The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-18
SHOWS HIS HAND.
WATSON TRIES TO MAKE CAPITAL
OUT OF BRYaN'S DEFEAT.

OUT OF BRYAN'S DEFEAT.
| 4 Sensfless Arralgnment OF tho Demo
cratic Leader for Not Allowing Him tc
Hoss Them-He Has a High idea of His
Own Importance.
ATLANTA, Ga, Nov. 1.-The lelte,
Of acceptance written by Tom Watson
accepting the Populist nomination for
Vice President was today made public
Seyen columns of Watson's Peoples
Party Paper are devoted TO it. The
letter is supplemented bv four columns
of advice to Populists to "sit steady in
the boat and hold their party together.
The editorial tone of the paper is one
OF fulfilled prophecy. Watson declare:
that the failure of the Populists to sup
port Bryan in the close..States brought
about Mcl<inley's election. He goes
into lon review of the circumstances
leading to his nomination at ST. Louis
and accepts the Vice Presidential no
mination "because I said I would" HI
declares that if the st. Louis Populisi
convention had nominated straight
Populist ticket it would have been
elected. 1t would, he said, have driven
the Hills and Germans where they be-
long-in the Republican ranks-and
the Bryans and Blands would have
joined with the Populists. He com
plains bitterly of the treatment he has
received at the hands of the Populist
leaders and addresses himself particular
ly to Senator Batter in this way:
Senator, a reform party has nc
right to exist if it has no valid com
plant to make. Populists cannot de
nounce the sins OF the two old parties
and yet 90 into political copartnershir
with them. The moment we make s
treaty the war must cease. And when
we cease our war upon the old parties
we have no longer any excuse for liv
ing. -,
"Whenever right compromises with
wrong it is the right which suffers
The Democratic managers seem to re-
sent as strange piece of impertinence
the fact that the Populists decided to
nominate a ticket differing at the real
end from theirs. Coming to them
with the 1000, 900 votes they were beg
giug for aud piteously needing.
can say with a perfect assurance oi
telling the unqualified truth that my
arrival on the field of battle was MOI
welcomed as heartily as Blucher was
received by Wellington ut Waterloo
They want my reinforcement, but they
do not want ME to lead them. They
need Blucher's troops, but they draw
the line at Blucher. That is hardly
fair either to Blucher or his troops mol
is it the best way to defeat Napoleon.
For this attitude upon the part OF the
Democratic managers 1 believe that
you. Senator, are largely responsible.
You made no effort to have me recog.
nized. You publicly stated that ]
would not be notified of my nomina
ton. You went into the fusion poll
cy, over my written protest, with all
the zeal of man who wanted to elect
the Democratic ticket. In this think
you were wrong. AS chairman OF the
Populist committee the party certai n
ly expected you to do all you could to
elect the Populist ticket.
"Had you demanded Mr.. Sswall's
withdrawal from the ticket, he would
have been withdrawn. have letter
of yours in which you state that the
Democratic committee expected you to
make demand, but that you did not
make it. From the perversity of tenn
per with which the Democratic mana
gers have refused to do the right thing
by the Populists it would seem thai
they prefer McKinleyism to any thing
which might seem to be partly a Popu.
list triump ph. Their subtle purpose is
to couple the Bry an election with the
complete destruction of the Populist
party. The position taken in this let
ter will be bitterly assailed. Would
that the pathway of duty were alwaJ
carpeted with flowers. 1t rarely is.
BY making myself and the great party
l represent mere footmat for the De.
mocratic politicians to wipe their feet
upon I could win much applause from
that quarter. But if 1 were now lack
in : in the loyalty which was expected
of me when chosen 1 would grieye the
men who have honored me, trusted
me and defended and loved me.
"No one regrets more profoundly
than I do that the Democratic mana
gers have so shaped the campaign that
the South has again been told that she
must grovel inI the dust and let an
Eastern pluocrat put histfoot upon hel
neck. Nor does any one regret more
than I do that the Democratic mana,
gers in shaping their fusion deals
have considered those Populists only
who were getting loaves and fishes.
They have lost sight of the great army
of privates whose honest hearts and
sincere souls from the Strength of the
reinforcement Mr.. Bryan needs. These
Populists of the rank and file have
the spirit of the crusaders, and they
would die for a principle more quick
ly than they would sell it. These men
will not vote for Sewall nor for Sew
all electors. If Senators Jones and
German really wish to defeat McKin'
ley let them lose no time in realizing
this truth"
Mr. Bryan's Program.