People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-14

for Cleveland because he dished out
more pensions than any Republican
president.
A voice. Yes, and he vetoed
more pensions, too.
Mr.. Watson. Yes, and he signed
more, too. daughter and applause.)
Why, according to my recollection
Of the figure President Grant signed
between four and five hundred of
these private pension bills, while
Cleveland, during the same period,
signed over twelve hundred. The
New York World also show, that
Cleveland paid out 100000 more
for pensions during three years than
any Republican president ever paid,
and asked the votes OF Northern
soldiers on that account. Do you
deny it?
Old gentleman with the ear trum-
pet. Was he not compelled to pay
that out?
Mr.. Watson. This gentleman
asks me if he was not compelled to
pay that money out. Let me say
that he was compelled to pay it by
virtue Of laws passed in Congress;
and answer in that connection, that
Democrats and Republicans passed
those laws jointly. (Great ap-
plause,)
Same old gentleman. VIII you
give the vote?
Mr.. Watson. I will say this, that
the Democratic national platform
took credit for that act, and those
laws were passed by the almost I'M
amimous vote Of both parties. ZAP
plause.)
l say further, that the arrears of
pensions act passed in 1879, giving
$26,000,000 to these pensions as
back pay, reaching back to the time
that they left the service, and Gen.
John B. Gordon and Benjamin Hill
voted for it.
Old gentleman, peevishly). I
knew you would dodge it. Give the
vote, and that would place the re-
sponsibility where it belongs.
Mr.. Watson. Oh, yes; the truth
hurts. We understand that. | an
swer you further that the Democrats
of the North and East stand pledged
to these very pension laws.
A voice. I am a Northern man,
and I do not see how a Southern man
can be anything else but a true
Democrat.
Mr.. Watson. All Southern men
ought to be true Democrats, but the
man who goes back on Jeffersonian
Democracy, whether Northern or
Southern man, is false Democrat.
have said this, and maintain it,
that every principle Of our platform
is founded on Jeffersonian Democ-
racy, and the trouble with our mod
ern Democracy is, that it has not a
particle of Jeffersonian Democracy
in It's platform. Jefferson favored our
land plank. Jefferson favored the
direct Isl sue of the money to the peo-
pie jefferson favored our antagon-
ism TO { State Ranks, aud if he We're
alive, Ijhaye n5J the least doubt but
he would favor the income tax.
A voice. Would he favor the rail
road plank?
Mr.. Watson. I rather think he
would. In the very fundamental law
Of this land, the trainers Of the consti-
tuition said that navigable streams
never should belong to the States or
to private persons. Why was the
State of Georgia never permitted to
own the Savannah River or any other
navigable stream within her bounda-
ries ? Simply because it was water
highway, a national avenue to travel
and merchandise, and the fathers
who formed our government said
that they ought to be kept for the
benefit Of all the people. That they
should not be allowed to go into the
hands of private parties, corporations
or Of the State. Would you be
willing to vote for a law that would
turn your roads into private property
of individuals or corporations
A voice. They used to be owned
by private parties, and they were
GOOD roads. too.
Mr.. Watson. But would you dc
that to-day?
Same voice. Oh, no. daughter. }
Mr.. Watson. Now, by the evolu-
ton Of modern society, the railroad
takes the place of the river. That
railroad is the public highway over
which traffic is conducted. Now,
does not the same argument apply to
keeping of the rivers open?
Voices. Yes, yes. (Applause)
Mr.. Watson. Now, I want to ask
my Democratic friend over here, il
he would be in favor of keeping the
dirt road, which accommodates him, out
Of the hands Of monopolists; and if
SO, why the same should not apply to
the iron road /?
Voice. How will you buy the
railroads?
The audience began to showlsome
impotence at the Interruptions.
Mr.. Watson. Ny friend is asking
fair questions, and | am going to
knead him into Peoples party dough
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