People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-09
MR.. BLACKS SPEECH.


speak under these circumstances, a
the best. 1t is impossible for me tt
discharge the duty of the hour witt
any satisfaction unless the most alb
solute quiet is restored.
Before | proceed with what I pur'
pose to say, I shall answer those
questions that have been propoundec
to me by Mr.. Watson:
"Do you admit the existence o.
unusual suffering among the people
resulting from vicious legislation?''
I do admit the existence of suf
fering, resulting from vicious legisla
ton, but [ dare to stand here in the
face of these thousands of people
and say that believe that this suf.
fering is exaggerated. Great cheer.
ing, and cry, "Hurrah for Wat
son =" Now, 7 have no objection t.
Mr.. Watson's friends applauding
but please wait for the right time.
A voice. Why didn't your people
wait when Mr.. Watson was speak.
ing?
Mr.. Black. The only time that
called Mr.. Watson's name while
was in the campaign before he came
from Congress was in the county Of
Greene, when I told my friends il
his duty called him before them, to
give him as patient and respectful an
audience as they gave me. A voice,
"You did say it; heard you"
know no reason why we ought to
be afraid to hear him. No man
ought to be condemned unheard.
Every man is entitled to a fair, pa
tient, impartial and just investiga-
ton of his public conduct; with his
private conduct we have no con-
Germ.
Voices. That's right! Hurrah
for Watson! and great cheering.
A great deal of confusion occurred
at this junoture; shouting for Black
and shouting for Watson; Blacks
followers evidently shouted down.
Mr.. Black. In a defiant attitude.
I have stood before more people
many a time, with guns in their
hands, and was not scared worth a
cent. Great cheering.
I am trying to answer the ques-
tons propounded to me by Mr.. Wat
son ; do you want to hear the answer!
Cries of eyes! Yes! !''1
Mr.. Black. Well, if Mr.. Watson's
friends will keep quiet I viii try to
answer them.
A voice. Ask your friends not tc
applaud and Mr.. Watson's friends
will be quiet.
Mr. Black. I ask my democratic
friends to kindly give me their atten.
ton; Mr.. Watson has also requested
that his friends should be quiet
Certainly our mutual friends ought
to have respect enough for us both
to be quiet.
A voice. That is right.
Mr.. Black. Now, to answer biz
second question: eff SO, specify IT,
legislation from which that suffer-
results 2"
I specify as principally the legisla-
ton from which that suffering results
the Ubiquitous tariff. A voice: That
is right. And who is the expo.
nent of opposition to that iniquit.
GUS tariff, but Grover Cleveland
wild cheering) And which one
of all the political platforms has
been the most pronounced anc
methodical against the tariff ? The
democratic.
Voices: No; the Third Party
platform; the Peoples Party plat.
form. Another voice: Keep youl
mouth shut.
Mr.. Black: He said he is a free
trader. ! am not. You are bound
to raise money by taxation, but how
do you want to raise money ? Tt
set the machine to work and stamp it
That is your plan turning around
facing Mr.. Watson.) And if youl
plan was carried out you would have
money until it was plentiful as the
autumnal leaves of the forest, and
about as worthless. Great cheering
and counter cheering. There is nc
class Of our population that is more
interested in a sound currency than
the great laboring classes Of our coun'
try; but while your platform asks
for fifty dollars per capita, your
scheme to purchase the railroads
would run up to one hundred and
thirty eight dollars per capita; and
when you had purchased the railroads
and purchased all the land that be-
longs to the aliens of the country
the mathematician, I was about tc
say, has not yet been born who could
tell where you would carry it. Great
cheering. But that is a diversion
"What remedies do you propose ~
I propose the old democratic remedy
to contne the expenses of the govern
ment to an honest, economical admin
istration; and the taxes to be levied
only for that purpose and those
taxes to be put upon Injuries and
not upon the necessarles of life.
Voices. E'Hear how a Kentucky
gentleman can answer them," and
GREAT choarinor7