The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-07-05
SPEECH OF HON. THOS. E. WATSON.
CONFINED FROM FIRST PAGE

mule can come nearer to finding 4
gold mine ON every old Dlcachcd and
rocky hillside II Georgia than any
laborers you can bring from Europe
Or the islands of the sea. A black
tenant works in the sun that the
white tenant; is drenched by the
same rain; is whipped by the same
winds; is chilled by the same cold;
suffers from the same discOragements;
makes the same crops; sells them in
the same markets; gets the same
price. and comes out at the little end
Of the horn every time the white man
does. (Applause.) l can convince
every reasonable colored man that his
intcrc. Is as laborer and tenant and
farmer are the same as those OF my
white friends. The good law that
helps me will help you. The heavy
taxes that bears YOU down bears us
down. The low prices that leaves no
money in our pockets leaves none in
yours. We have grown up in this
land to gather; we have worked to-
gather, suffered togathcr, and in the
da;s of the war, the Southern slave
took his axe and his bed-quilt and
slept before the door of the "bis
house" and guarded the temple with
his own life. (Chcers) Ii we do not
teach these people that we are their
natural friends some scallawag carpet
bagcr or demagogue will tell them
we are their enemies lf>w do not
talk to them in public, in the broad
light of day, face to face and foot to
foot, they will be talked to behind
closed doors and their ears filled with
falselOods to which we have no op-
portunity of replying.
Let us talk to these people; let us
reason with these people. You tell
me that | want their votes. Grant it.
Don't you want them? Q.aughter
and applause) Say Eyes" if you like
and then quit abusing me. Say no,
if YOU dare, ard YOU will never get
any negro votes. daughter and ap-
plausc.) SO that puts you between
the devil and the deep sea, which at
this moment is the true orthodox
Democratic situation upon all sub
jccts. (Checrs)
Yes, We want those votes but We
want to get them right. | have go,
NO money to pay for them. | have
got no whisky to measure out to them
(Crics Of "that's riS,t from all parts
of the hOuse) have got no chin
ncy corner talk, have got no threats
and no false promises, but after hear
ing our creed; hearing the promises
that we will give to them, that which
the law says is t:.eirs; if they can go
with us, then | say in Gods name
come. (Applause) Nevcri in my life
have | advocated social equality.
(App) Always and every where |
have condemned 1t. 1t would ruin
III; race and ruin yours. Let the
blacks stay to themselves in their own
social life and have peace and harpi
ness. Let the whites dwell to them
selves and have peace and happiness.
We will not have social equality.
What you want is to have fair share
Of the school money and to have your
schools where your children can be
taught 10y your own teachers and thus
elevated into II higher citizenship.
You want your own churches and wor
ship God according to the dictates OF
their own conscienccS. in Your OWE
taLcrnacles. You don't favor Grover
Clevcland's plan, nor do l. Cries OF
mo, no.. don't believe in {. II.
J. Taylor,sm: nor do believe in to
ing what Grover Cleveland did in
New IOrk-mix white children aid
black children in the same schools.
and thus guarantee that there should
be eternal dlscord between the two
(Cries Of right, and applause.)
Let the South settle this negro
question. How? BY frankly con,
cediny to the colored people their
rights under the law-not to social
equality, because the law has nothing
whatever to do with that. Every