The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-29
WATSON OF GEORGIA.
Sketch of the Populist Nominee for
Vice-President.
Alfred Henry Lewis Writes His Views
OF the Statesman.

is small. He Is mcager in flesh, and what
there is seems laid on grudgingly, as IL ma
ture hcsitatcd to make the man at all. Tho
entire individual won't weigh 1870 pounds.
But slight though he Ne almost TO tho
point OF feeble, Watson has the yivacity
and heat Of fire No one in Georgia can
cope with him before a crowd, unless IL is
Crisp, whom he bitterly hates. Watson's
face is smooth--no mustache, no beard
Watson has eyes Of gray, with yellow
hair---long this last. and Of the sort that
hangs in straight locks and fiaunts def
ance. 1t Is divided we'll over on the left
side, this hair, and combod smoothly back
and over without any flourish or effect to-
ward the beautiful. AS nc talks Watson
has q Dantonian trick to gesture and
whirls his arms, sways his small body,
tosscs his head like racer This sets
lock of hair TO waving and hanging across
his forehead and low, it takes part In his
disputes and falling and floating like a
pony's mane punctuatcs his periods with
loppy emphasis Ever and again as he
talks his thin, nervous right hand will
recover this disputatious forelock and with
one motion furl it smoothly away back of
his ear where IL Is prisoner, however, only
moment
Watson's face Is fine and sensitive A
rather bony face hungry and drawn with
the reading Of many books. His forehead
Is broad, but rctreating, and gives one the
impression that Watson sees more things
than he thinks. This Is true Watson is
not so much an originator AS a perceiver.
Hc->ees things, he reads things, he hears
things. He is not so apt to think them.
Consistent with these latter attributes
Is tho hawkish tendency of Watson. His
face, rather prominently phrasod as to
nose, is of the hatchet, beakish kind, and
has decidedly falcon effect And that's
what Watson is, and If there Is aught in
theosophy--which / much misdoubt--
that's what Watson was--a falcon. He
has the shrill raspy voice, tho power of
strong, high flight, the pinion, the talon,
the beak, and withal the swoop of the
hawk. He thinks fiercely, too and while
Watson may have the wrong side Of the de-
bate as often as Others one may be sure by
beak or claw he'll set the subject bleed
ing before he's closed
When Watson was in the house, few mon
cared for contest with him. He fears no
one. His record is pure, his character
without stain His honesty has never bred
doubt. Industrious TO the point of over
work, with an indomitable bent to labor
and dig, book fed to degree, Watson Is
always bitterly full, not TO say brilliantly
aware, Of his subject Ie has, moreover,
a lancetlike incisiveness. And II interfered
with by taunt or jecr or contradiction,
Watson can talk like the thrust of bowie
knife His rhetoric stabs. For all these
reasons most members preferred to give
the pale, overtrained young man from
Georgia wide berth In debate. They got
no victory, no honor and only wounds
from collision with him.
Watson dresses we'll, but net rfetiishiy
His garb is not new fashioned But no
has all of cats scruples to bc neat. He
has no sense of humor, and life is serious
struggle with him. His sense of honor Is
not only high, but acute, and he Is pain
fully faithful 10 principle or friend. As
You look at him you realize after bit that
Watson is one who would ride on n tumbril
and give his head to the guillotine for
conviction. When the north produces
John Brown, the south puts forth Wat
son. They arc alike TO their regions. Yet
II Is doubtful IL either would feel compli-
mented by tho comparison.
Watson has no tact, 10 talent for per-
sonal friendship, and is disaRreeable while
doing right. He is essentially creature
of his environment-beleves In the duello
and the personal responsibility OF men for
their words and deeds He once shot sew
cral very satisfactory holes In fellow at
torney who invaded his sensibilitics as
they tried case.
When Watson came to congress In De-
ocmbcr, 1891, one or two thought TO bully
him. Livingston, giant physically, WIS
one of these. 1t was at Populist caucus,
and the trouble arose out of Watson's re-
fusal to support Crisp for speaker Liv-
ingston used language tinctured rather
with freedom than encomium for Watson.
The latter, TO use a cant phrase, "called"
tho big Georgian with such verve and
hearty abandon that Livingston never tied
TO him again. Prompt as hornet to re-
sent affront, Watson Is on his part man
OF singular gentleness and care for what
others feel. He will never insult others
any more than he'll brook outrage from
them.
Even when Watson stirred mp Cobb Of
Alabama i'm his book and made that slow
statesman famous for his unsteady inquiry
offered on the floor of the house, "Mr.
Speaker, where am 1 at?" Cobb and
Wheeler and others Of Alabama had cast
WIZ hioo Htpht. toDD WIS nON III All grace
full on the occasion advcrtcd 10. 1t was
during the debate on the report 20 unseat
Rockwell of Elmira-Ilills man-and put
Noycs--in his place This
Last, by tho way, WIS n secret demand of
Cleveland as q movc against Hin at a
time when both were candidates for tho
presidency. Cobb was on the Hill side OF
the case, and, becoming bit vague, not TO
say vocuous, in debate, ho suddenly rolled
bis eye on tho speaker, and after deep
pause put the plaintiyc question quoted,
Mr. Speaker, where am at?"
Watson had it in his book two weeks
later, and IL created good deal Of heat in
a house strongly Democratic The Demo-
Gratis attempted ccnsure or some other form
Of house torture, and i'm tho dehate which
ensued Watson left his clawmarhs all over
them. He fought the majority to n stand
still and eyinced such thirsty fcrocty for
it all that his assailants were only too
happy TO quit, as becomes mon OF sense
who inadvertently have caught Tartar
Watson Is not poor man--ior his region
he Is rich. He has farms which pay, n law
practice which PAYS and papcr-Pouu.