People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-11-25
The Augusta Jubilee.

Augusta, as the hub bub) of the
tenth congressional district of Geor-
gia, held their grand Democratic
rally, or jubilee, on last Wednesday
night, amid great enthusiasm. 1t
was so characteristic of that gang that
I crave space to speak of it. The
papers claim that thirty thousand
people were on the streets, and say
those who do not believe the tenth
is democratic should have seen them
and learned better.
In the possible thirty thousand, all
of neighborlng South Carolina were
present; but they voted heavily in
Richmond county in the late national
election and are naturally a part Of
the tenth Of Georgia. A large slice
of Burke county walked the streets,
but by the same logical reasoning, l
guess they are part of the tenth.
The daily press says that ''enthu-
siasm reigned," while any perfectly
sober man knows that whisky reign
ed. Whisky was monarch of all you
could survey. For fear that her sub
jects would not have time to become
perfectly imbued with her person
atty, the city fathers broadened and
expanded all her ordinary privileges.
The hours Of the morning brought
her subjects home more drunk than
the famous g boiled owl )" too full
and too independent to even care
where they were at.
And the parade! A glorious spec
tacleC). Not very probable, but
possibly twenty-five hundred in line,
far enough apart to be lost by each
other, the procession seemed to be
an effort to make something out of
nothing. Out Of the above possible
number, one-third were negroes
and the only thing democratic about
them was the whisky they had i'm
bibed. Money was the black mans
consideration. Another third of the
number in line were boys under age.
This leaves only one-third as possible
legal voters. These little boys only
followed the footsteps of the bigger
boys.
A great many transparencies were
in the line. On one side, one of
them said, "Georgia r. r. Auditing
Department" while reversed it read,
"The results is correct" Now, if that
band of men figured out such con-
clusion while sober and in perfectly
sound frame Of mind, the writer
would advise the authorities of the
road to Immediately employ expert
accountants and overhaul the books
and accounts of that department, for
something is rotten in Denmark.
On another transparency came a
caricature Of the editor of the local
Peoples party organ. I regret that
it was SO vulgar, dirty and obscene
that decenoy prevents its description.
At the end of the procession came
wagon, in the center of which was
coffin-which the burned. On
each end of the coffin sat a man
playing cards and drinking whisky
from the same bottle. This was
Wats1n's funoraAN Il4e two men,
the cards and whisky represented
jubilant democracy. It was such
drunken, wild, sacrilegious represen-
tation of questionable conception,
that it did not take with the people
along the line of march. It did not
fulfill its intention. No laughter, no
comments, but in silence, with only
a momentary look, in glided by. I
heard repeatedly, /" Shame!' Since
that I have heard prominent minis
ters say openly, "Shamen'
A transparency labeled "Black and
Democracy" was the only truth that
graced the procession. 1t woke a
thousand echoing and re-echoing
truths. The gloomiest, stormiest
night of this worlds existence, the
possibilities of the unknown realm of
death, the imaginative picture of
purgatory are SMILES of black, even
as black is synonym Of Democracy.
After the parade, the portion of
the spectators not thoroughly drunk,
returned to their homes sadly, so
so sadly disappointed.
Since then the cry has been:
Not that I love Watson less,
But whisky more"
DIOGENEs.
Arn,,n4n ca Nor 1Q