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

and Injuries me, and Injuries all the
people in this country, in that said
banks by an exhorbltant tax, are
prohibited from doing business and
prevented from issuing currency
Great confusion ensued at this point,
B and the speaker was interrupted for
several minutes, both sides, seemingly
trying to obtain the ascendancy, but
fortunately, good nature prevailed.
Mr.. Black. Listen; what did you
farmers say, which your leader has
stated everywhere? That many of
the evils from which you suffered
was the result of the national bank
ing system. In passing I will say
that no man can show, from the re-
cord, that the democratic party is
responsible for that system. Great
cheering. Listen. Here is what
you farmers said that the sources of
all your evils brought forth from this
great Pandora's box that has been
painted and held up before our Wis
ion, with all the disasters it has
brought-what do you do? Formally
and solemnly, by this resolution-a
resolution not passed by lawyers; a
resolution not passed by merchants !;
a resolution not passed by men from
the cities not passed by men of any
profession, but by the honest farmers
of Georgia; and what did they say?
They said that eve want the repeal
of the ten per cent tax on state
banks" Here is the record. No
man will deny it; and the democrat G
party of the first convention held in
the State, controlled by farmers, put
that in its platform. "A voice ::
"Hurrah for the brave soldier from
KentuckyH' Applause.
Mr.. Black: And l say here that
the Peoples Party leaders here to-
day are opposed to that plank put in
the platform by the farmers of Geor-
gia. A voice; ''No, sir; we amt"
Yes you are; your party leader is
opposed to it; he ridicules and scouts
it; he calls them wild cat banks, in
the very face of the demands of the
farmers of Georgia who passed this
resolution-who passed it, and not
only passed it, but called upon him,
as one of the members, to see that
Congress repealed that law. Turning
to Mr.. Watson) What do you say to
that?
Mr.. Watson. I have answered
those questions. You answer some
of mine.
Mr.. Black. Now, I proceed to say
what intended to say before those
questions were propounded.
A voice. Hurrah for Watson!
A voice on the stand. Pay no
attention to him, Major; it is the
empty wagon that makes the loudest
rattle.
Mr.. Black. I think I have at least
this advantage over my competitor.
I appear before you today, not
familiar to you as he is, (cheering)
but comparative stranger by face
to most of you; but I appear without
any explanations to make. The
gentleman has referred to the abuse
and SANDER that have been heaped
upon him. He does me justice to
say that | have had no part in that
abuse; and well he may, for he knows
me well enough to be aware that I
would not buy seat IN the Congress
of the United States at the expense
of justice to any man or to any party.
Great cheering.) I have nothing to
say with reference to him except as
to his public record, and he himself
has introduced that into this first
joint discussion, and to the discussion
of that record [ now invite your
calm and impartial attention.
A voice. Don't do it; ne has got
the sway back.
Mr.. Black. What is the spectacle
before you to-day It is the spec
tacle of citizen seeking your suf-
frages and asking to be elected as
your representative, and as a reason
why you should vote for him he de-
nounces the very party that put him
in power and whose commission he
holds. Great applause.
My friend rather challenged me, I
think, to make certain charges
against him, to make certain issues.
Now, say, I do not propose to be
side-tracked in any such way as that.
| Great applause. In 1888 he was
a Cleveland elector who went over
this State, and he asked the people
Of this State to vote for Cleveland.
If Cleveland had done every act for
which he condemns him, it was al
ready done then, for since that time
he has not been in power. Great
cheering. He says he has that
record turning to Mr.. Watson Of
course l have not time to look up all
these papers just now, but [ have a
part of it myself-all that 7 have
been able to find. By that record-I
have only his speech reported in a
Savannah paper-he went there as
a guest of the Young Mems Demo
cratic club. He spoke of the tariff
as one of the leading and controlling
issues Of the day, but still he did say
Il