People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-16

tore lawyer democrat.
A voice. Was not he a lawyer?'
Mr.. Black. Who?
The voice. Watson.
Mr.. Black. Why, yes he was, and
do not mean to throw any reflection
on the legal profession. But / will
say, he lives in the town while I
live in the city. I did not want to
bring in this issue. That has moth
ing to do with these great issues now
before us; but want to say that the
idea that | should not be supported
by the people because | live in the
city and am supported by the bankers
and ringsters, | repudiate. I assert
here that have as much following
amongst the honest, intelligent farm
ers as he has. Where is your Presi-
dent of your Hancock County ALI
ance? He is supporting me, is he
not?
Voices. Yes, yes, yes.
Mr.. Black. Is not he from Han
cock county? Does he not belong
in the Tenth Congressional District ?
| do not intend to let him put before
the people any such idea as that he
is the representative the exclusive
representative-of the farmers Great
applause, followed by jeering) He
says that | have nothing in common
with the farmers. I do not care to
go into my own personal affairs, but
| say that have everything in COM
mon with every citizen. 1t is
common interest; that | not only re-
present the farmer, but the merchant;
not only the banker, but the laborer.
| do not envy the man who goes be-
fore the people claiming to represent
only one interest. Turning to Mr.. W.
/ say, sir, that to array class against
class is wrong, is unchristian, is cruel.
I repeat here, sir, all that I said at
Charlottesville. say that we are in
distressed condition. say that the
legislation of the country ought to be
so shaped as not to continue this. I
say also that no man who does this
can get foothold, permanently, upon
the American soil. tits undmocratic,
more, it is unchristian, to array one
class against another, one race against
another, one interest against another.
If I understand the first element of
Jeffersonian democracy, lis at war
with all class legislation, and class
privileges.
A voice. Where is our flag?
Mr.. Black Evidently Disguised
with that yawper who called for ex-
postulations from his friends before
Oh, hush, my friend; let me go on.
| He says, if | understand him correctly
that there is no dissension in his
! party on the protective system. That
the protective system is denounced
as failure. do not find it in the
platform. Now, listen! I find some
equivocal dealing with the tariff
question. He talks subsidies; he
says we do not denounce subsidies.
Where are they denounced in his?
1t is not in the platform, but in the
resolutions, and you know how they
tried to wriggle out of the Twelfth
plank on the plea that that resolution
was not part of the platform.
Laughter. Now here is string of
resolutions referring to all sorts of
phases of the Legislative question.
| Addressing a Peoples Party man
Do you know what these mean?
Ans. ono; I do not.''
He says he does not. Great laugh
ter among the dudes.
"A voice. Ask one of your party
friends to tell what is in your plat
form; I'll bet there amt one on the
stand can tell a single line, The
laughter hilarious and the dry laugh
followed this sally.
Mr.. Black. Misunderstanding the
point Well, they are not expected
to know, because they are not in our
platform.
My distinguished friend refers to
to the Austin letttr, and says that |
have denounced the Alliance. I did
not denounce the Alliance. I said
that you had as much right to organ
ize as the lawyer, in his professional
associations; as the merchant in his
chamber Of commerce; as the me-
chanic, in the interest of his craft;
but say in the face of every man
and woman and child in Georgia, that
you have no right to organize in your
private circles and midnight caucuses
to control the Democratic party. ]
say that you have a perfect right to
meet in, the blaze of day, or the clear
skies at night, or with open doors,
but you have no more right than the
lawyer, the merchant, the laborer,
the mechanic, or any other class to
shape the policy of the democratic
party, or to wreck the party.
I am not so anxious to GO to Con
gress that / am read to endorse any
thing that is lot right, or to retract
anything that is right in my past
record. And, on the other hand, I
am ready to retract anything when [
am convinced that I am wrong. |
think that one Of the greatest curses to
this people is that they have been al
Io1Uod tn oo forward in WRONG courses