Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-08-07
HON. THOS. T.. WATSON.
Graphic Pen Picture OF the Georgia Cincin-
natus.

w Hlle the Wllu tuluIll laSeu III TIC ~ ATOuiS
convention last night and his name was being
cheered to the echo, Hon. Thos. f. Watson
quietly slept amid the country peace surround
ing his pretty farm home in the outskirts OF
Thompson. Mr.. Watson has the wholesome
habits of the farm and the placid indifference of
Dick Bland. He heard the news at the tele-
graph office in the afternoon and went to his
home for nights rest. He was not dull
enough to fail to perceive that he was squarely
in the track of the vice-presidential lightning.
He said nothing. In fact the atmosphere was
already electric with prophecy, but it did not
disturb the calm of the Honorable Thos. E.
Watson. He has lived in the hotbed of con-
test for two many years to allow the conflict to
perturb him, even when the lightning is turned
his way So it was that he did not spoil the
rest of the staid operator at Thompson last
night That operator goes to his rest at 8
o'clock, and not even the making of presidents
and vice. presidents intereres with his habits of
years. He shut out the noisy clicking of the
the outside world at his accustomed hour, blew
out the lamps and went home. He had sort
of feeling that when he came down this morn
ing at O'Clock and found time to get to At
lanta, he would learn that his brilliant fellow
townsman had been named for vice president at
St. Louis. But, i'll the meantime-rest for the
night. Thus it was that last night Thos. E.
Watson was cut off from communication with
the teeming world, and-slept slept while the
delegates at st. Louis thundered slept while
the reward of years was coming to him i'll the
nature of tumultuous cheers slept while the
men who mentioned his name were being car
ried around on the shoulders of yelling and ap
pauding delegates; slept while the noise-echo-
ing hall at St. Louis was laundering tribute to
his popularity. He will learn of his nomination
today. The Constitution tried in vain to reach
him last night. A little after O'Clock an op-
orator spent many half hour trying to rouse
the operator at Thompson. His industrious eff
forts were frutless Operators all along the
line broke in with the information that Thomp-
son always closed at 8 o'clock. A message was
fired around by Augusta in the hope that the
operator might be caught from that end. But
that operator was aseed. Tom Watson had
not deemed it of enough Importance to keep
the fellow awake. Eight O'Clock is bedtime
in Thompson, and something of vast Importance
must be in the air to keep a citizen up later
than that hour of night.
There is no more vivid figure in Georgia than
Thos. f. Watson He has carried into his pub
lie career the gifts of thought, of oratory, of
and simplicity. He first attlacted
public attention through his ability as speaker.
He is eloquent. He can clothe a thought in
up his hearers. There is silver ring to his
words that always causes enthusiasm. He first
came to notice as member of the house.
"Watson of McDuffie, " was conspicuous fig
ure in the legislatures of 1882 to 1885. He
took prominent stand in legislation. He was
a Democrat then. He was elected TO congress
from the Tenth district as a Democrat, but the
Populist party coming into power after
his election he joined his fortunes, and has
since been leader in its ranks. He has been
a candidate for congress twice since, but has
been defeated both times. Both times he
has contested. The hot races i'll the Tenth
came into national notice. Watson became a
national figure. He became talked about the
nation over He has been the idol of his party
in Georgia. He has practically dictated its
policy and its nominations, He became the
national power in the counsels of the Populist
party, and his fame is greater than that of any
living Populist, for his career has been full of
stirring activities and he has been constantly
before the public. That he is man of excep-