The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-08-26
A THORN IN THEIR SIDE.


thorns that are giving them consider
able trouble this year, and one of the
worst ones is Thomas Watson, thea
lance congressman from Georgia.
While the House was in session he
gave them considerable trouble, and
as one of the organs put it, it was
hoped that when congress adjourned
he would quiet down. But such
has not been the case. Upon his re-
turn to Georgia he commenced his
campaign for reelection, and has con-
Quoted it in a manner entirely new to
that section Of the country and as a
result is shaking up things there in
great shape.
What troubles the old bourbon De-
mocracy, both north and south, is
that the people are turning out in
great numbers to hear him, and cheer
his attacks upon their party to the
echo. In his addresses he reviews the
pledges made by Democracy two years
ago, and then declares that not q
single pledge has been kept. In this
line he says:
Now let's see what they did. They
went into power abusing the Repub-
lican Congress because they expended
billion dollars. At this session of
Congress, which adjourned Friday, |
say it and | challenge contradiction,
the Democrats spent in the neighbor-
hood of SAC, 100000 more than the Re-
publicans did. How is this for high?
They went into office pledging them
selves to be trustees, honest, and care
full in the expenditures of your hard
earned dollars in the Treasury. They
spent not only as much as the Kepub-
licans spent, but l say expended in
the neighborhOOd of $4,000, 060 more
than the Republicans spent.
They went into Office foaming at
the mouth at the Mckinley tariff bill.
There was nothing too bad to say
about Mckinley. They dreamed of it
at night. If they did not curse il was
because profanity would not do
Justice to it. 1t was nightmare to
them. 1t was a calico tailed hobgob-
lin. A voice: "Hurrah for the Ocala
platform. They staid here for eight
months from first to last. Eight solid
months, and from first to last if there
was anything which the Democrats
didn't attack it was the Mckinley
tariff act. Yet they haven't had a
chance.
l will tell you what they did do,
though. They introduced little pop
gun tariff bills and put wool on the
free list, leaving about forty-eight on
the manufactured articles. The first
fellow they hit was the farmer. We
have got no friends, and therefore
when a man wants to fight, the farm
er is the first man that is hit. They
also passed tin-plate bill. and they
also passed jute bagging bill. These
went to the United States Senate. I
say it here and defy contradiction:
The Democratic Senators in the
United States Senate made no deter
mined efforts to get this bill to a vote
and they had the power to do it.
Here is Mr.. Watson's crime, and
also the fact that upon the floor of
the House he opposed the desire of
southern white Democrats to have
printed 49, 900 extra copies of the bug
aboo force bill" for use as cam
paign document. This he character
lied as ''This scaly bark of last years
political campaign \ which
the millionaires who contribute to
the Democratic campaign fund ought
to have paid for themselves.
1t is for this that the whole snap
ping and snarling pack of intolerant
southern Democrats, assisted by their
northern friends, have bounced upon
Watson and are drubbing him on
every pretense that they can muster.
A white man in Congress from the
South seeking to undermine the al
legiance of southern Democrats to
their party, naturally invites the pur-
suit of the whole wolfish pack. They
recognize the fact that if Watson and
men like him are allowed to pursue
such course, the solid south must
take its place among the dismantled
empires of the past. That such state
of affairs cannot long exist without
being followed by freedom Of speech,
intelligence and progress, and that
the oligarchy which, by the aid of the
shotgun and all sorts of frauds,
has for years maintained despotic
sway, must pass out of existence.
Congressman Watson is not free
from the wild schemes that character
iZe the Peoples party, but the cour-
age and firmneSS with which he faces
the southern Democracy and defies its
vengeance. are elements that will
command the admiration of a free
people.