People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-02
WATSON At SPARTA.
A GREAT CROWD REMAIN TO
HEAR HIS DEFENSE
Despite Brass Bands, ROWdyism, Bar
becUe and Speeches, his Speech
is Delivered.

REPORTED Expressly for the PEOPLES
PARTY PAPER by j. L. DriscOL.]
The train that left Atlanta at eight
O'Clock, August %, carried your re-
porter to Cammack, arriving about
one p. m; at the same hour the train
from Augusta to Atlanta, deposited
the Hon. J. G. C. Black at the same
point. From this the reader will
readily infer that it required two
trains to get Mr.. Black and myself
to the connecting point with the Ma
can branch of the Georgia road, but
one was sufficient to take us to
Sparta. The distance, however, is
not SO great!
The journey from Cammack to
Sparta was quite uneventful. In
deed, I was not aware that Mr..
Black was on board the train until
we arrived at our destination, when
I was informed of his presence by a
gentleman of whom [ had inquired
who the good looking gentleman
was. This brought wildly to my
mind another reception, at Thorn
son, two weeks and two days ago
but comparisons are odorous."
Doubtless, Major Black will agree
with me in the latter observation.
But, l digress.
A nondescript band and about
three hundred citizens awaited (us!D
at the depot. The major, with
few. friends, took possession of the
finest carriage in waiting; I, with
CWo>e nthree hundred Spartans, took
possession of the sidewalk, taking
mental notes on the way. The three
hundred might be divided into three
classes. 1. The kid gloved few, oc-
cupying seventeen vehicles of every
kind, from the twO-horse carriage to
the single-seated sulky. 1t was evil
dent that but few of these stood in
need of relief, consequently they
were against reform, and spurned
the cries of the masses for equal
rights as shams and absurdities.
2. There was the promiscuous crowd,
constituting by far. the greater num-
Der, which is always attracted by the
noise of band; and 3. A brigade
of store-clothed, plug hated dudes
who rivaled the band aforesaid in
giving vent to unmusical sounds.
These young men were chiefly dis
tinguished by being scant in cour-
tesy, reckless in assertion, overbear-
ing in demeanor and barren in ideas.
They were boastful of their intelh-
gence, too. Said one of them, IN
in answer to an observation Of mine
about the probable outcome of the
election: "These we're third party
ties is so Ignorant they think Watson
are going to give them forty acre
and mule" The marks of APP
proval with which this sage remark
by this representative of intelligence
was received, showed plainly that
the common people of Georgia
should not be trusted to manage
their own affairs.
The reader will pardon me for
going back to throw in an incident,
parenthetically.
Passing Culver, a station few
miles back, well-fed looking specl-
men of the genus plutocrat rushed
up to the train and addressing one of
the group, Mr.. Ham, | think, said:
"Hello! you are going to Sparta to
skin them fellers tomorrow ?" eyes,"
said the gentleman addressed, "and
you come along to hold them while
we do the skinning." a country
man, sitting beside me, remarked
"Them fellers have been skinning us
so long that they think they can al
ways do it." There was a grim de
termination in his tone which BODIED
no good for the SINNERS.
Now | must confess a humiliating
truth. l am veteran of the Con
federacy; l marched under the stars
and bars upwards of three years, and
always referred to it with pride;
have three wounds upon my body,
received in that service I suffered
captivity and chains; I never, yet,
voted anything but democratic
ticket, and all my predictions are
lin favor of Jeffersonian democracy