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


| have seen men of wealth and social
influence, in Atlanta, ally themselves
with the republican party, and with
men Of the most pronounced hatred
of everything Southern, treated with
the utmost courtesy; yet, as soon
as my mission was known in Sparta,
| was met in spirit so arrogant, so
dictatorial and so overbearing as to
make it appear that I was an alien
among hostile people. I will not
dwell upon this subject. 1t is an
unpleasant theme.
THE NIGHT BEFORE. THE BATTLE.
Messrs. Black, Ham (surnamed SUI
gar-cure), and gentleman whose
name | did not learn, were the first
on the ground. No man of the Peo-
pie, save your correspondent, had put
in an appearance as yet, and the un-
terrified, as they delighted in dub
hing themselves, were loud and boast
full IN proclaiming forthcoming vic
tory. "pll tell you," you could hear
On all sides, &C Watson will not show
himself tomorrow; he wont face
Black" etc. One smart Aleck came
in on the porch and said to kindred
spirit: g / hear that there is a third
party reporter here who is look
lug for third party man, and offer
ing quarter reward" His friend,
having a little regard for the proprie-
ties, introduced him to me on the
spot, intending, presume, to avoid
any unpleasant reflections. / smil-
ingly told HIM that. he was misin-
formed about my offering any re-
ward tonight, for tomorrow [ ex-
pected to see them drug on the
market. "But," says he, "what kind
of men will they be ?" I respect
fully suggested that perhaps the tai
lor, the shoemaker, the barber and
bootblack might not have done so
much for them as for the cohorts of
plutocracy, but they would doubtless
be good representative Georgians-
the men, or their descendants, who
followed the lead of Lee and Jack
son. He smiled and let me alone.
Genial Bob Lewis was the next friend
| met among the enemy. He told me,
in confidential tone, that there was
not a respectable white man in Han
cock county belonging to the third
party. "But," said he, g I will mod.
fly that; I will say, not an intelligent
man." That put me to thinking, and
the more I thought the more I was
convinced that these much despised
farmers, with whom | came in con-
tact, had more intelligent concep-
ton of the situation than the average
merchant or clerk in the city. When
will men learn the difference between
intelligence and fine clothes?
The midnight train brought in
Governor Northen, Hon. Joe James
and Mr.. Moses. The hour was too
late for further ebbulitionIof party
confidence, so all retired to recuperate
for the impending conflict. The first
man l met on coming down stairs
next morning was Mr.. Ellington.
Our forces at the hotel were doubled,
and [ began to pick up courage.
After breakfast the streets were
transformed from the every day ap-
pearance which they had the day be-
fore to that of county fair in its
glory. You could hear a spasmodic
cheer here and there for Black, but
every cheer provoked half a dozen
for Watson. The climax was reached,
however, when Mr.. Watson was
driven into town about half past eight
o'clock a. m. Nothing more dis
tinctly showed the difference between
the hold on popular affections by the
patriot and the partisan. Partisans
stand off in -mothed admiration
of the partisan patriots throw the
arms of their affection around the
patriot, even as the mother clasps her
first born to her bosom. "Sink or
swim, survive or PERISH the true
lover of humanity, the champion of
the people, the patriot, retires to the
bosom of his family with the consol-
ing consciousness of duty well per-
formed that the mere lover of power
can never feel.
Although arrangements for joint