The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-31
~wHERE WAS ARR
Catch Phrase of watson's Campaign
Volume.

Volume.
From the New York Herald.
4 say" said Tom Watson, the aS-
gressive Young Alliance representative
from Georgia, on July %. 1892. that every
word in my book is literally true, and
all men who have been here keeping their
eyes open and wanting TO admit facts
will agree that they are literally true.
1 stand here to defend every line in the
book, and will do so before all corners,
north or south"
The book referred to was entitled "Nor
a Revolt 1t Is a Revolution" 1t was
a campaign book, setting forth the pur-
poses Of the third party, including fun
exposition OF its princiI .es. and concluding
with a fierce arraignment of both parties
for their failure to right the grievances
OF which the alliance people complained.
Among the gravest of the declarations
made in the book was this:
Drunken members have reeled about
the aisles, to the disgrace of the republic.
Drunken speakers have debated the gray
est issues on the floor, and in the midst
of maudlin ramblings have been heard TO
ask: Mr.. Speaker, where was 1 a,
1t was when Mr.. Wh& r of Allah ma
quoted this paragraph in The House that
Mr.. Watson flung down his gauntlet or
defiance IN the words quoted at the head
Of this article. The scene which fol-
lowed beggars al. description-so much 50
that hardly any tempt was made TO
describe at the time, II was only when
Mr.. Boa. uer of Louisiana rose and called
for "a commit of investigation that the
euraged repr sentatives could take sufi-
Gent breath t. nable them TO think calm
ly Il the matter.
IN ON. ahapter of his hook Mr.. Watson
thus arI.lgned me demo .ratic majority
pledged to reform. the. have not re-
formed. Pledged to economy, they have
not economical. Pledged to leglslate, they
have not legislated. Extravaganza has
been the order of the day AbSenteeism
was never more pronounced. Lack OF
purpose was never so clear. Lack OF
common business prudence was never
more glazing. Useless employees crowd ev-
cry corridor; useless expenditures per
wade every department"
The book consists Of 1888 pages and
sketches the history Of the two great
political parties and denounces them In
the name of those who wish to revolt
against unjust laws and tyrannical par
tisanshlp. The first part of the book tells
what the political parties Of the United
States have been, how they and their
principles have changed and what they
are to-day. large portion Is devoted TO
abuse of Brice, German, Hill, Flower and
other democratic leaders, but Mr.. Cleve-
land Is spoken of as honest and courag-
eous and entitled to credit for the i'm
pulse he gave to tariff reform.
of the republican leaders the book says
1T is hardly necessary to waste words
upon Quay; let him pass. Wanamaker
the pious, who contributed 100000 to buy
votes with and who thereby jumped from
a retail store to a cabinet position; Ste
phen b. Elkins, famous for his land grab
bling propensities, one instance OF which
is in a fair way at this time to develop
scandalous exposures; John Sherman, who
grew rich off the use of public funds in
''Why multiply examples? The story is
ever the same. Boodlers. monopolists,
gamblers, gigantic corporations, bond
holders bankers-these are the control
ling factors in the party, and everybody
knows it. The peoples party is the pro-
test of the plundered against the plum
derers of the victim against the robbers"
1t is in the final chapter that Mr.. Wat
son takes his coat off.
ut has always been the same" he says
petitions are rejected remOnstrances
spurned. complaints laughed aside, pro-
tests silenced, resistance stamped out
with an iron heel. All these things are
done as long as is supposed they can be
safely done. 1t is only when tyranny sees
danger that it has reason"
When Mr.. Watson appeared before the
committee of investigation the following
day he reiterated his charges, but re-
fused to mention any names.
Mr.. WatsOn's book and the utterlnces
therein eventually got him into a consid-
cradle hole, and he hardly knew how to
get out of it. The special committee on
Gags" as it was affectionately called,
met for the last time on Aug. 2, 1892, and
the result of its investigation can be brief
ly summed up by saying that Mr.. Wat
son and a handful of alliance and prohibit
ton members swore that Mr. Cobb, of
Alabama was maudlin drunk when he
made his speech on the Noyes- Rockwell
elecnon case, while forty or more other
members who listened to Mr.. Cobb
throughout, not few of whom sat quite
near him, swore that he was not only
not maudlin drunk. but was, strictly and
accurately speaking, sober.
During the last day of the investigation
Mr. Watson and Chairman Boatner very
nearly came to blows, and Mr.. Watson
backed down by remarking that he had
written the book "solely for campaign
purposes, and 1 never intended that it
should apply to members of the House."