The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-09-13
BEAUTIFULLY PLATED.
Coal Oil Billy E>erts His Art on thu
POpulite Convention.
In the End He Consents to Make the
Race Against Col. Cox

Coal Oil Billy played it fine Il the !
Third party contingent who "nefen
him thu. nomination Tor COLS'e-S sat |
urday AFTERNOON. He deceived sonr
of his Lest friends int ihe he'ivf sua' /
he really Intended 10 decline the h'u-
or, but those VIII" wee DI' 50 intimate
with his political IpeLnOde knew that
ne WAS merely s,Hiug. 1t took the
notification cOmm't;~r over AZ h1ui
to find him anu bring ann lnt" tht
convention for his speech of accept
ance.
Having at last brought him before
his admiring friends, he struck All
oratoricaI attitude, looked profoundly
| solemn and poured ont his righteous
soul in flood OF Oquence when
brought tears To his eyes. But al
! fected as he seemeG 10y the beauties
| of his own OrHt0ry, NJ could not per-
suade himself to accept lie nomln&-
ton.
Those who have iistered to his
speeches while running Tor Sheriff. IL
| former wears are Already familiar
with many of the beautiful figures
which he used, many of the affecting
illusions which he made to the
county "where his eyes first saw the
light; wnere he played upon his
fathers knee; the county where he
lives and expects TO die" also with
the touching, but now rather thread
bare poem, which he always recites
on the beauties Of the raindrop, sea
shell, etc.
He felt that the cause of the POpu-
Iites was q war against plutocracy ana
bOndocracy, and that his cnlIoIen
were in danger of slavery IL they dld
not succeed all this and much more,
} but still ne could not accept. He
thought there were others who could
serve them in Congress as we'll as he.
He failed to intimate that the man
existed who could do it better.) He
told them he could name such man,
but he forgot to mention his name:
, He then sat down, looking sorrowfuI
but determined.
The brethren looked aghast. What
were they TO do without this joshua a
to lead tnem into the promised lauu
:, The fate OF the nation hung Lremb-
ling in the balance. An awe stricken
hush fell upon them. Everybody
held his breath in suspense.
; Finally, Roland GUOch arose ana
, began to speak. Mr.. GoOch was
very much wrought up. He de-
= livered u very impassioned address
: giving reasons why Mr.. Witherspoon
: should accept the nomination ana
. describing the millennium which the
success OF the POpulites would usher
- in. He was followed i'll the same
/ strain by Messrs. Black ana BLACK
burn, of Giles.
Mr. Blackburn grew enthusiastic
in the thought that Billy would be
> another Tom Watson in Congress
. Their party would have in them tive
p loverpowering orators who WoulO
: literally wipe up the floor or the
= | House with such men as Brecken
, ridge and Reed. Democracy woult
y be smitten hip and thigh by TINS re
cent deserter from IT'S ranKs. III
a Democratic milk which be ha'
= boasred a few months ago he ha'
), Drawn from his DemOc' attic mother
breast, was supposed to have turne'
10 gall with which he would blast In
grand old party that had grown =
rotten in SO short tine.
Mr., w. b. Gordon was called o.
. for a speech. He was at loss VIVA
y to say to them. He was an Alllanc
Democrat and this was People
party convention. Alliance Demo
Gratis and the Peoples party believe
! i'm the same doctrines. The end
4 they sought to accomplish were IN
- same, but they differed as to means
=. He thought the means was throug
- the Democratic party; but just ho'
these means were to be put into opers
~ ton he did not specify.
~ The much wanted candidate Sane
= wiched in several more speeche
- among these orations. They were
- of the same tenor as the hrst, ou
still he could not be persuaded I
y make the race. Having worn then
selves out with pleading, everybod
sat exhausted for some time and IN
situation looked hopeless. Final.
however, a few Of the inner circle 0'
tn gan to whisper in their Caesars ca
He WAS crowded into corner an
was not released until he consente
r. to crafty their wishes. With M
ne show of emotion he promised to ca
1T ry the banner they had thrust INT
ts his hands into every valley and upo
a. every hilltop in the Congressiont
Id district, and he called on them in II
ne name OF high Heaven to sustain hi
Us in the fight. A shout of JOY rent tn
to air and the battle had begun. Ii wa
de beautifully played. 1t was worthy
og the slick artist that Billy is, but
ed will take something more than sue
We trickery to deceive the stern and
We tarminsd marty which opposes him.