Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-01
WATSON'S FALSE CHARGES


Members of Congress.
WASHINGTON, July 3O.-It will be
greatly to the discredit of Representa-
tive BOatner, Dem, La, if he aud the
investigating committee OF which he is
Chairman do not administer TO Repre-
sentative Watson Of. A, Ga.,) the Sc
vereSt rebuke that can be applied by
the House for his reckless and unWar-
ranted charges against it. II one rea-
sou more than another may interfere 10
prevent expulsion or something less ex-
IRENE, il would be likely to be an exon
Grafton in consequence OF Irresponsible
ity.
Watson is the flower of the crankeries
OF Georgia, bnt he is good sample OF
the Farmers Alliance men in the
House. When they are not so radically
wrong by conviction as TO be cranks
simple, they are plainly deliberate dem
agogues, and Watson exhibit all the
traits OF the latter class. His attack
upon the House in his campaign book
is mass of misrepresentation made
plausible TO the ignorant by the state
ment OF a good many facts.
His attribution to the House OF shame
less drunkenness as common thing is
so false, as matter Of fact, that there
is no escape for him from the assertion
except apology or conviction. Apology
must stamp him as the reckless dema-
gogue. intent upon inflaming the minds
of ignorant and gullible Georgians, at
the same time that il will intensity the
suspicion that he is slanderous, because
he has not full appreciation OF the
meaning of such assertions about his
associates.
There is some reason to believe that
Mr.. Watson has become impressed with
the belief that he has presumed too far
upon the fear in the House OF the intu-
ence of the Alliance, in making his as
sault upon the character OF the House.
He has reason to be concerned, II the
committee that has his case inhandhasa
proper sense Of what is due the body 1t
represents.
Mr.. Watson will be asked to name,
before he gets through as a witness, the
men whom he say he has seen Keeling
about the aisles, making drunken
speeches, and behaving in scandalous
manner. Mr.. Watson may know OF such
cases. There have been drunken men in
Congress. They have been seen drunk
on the floor. But in the last ten years
there has not been a Congress in which
there was so little excessive use Of liquor
apparent as in the sitting House.
II Mr.. Watson or his third party
friends and allies in the House have
kept spies upon members TO follow
them TO the restaurant, and to watch
them as they drank, and the spies have
come to the conclusion that all the men
who drank are drunkards, the assump-
ton will not prove anything except that
ne and his inquisitive friends were In
business that does not comport with the
standards of chivalry set up in Georgia
before that State ran mad and began to
elect Alliance men 10 Congress.
Representative Cobb, Of Georgia, has
insisted to-day before the committee
investigating Mr.. Watson's charges, in
having his name used as that Of one or
the men to whom Mr.. Watson is refer
ring as having been drunk on the floor
On the day that Mr.. Cobb made his
speech in favor of Mr.. Rockwell, in the
contested election case Of Mr. Noyes
against Mr.. Rockwell, he was lacking
i'm cOmposure. The account was print
ed In the Times OF this action, which
included drinking out of a cup, some
erratlc departures from his argument
and the use of some quaint appeals To
the Speaker TO assist him in getting
back TO the point from which he had
wandered, truthfully represented the
incident, that was far from being dis
graceful or scanlalous. He never
reeled in his place. He did nothing
that would have justified any ore in
calling him a drunken man.
His old friend Col. Oates says that he
sent him whisky, and that he regarded
him as being influenced by il. But he
is a man Of absteminOus habits, not ply
sically strong, not accustomed 10 the
use Of liberal rotations, and he was az
fected by what he took and the fatigue
incidental to the making OF 8 long
speech in a case that was holly con-
tested. There can be no doubt that
Mr.. Cobb may have suffered at that
time by the publication Of the plain
facts regarding him, and that odd per-
sonal ways had as much TO do with Civ
ing his speech its queer effects as the
thimbleful Of whisky that COL Oates
sent him TO Stiffen up his beef tea.
But the worse phase that can be put
by Watson upon the actions Of Mr.. Cobb
and they cannot be serious in their
effects upon that gentlcman-will not
make Mr.. Cobb plural. Watson must
account for drunken men. Until he has
specifed who the other drunken men
are. they may be any OF the three hun
dred and fifty odd members OF the
House, excepting himself and his pre-
cious double quartet OF dOuble-distilled
Alliance cranks. Mr., Cobb is willing TO
meet all the assertions so far as they
are supposed TO apply 10 him.
Who are the other men 10 whom Wat
son referred? When he names them
how will he sustain his charges? lie
cannot do IT by the testimony OF the
galleries. But he can get testimony
from part Of the gallery that there
are some things TO be complained OF in
the Congress that are less pardonable
than the use OF stimulating liquors.