People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-02
H the report

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an eighth of mile south of the town.
Mr.. Watson spoke from the court
house steps. 1t is dangerous to at
tempt an estimate of the number
present, but [ do not think there
were less than twenty-five hundred
listening to Mr.. Watson after the
gang that tried to break up his meet
ing Gan account of which appears in
the body of the speech) withdrew.
Having commenced earlier than the
enemy, the Peoples meeting closed
much sooner; that followed as a
natural conse quence, as it had not SO
many speakers. About half an hour
after Mr.. Watson's meeting was dis
missed, and many of his audience
were there, attracted by the barbe-
cue, I went down and found about
eight hun dred present, or say one
third as many as attended the Peo-
ple's party meeting.
A great many tried to belittle the
meeting by saying that Mr.. Watson
had more negroes. Well, that is
true, but then he had more whites
also. ooh, but" they say, "the
white men were from the adjoining
countess | have no doubt but they
will saw when a meeting is held in
the adjoining counties, that they are
mostly from Hancock.
The crowd was SO densely packed
around the steps that it was difficult
to get order, more difficult for your
reporter to get seated, and still more
difficult to write with the mass of
surging humanity swaying back and
forth like the pillows of the ocean.
Without any formal introduction
indeed, there was no man there who
stood so little in need Of an introduce
ton as he-DIr. Watson advanced
and spoke as follows:
Ny FELLOW IT1zENs-The night
I got home from Washington City
| made an appointment to speak to
the people Of Hancock county, here
in Sparta. The democrats, as / be-
ieve, got up counter appointment
to disturb my meeting, and then in
vited here their most distinguished
speakers. Cries of '(Let 'em come,
Tom, you can get away with them
ALP
am here to keep my own ap-
pointment. I have no dead sheep,
| have no dead calves, I have no
dead pigs to feed anybody on.
Great laughter and applause. I
have got no money to spend in this
campaign, and I trust there is no
where that I could spend it to de-
bauch voters, but I have got a will
ingness to spend all my strength in
this campaign. Several voices
''Bless the Lord, we's with you."7
have the willingness and the de-
termination to talk with you day by
day and night by night as far as you
will listen to me, and the thing that
is farthest from my thoughts is to
run away, no matter where the
enemy comes from. Great cheer
ing, and cries of "IIit 'em, Tom.
Hear how dat man will skin 'em,"
followed by a confused roar Of voices
on the outskirts of the crowd and
playing by the band.
Mr.. Watson. Resuming after
quiet was restored, in partial de-
greet. The very first thing / did
when | got into town this morning
was to challenge Mr.. Black to meet
me here at my appointment with
any one or two of his friends; and if
you Democrats want to see some
fun, why all you have to do is to
trot Black and Northen both into
the ring, and will fight them both.
wild and prolonged cheering, and a
voice, eyes; let 'em trot out their
bosses and see them run y and, "thev
are on the run now."7
A voice, owe have barbecue
down in the grove, and everybody is
invited to hear good Democratic
doctrine and partake of the feast
prepared. Everybody invited"
Mr.. Watson. They may have the
grove; they may have hired both
groves; but there is enough of God
Almighty's land for you all to stand
on to-day! Great applause, and
cries "That's SO, Tom, old boy !;
we're with you! Goodbye, Jim
ME !'7
You may have the trees THE
speaker directing his address to the
point near the hotel, where the. other
speakers were domiciled7, but we
have got the men; and these men
are not going to be entioed away
from this free, fair discussion Of
these great public questions by any
amount of green pork; by any
amount of barbecued beef by any