People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-23

part Oh Une representative of the
Democratic Party, and the represent.
alive of the Third Party. Now nv
fellow citizens, if Mr.. Watson is not
heard o-night, it will be used
although it ought not to be used, tc
the discredit of our standard bearer
and all because the people OF Augusta
will not give to Mr.. Watson Silent
and respectful hearing.
Voices. That is right! That is
right! That is right.
Mr.. Walsh. Iappeal to you fellow
Democrats, if you love your party, if
you love your standard bearer, il
you love fair play, if you love Justice,
to give Mr.. Watson calm, fair and
patient hearing"
Voices. We will! That's right.
Go on Mr.. Watson.
Mr.. Walsh. Now I appeal, also,
to Mr.. Watson's friends to keep quiet
and hear him, just as | have appealed
to the Democrats to hear him. And
| say to you all that it will be a dis
grace to the city of Augusta if Mr..
Watson goes from this hall tonight
without a patient hearing.
Mr.. Watson. with Indignation
yelling in his throat.) The idea
that any one has to ask a hearing for
me in the city Of Augusta. There is
not brick in your streets that
have not trod with my weary feet
when | was poor and homeless boy,
asking for work. There is no street
in your city that has not seen nv
mother, a Richmond County girl,
blood Of your blood, bone of your
bone, flesh of your flesh, as she hon
estly and industriously made her liv-
ing here with her needle in the. years
of her youth and the idea of any,
body having to ask for hearing for
me-asking that I should have fair
play here in Richmond County, arous-
es my just Indignation. loud and
long continued applause. The hood
lums seem, for the time being, to be
shamed into silenceD | ask no favors;
except those fagors which honorable
foes always are willing to give.
ask no mercy; except that mercy, if
you please, which always grants a
fair fight among honorable brave
men, and not the cowardly attempt
of many men to stife the voice of
one man. For some time I am yet
the Congressman Of the tenth Con
gressional District. For sone time I
am yet your representative, and your
servant. In the past, I have faced
your enemies; fought your battles,
with nothing to sustain me except
consciousness of rectitude.
Manym05oes. True! True! True!
Godpurpt: ,@cu, Tom, we are going to
kefe.. sThevfce.
j; I gerproioe. You will never
geSf tha4- 'ennmy, boy.
is poi thqon. Now, my friend,
YOU and riding at a conclusion. We
are hg2 the arrive 1T truth. Do you
want 3rowosr the truth? or do you
want hpoyiea blinda ado not make
up yopon. t5aShefore you go into the
jury b. lse, you cannot give fair
verdioovera you?
Nd I willow citizens, I am going
to dido Y these issues fairly, fully,
hidropln.thing. 1t matters little to
melton of r. I go away from here
witt alour approval, so far as your
votes are concerned. It is manifestly
Of more Importance to me that I go
away with your respect. If you see
that I acted, from my stand point,
conscientously, then acknowledge it
like men. Here are farmers and me-
chanics, business men and laboring
men, rich men and poor men; here
are ladies, little children, boys and
girls; country people and town peo-
pie; do you wantto hear these things?
Cries of. Yes, yes, yes.
Mr.. Watson. Now, I wanted to
take your minds off these exciting
topics until [ could catch the ear Of
your understanding. | saw that this
was an excitable crowd where per-
sonal collisions might occur, and no
true leader, Or true man, wants to see
the lives of his fellow citizens put in
Jeopardy. MY God! [ do not want
any mans lite put in danger, much
less to see the cause I represent
stained with any mans blood.
Now, if you listen, you may go
away differing with me, but there is
not a man who will not, if he gives
his mind unshackled by prejudice,
see that I acted fairly, fearlessly and
honestly, and did it, too, at the risk
of my political future. Why over
here at Charlottesville, the other day,
Mr.. Black said that if [ had stayed
within the ranks of the Democratic
party that my election was sure; that
would dare to contest my
claims in this district. Don't you
that [ knew that as well as
Mr.. Black? That [ knew my interests
as well as he; that when I stepped
outside the ranks, knew these inter
ests had to be combated for at the
risk of my future? Don't you know
that no man would have trod the
fiery furnace Of SANDER, and hatred,