People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-07
A GENTLEMAN'S LETTER.

Mr.. Iverson L. Harris, a prominent
business man of Macon, has published
over his own signature an account of the
outrage on free speech in that city. 1t is
not strange that the honest blood of any
gentleman should boil when it is known
that refined, white-h haired woman has
been stricken full in the face with stale
egg. The people of the whole country
will indorse Mr.. Harris views:
1t Is not pleasant to be too specific, but
a sense of duty leads me on. Observe
the Constitution on Gen. Weaver's trip.
This paper is mentioned as it makes the
unfaIrest report in its columns and
treats Gen. Weaver more shamefuIly on
the editorial page than any other | have
seen. This sheet is the leading Southern
journal, edited and owned by men of
heart and men of brains, yet it is so far lost
IN the miro of craftsmanship, it cannot or
VIII not tell the facts. The editorial in
substance says:
The sum total of Gen. Viewers wrongs al
DIaG9n consisted in the tritiing matter of a
ssLlall boy throwing an egg, said small boy be-
ing at once arrested.
Ii thepaper desired to publish the truth,
u could have learned a different tale.
NO one seeing that imprisoned crowd
could have pictured it SO mild, Some of
tbs facts are as follows:
General Weaver, after several efforts
made TO start, spoke about dozen lines
when the egg or eggs were thrown and
sOruck Mrs. Weaver, a gray-haired LADY,
on the head. Gen. Weaver then with
drew. Would any man do less The
CROWD continued throwing eggs, think
ing, doubtless, that Gen. Weaver was still
upon the stand. 1t was as wild and
passion-tull a crowd as have ever seen:
and yet the Constitution saws " q small
boy did it ALL" Can this be true?
Since writing the above. Mr.. Atkinson.
chairman of the State Democratic Execu.
tive Committee, has used about the same
language as the Constitution did, Does
Mr.. Atkinson dare let the world know
the truth! II so, why publish what he
did
With JOY L claim many good people
frown on the whole affair, but it is COW
ardly to charge the rabble guilty of it all
The next day, after calm reason should
have resumed her sway, number OF
prominent and respected citizens. some
OF them sO-called followers of the meek
and ioWly Jesus, whose central doctrine
was TO do to Othors as you would have
others do to you, appeared in public
prints approving every act that was done
some said he was treated too well.
Democracy attempts to take some ben
eft to itself from the fact that at the
meeting of the Young Mems Club in
Macon on the night of Gen. Weaver'e
visit It's speakers gave some good advice
and resolved to give Gen. Weaver a re.
epectful hearing. Were the speakers and
r
no argument from the fact so well known
that the Democratic meeting was not
called till after Gen. Weaver's date had
been advertised; let this dumbly speak
for itself.
The meeting was opened by the presi-
dent with formal address. Hon. Du-
Pont Query was the first orator of the
occasion. With his earnest
voice and pleading way he babe the boys
throw no eggs at Gen. Weaver; with the
next breath, in high ascending voice, he
gave his reason for the good advice. Was
it wrong to egg man? Should every
American be protected in his native right
of speech? Mir. Query did not say. The
reason given was as follows:
If you snould break every ancient egg in
town ON Gen. Weaver's filthy carcass you could
not make him stink the worse in the nosrtlls OF
decent people.
Mr.. Hardeman's first admission was:
"The third party are misguided friends }"
Then; without one word of proof or show
of reason, he gave expression to this bald,
bare statement: 'The PEOPLES party
platform has not one single principle on
which to rest" He then grew tragic,
and with awful voice and pose, gave birth
to the Kind peace-loving words below:
The Populists are a rainbow gang; they are
many hued; they are red with the rcd of COM
Inunisna. blue with the blue of woman suffrage
and black with the black of negro domination.
Were these men honest when they
spoke their pacific lines?
The club, upon adjournment, left their
hail headed by a loud and lusty band,
with torches waving high and yells that
no native American Indian would have
been ashamed to call his own, marched
down the street where the other crowd
appeared, and with this retinUe OF braves
spiit midway through, and then, with
the tumult growing fast, turning about
and wet through again. We all have
Naord fha wise old saw, factions speak
louder than words" Was this conduct
observing either the letter or spirit of their
resolution!
at am native here and to the manner
Il
Graf all NV life. Therefore, I know
whereof I speak and speak what 1 do
know. My parents and grandparents We're
Georgians born and reared, their fore
fathers for many generations were South
ern people. For this reason ana ela,, Vn ;0s
LARGER one of love which is brlnk-full IN
nv nature for every great achievement
Of the south's grand past, acknowledge
v,,a,1t &c 10 no man made of deeper, broad
Il higher nor more perfect interest and
hope IN every thing which can affect her
future, Iexpress the opinion. that !. II ! nc
change is made in Democratic methods,
q, if fhe party be not overthrown, we will
soon become abject slaves to party yoke,
and viii not dare, as we have scarcely
Dared for two decades, to say what we dc
think L..
If this conclusion to no other mI me
seems true, then give me the creolV Oh DO
ing myself convinced.