slur on the farmers?
Why couple them with the negroes?
A gentleman who was a representa-
tive of the legislature, from one of
the counties in the Tenth District,
told your correspondent that the
Democrats of Augusta were going to
pay up the taxes Of over three thous-
and negroes and vote them against
Watson; and still these newspaper
men talk about the farmers and me-
groes being for Watson. The far
mers of Georgia will remember that
in November; the colored men will
not forget it, they will remember
the insulting assertion that they are
to be bought by men who are forg-
ing shackles for them to vote against
the man who is working with heart
and brain, with bravery and determ-
ination unparalleled to bre ak their
letters.
If we concede that estimate to be
the truth-that every syllable vas
the exact truth-why did he not go
further and tell all the truth? Why
did he not tell that over one thous-
and men, and the noisiest portion,
were from outside of the district ?
A long train from Atlanta ; another
from Athens. "Ob, but" some say,
''there were only from twenty to
twenty-five from Atlanta" True
but why stop at that simple truth ?
Why not go on and tell that that
same train was filed from the sta
tons between Atlanta and Union
Point before the edge of the Tenth
district was reached? Why not tell
that every man that came in from
Athens and along that road was from
outside Mr.. " atson's bailiwick
1t was because the truth would
hurt; but the four thousand present
who are of the people, for the peo-
pie, and by the people, know these
facts; the two thousand five hun.
dred or three thousand people who
sneeze when the plutocrats take
snuff, know it; and tens of thousands
of people who read these lines will
know it by heart ere the ides OF
November.
When [ reached the stand Mr.
Watson was speaking, and had been
for about half an hour. The tar
diness of the train prevented me
from getting Mr.. Watson's opening
remarks, which I deeply regret.
Below I give a synopsis of his
speech, prior to my arrival, from the
Augusta Chronicle, changing the
text from the third person to the
first. I present it without either
challenging or indorsing the report
and l will add by way of an addenda
that | believe it to be as full as g
long-hand writer or an inexperienced
stenographer could get it:
Mr.. WATsON's SPEECH.
Horace Holden, Esq, wss chair.
man of the meeting.
Mr.. Watson, who came in on the
fast train, was first to arrive at the
speakers stand, and as he came II
view, accompanied by Major Nc
Oregon and President Ellington, he
was greeted with cheers by his fol
LAWYERS, who crowded around the
stand.
Major Black came a few minutes
later, and great cheer went up a;
he mounted the stand and shook