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

ran Williams here is the statement
of Robert Toombs. Now listen!
have only fifteen minutes. Reads.
The pamphlet you referred to in for.
mer letter has been received. I read il
carefully, and in reference to the state
ment-
At this point there was some con-
fusion and unnecessary ebbulitions Of
of enthusiasm among the audience
which prevented the hearing of all
the words but the conclusion was,
''Not to pay them would be nothing
less than a public swindle," signed
"Alexander IL. Stephens" deaf
ening shouting and cheering. DO
you know Alex. Stephens? Re
newal Of the applause.
A voice. How did the people de-
eide 1t!
Mr.. Black, He did not care, sir,
what the people decided; he decided
what was right; and I dare to stand
here in the face Of the people and
tell them when they are wrong.
Mr.. Watson. VIII you permit me
to ask you a question?
Mr.. Black. Yes, sir.
Mr., Watson. The constitution of
the State of Georgia, adopted by the
people, denounces those bonds as
fraudulent and void. Would you
still pay them in defiance of that
condemnation by the people en-
grated in the law?
Mr.. Black. I would not pay them
because the constitution has put its
prohibition upon it, but I dare to
stand here in the face Of this people
and tell them that it is moral obi
cation. Now mark you. / do now
say that while I am not so consti-
tutod as not to be influenced IN my
opinion Of other good men, and asso-
citation with good men, yet I say that
against the opposition of all these
people I would have said that the
State of Georgia was bound to pay
these bonds by every obligation Of
honor and honesty.
A voice in derision. "The peo-
pie be id"
Mr.. Black without noticing the
remark, if he heard it'll. He quotes
from my Atlanta speech about the
concentration of power in Atlanta.
/ made that speech and I stand bv
every word of it to-day, and I would
60 as far as he would 60 and as far
as any other man would go to break
down ring rule; but, my God! |
never would have gone out of the
Democratic party into the Peoples
party to do it. Cheering and coun-
ter-oheering. | say this; that the
history of the political parties-all
Of the political parties-does not
show such an absolute mastery by
the leaders over the people as is
shown by the leaders of the Peoples
party.
A voice. 60, traitor, go! followed
by kissing and sneering.
Mr.. Black. You talk about taking
snuff, and anybody sneezing; yot
talk about piping, and anybody
dancing.
The excitement at this juncturt
was red hot Every conceivable
kind of ebbulition was indulgedin By
both sides. There was the laugh in
sulting and the counter laugh; the
loud guffaw and the delicate giggle
the coarse insult and the Indignant
retort; bowls Of ''traitor, traitor
and roars of GLARS, liars" the over
bearing insolence of the well dressed
dude and the calm determination O
the robbed sons of toll.
Mr.. Black. You talk about signs
and grips, and passwords. VII,
they could summon every People
Party man within twenty miles to b.
tomorrow, and every one would herr
respond to it.
A voice. You bet we will RESPOND
to it in November.
Mr.. Black. You talk about thu
mastery over the people. Why, ther'
never was anything like it in tn
history Of the country. Don't yo1
know that?
Voices. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and
we know how to settle your hash
you bet. "a slight repetition of til
scene above.)
Mr.. Black. l said that I was op
posed to concentration, and to central
ization; say the same now;
reiterate every word of that.
raised my feeble arm when 1t wa
worth mans political fortunes to d
it, in the senatorial race against Sen
ator Colquitt. I never have lowere,
that standard; [ never have changeC
the flag; whatever wrongs exist
will remove, as best [ can, within
your ranks.
There was another contest for tn
mastery in noisy war. Mr.. Black
friends, having gotten possession 0
seats around the platform before tn
arrival of Mr.. Watson, and on &C
count of assistance given them by
Gordon Of special police, who worke'
with might and main, had the vantag
ground; but the people showed NOR
enthusiastic earnestness than tn
overbearing insolence Of the other