The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-07
GEN. wEAvEK.s INsULrERs.

GEN. wEAvER'S INSULT1RS.
No thoughtful veteran of the Union
army can vote the Peoples party ticket
after reading the account of Gen. Viewers
reception in Georgia. When Gen. Weaver
spoke in Washington and Oregon he was
respectfully treated; his views were not
Endorsed by the majority of our people,
but if Gen. Weaver had not ten followers
in Washington or Oregon his right to the
freedom of speech would be as safe as
though he was sure to poll 10000 votes in
each of these states.
Gen. Weaver went to Georgia full OF
confidence that his personal right to free
dom from public insult would be pro-
tected; he ought to have known the tenn
per of the Southern people better; Gen.
Weaver was not hooted at and rotten
egged because he is Populist; he was in
suited because he had been Union sol
dier. The Atlanta Constitution of Septem.
Der 10 contains an account Of q Democratic
rally at Jefferson, Ga. The speaker of the
day was Gen. John B. Gordon, United
States senator from Georgia. Gen. Gordon
was very gallant Confederate soldier; he
has been governor of Georgia; he is an
elder of the church, and he is justly re-
garded as one Of the finest gentlemen in
the South. According to the Atlanta
Constitution, after saying that vote for
Weaver repudiated the old soldier and ar
guing that vote for the third party meant
forsaking the South. Gen. Gordon asked if
there was one in the vast audience who
was going to cast such vote, and dis
honor the Southern soldier. One hand
went up. "IIl give you 81 for your pic
ture," said Gen. Gordon; II want it in Or
der to send it down to posterity as the one
man of all this vast throng who would
trace dishonor upon the grave Of the Con-
federacy." 1.-THE applause was tremen-
dous. When Gen. Gordon concluded, he
was kept busy shaking hands for quite .
while"
If q man of the influence and character
of Gen. Gordon can stoop to such talk as
we have quoted, what could Gen. Weaver
expect but insult In Georgia? If a man
like Gen. Gordon can afford to talk like
this, what can be expected Of the ordinary
rank and file of the people of 0eorgiaf
Gen. Gordon's harangue alone would be
sufficient to excite the warfare waged
against Gen. Weaver at the South.
Gen. Weaver. during the war, was once
in command at Pulaski, Tenn, and of
course in the discharge of his duty was
obliged to do things that rebel citizens did
not like, just as Confederate Gen. Early, in
his Gettysburg campaign, did not leave q
very pleasant memory at Chambersburg,
Pa, which he burned. and at York. Pa,
upon which he levied heavy contribution
of 10000 under the threat Of burning the
city. All that Gen. Weaver did in execu-
ton of his military duty in Tennessee has
been resurrected in detail and published
in the Democratic papers for the purpose
of arousing sectional prejudices against
Weaver, and it has been successful, for
there is nothing that reaches the average
Southern voter SO quickly and effectively
as an appeal to his war record or his
prejudice against the negro.
This abuse of Weaver because he was q
Union officer will surely have its effect in
Kansas and the Northwestern states,
where the third party has strength and
where the Union feeling is also strong; it
will 60 far toward convincing the Union
veterans of the utter helplessness of the
cause of the Peoples party in the South in
consequence of the appeals to sectional
prejudices against Gen. Weaver. There is
no hope for Weaver in single Southern
state, not even in Alabama where the
same sectional appeals have been success
fully used to drive thousands of Kolb men
back to the support Of the regular Demo-
cratic ticket.
If there be any Union veterans in this
state who have third party proclivities,
but no sympathy with rebellion, they
must see that vote for Weaver is really q
vote for the candidate of q party in the
South which is successfully attempting to
make Weaver obnoxious because he was Q
Union officer. Does any Union veteran
desire to aid the election of the candidate
of these uncured and incurable Bourbons
of the South to the presidency of the
United States over Benjamin Harrison,
who led his brigade 30 gallantly at Resaca
that Gen. Hooker recommended him for
promotion2 At the recent meeting of the
g. A. r. at Washington, d. G., Gen.
Siocum said:
i would like to know how any soldier can
vote for two men, both drafted on the same day.
against a man who served his country q Loyalty
as Harrison did in the time of peril?
zen. Sickles said: 'No man will ever be
elected TO the presidency of this country who
has insulted the soldiers when speaking of the
question of pensions.'
Gen. Weaver was as loyal a soldier as
President Harrison. but Gen. Weaver can
not possibly be elected, because the South
will not vote for him, on the ground that
az Q Union soldier he did his whole DUTY
without fear or favor. To vote therefore
for Gen. Weaver is really to cast ballot
for the candidate of that very section that
repudiates Gen. Weaver, not because of
his opinions, but because of his patriotic
soidiership; that is solid for Cleveland
because he not only was not q Union
soldier, bat derided those who died for the
Union as persons who had no business
down there"
A FREE TRADER BROUGHT TO
BOOK.
Col. Mcclure of the PHILADELPHIA Times.