The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-16
WHAT Ii VILE BRING.
yywTTM4TE RESULTS OF THIRD PAR
TYISM AND WHAT THEY MEAN.
Colonel Atkinson at Fayetteville-He Tears
a the Mask from Third Partyisn and
shows 1t In Its True Light.

whole county turned out to hear Colonel w.
Y. Atkinson here. The speech he made
was one of the strongest that has been
made in Georgia this year and one whose
effects will be far-reaching.
His speech was an exceedingly forccfui
one and the big crowd that assembled i'll
the grove beyond the courthouse many
times interrupted the speaker with hearty
applause.
The crowd was thoroughly representative.
A number of ladies occupied the front
! seats. There were many third party people
present, while the colored brother was on
hand in quite large nurhers. 1t was m
tended to have the speaking in the court
house, but the crowd was too large, nearly
q thousand people being present
Colonel Whitfield Was There.
Hon. l.. f. Blalock presided over the
meeting and on the stand We're number
of prominent people of the county.
Colonel Robert Whitfield candidate TOT
congress. the first speaker. He made
a strong argument for the party and spoke
modesty of his own claims, making a most
favorable impression.
Captain l. w. Graham Introduced Colo
mel Atkinson in strong speech, paying
hin. handsome tribute.
Colonel Atkinson began by speaking of
the bad effects of division among the peo-
pie of the south. who should all work to-
sether. Then, talking of the record ana
The Two Ideas Of Government.
From the foundation Of the govern
ment there have been different parties
and different political ideas. They grew out
Aof the convention of 1897, which made the
CONSTITUTION of the United States From
, that time political parties have existed.
But it has always been true that there were
two leading political parties, which differed
on this principle, of them favoring
strong central government, the other
following that line of thought which gave
to the state and to the people of each To-
cality the right TO govern themselves, Civ
sng to the national government only the
rights relegated to it by the state. These
have been the two ideas all the time. 1t
is true that there have been other parties
j believe thirty mOre--but they have
been of mushroom growth. 1t is no new
thing to them come and go, and we are
not surprised TO see a little third party
in the United States today, but, like the
others. it will run its course, die and be
forgotten. How long will it live? Oh, 1t will
die just like the others have died. The big
parties hold the same relation to it as
Caesar Dennis over In my county did to
the yankee soldier who tried to prevent
his frying his apples during the war. Some
OF you know Caesar. Well Caesar in
camp and didn't have much to eat, but he
had gotten hold of apples and was
trying to fry them. The yankee was behind
a tree some distance off ana every once
in a while bothered Caesar by firing at
him Caesar stood it long he could,
and then. when a bullet came closer than
usual, he reached down, got his old rifle,
took aim and the next time the yankee
stuck his head around the tree let him
have it. The yankee fell dead. There, d-n
you sSid Caesar, 4 guess you'll let me
fry my apples now! And that's just the
way the two big parties toward the
third party-they let it go on and Worry
them little. but when they get tired they II
Just rise up and wipe the little party out
of existence, just they have the other
little ones.
This division among people IS
very serious matter" continued Colonel At
kinson. We ought to look at the past,
for that will tell Us what we may
pect in the future. Once before division
came, and came to the deep injury of
people and Of our country. In 1860 our peo-
pie had the power by acting together to
rule, but division brought war and war
brought defeat and poverty aud untold hard
Slips. The way to accomplish good for
this country is by unity. The mistake lay
in the way we voted in 1869. We were not
wise men and allowed division to creep in
instead Of maintaining our unity. Tie condi-
ton OF affairs which greets now is some
what similar. for if the people of the
SOUTH act together, bending all our energies
to the maintenance of institutions and
to the development of our fair country,
there is nothing which we cannot accom-
plish But if division comes all which unity
can accomplish may be lost
Jefferson Would Turn Over.
Celebrating the idea of Capitalization as
compared with the rule of the people, Colo
mel Atkinson went on to say: The third
party people tell you they are standing by
the principles OF jefferson. They have gone
so far as to claim that they Jeffersonian
democrats. Why, if old Thomas jefferson
were TO hear that he would turn over in his
grave. Now, isn't it true that Hamilton
represented the Capitalization idea, while
Jefferson represented the other idea? Those
were the great defining lines. Where does
the third party stand? Do their ideas and
their principles and their teachings lead to
the Capitalization of power at Washington,
or do they leave that power with the states?
Under the old order of things the states
had the power OF creating banks of issue.
The third party is against that. 1t advo-
Gates a policy which leaves people and
their interests entirely at the mercy of the
national government. Under the third party
idea. the state has no right in times of
financial Stringency to step in and relieve
YOU people by creating banks which have
the power to issue currency. | believe the
states should have all the powers under
the constitution which they have not spe-
officially delegated to the national govern
ment With the right to create banks of
issue the state has the power to relieve
the people in times of financial stringency,
such as we had last summer, and the eff
fects of which are still feeling. we
have sense enough to enact laws which
will protect currency and make II just
as good as any other currency, and when
the state has that power it will be lmpos-
sible for the money interests of the country
to absorb the currency and place the peo-
pie and their interests absolutely at their
mercy Now, the third party IS against
these state banks and has proclaimed ITS
position at every opportunity. Their posi-
ton on this question shows clearly the treno
of their party doctrine. 1t Is away from
Jeffersonianism and toward CONTAMINATION.
And the Railroad Plank.
''ThSn take the railroad plank OF their
platform. Eliminate entirely the question:
of purchase of the railroads, how Inuch
they will cost and where we are SolnS 10
get the money to buy them WITH anu
study the situation the third party "oulo
like to see it. Why, their government o"heF-
ship of the railroads would give to the
national government the greatest power you
can conceive. Just think of it. 1t IS a pow
er never dreamed of by Hamilton hlmseil'
1t is the very quintesscence of centrallza-
ton First, it would give to the govern
ment the appointment of a perfect army