People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-09-18

famous son, the Hon. Mr. Watson"
(Applause.)
AS soon as the applause following
the mayors remarks had died away,
MIR, Gibbs took the stand, and in
speech that was literally punctuated
by applause by his hearers, introduced
Georgia's little giant.
Mr.. Gibbs said:
Ladies, Gentlemen and Fellow Citi-
zens-The duty has devolved upon me
TO present to you a man who IS even
better known to the people of Texas
than l am myself In all the ages there
has been movement among the people
for better and more equal government
in all ages there have been reformers'
men who essayed to better the condi-
ton of their fellow men. These re-
formers, some of them, have been
spasmodic, in some the spirit of politi-
cal reformation has been ever upper
most.
II have the honor to present to you
today one of those men whose record is
perhaps brighter than any reformer in
this country. A man who has struggled
ever since he was youth to inculcate
the principles of reform, and a man who
has lived life according to the prin-
ciples that he has preached. A man
who, among his own people has their
hearty support, independent of any
political conviction, because of the up
right life that he has led 1t gives me
great pleasure, ladies and gentlemen,
to introduce to you the Hon. Thomas
Watson of Georgia, the Populist nomi-
nee for vice president" wild cheering
and handclapping)
The Populist nominee for vice presi-
dent was on his feet almost before the
Texas ex-governor had finished speak
ing, and, as soon as the applause which
greeted him had died away, he launched
out into his speech.
Mr.. Watson said;
'Fellow citizens: Peace has its vic
tories no less renowned than war, and
the victories of peace are those which
carry forward the interests of hu'
manity | am glad to be here today
with the labor organizations OF the city
and the laboring men of the country
who have met on common ground to
consider their common welfare and to
discuss these policies which are best
for the laborers and producers every
where I would rather that my name
were handed down to posterity as hav
ing been the author of the declaration
of independence, that victory of peace,
than to have been chronicled to the
ages as the victor at the battle of
Waterloo At the battle of Waterloo
no principle was established. A prin
ciple was violated, the principle that
the French people had right to select
their own rulers. That violated prin-
clple reasserted itself almost before the
victor of Waterloo was dead and it is
indicated for all time. Therefore the
battle of Waterloo accomplished moth
lag and the victory accomplished was
+ - otorg Put the victory
speak OF, The victory wen by estab-
fishing the principles incorporated in
the publication of the declaration of
independence which has neverlost, but
gained ground, which never can he lest,
establishe once for all the principle
that so far as the future is concerned
the law shall be established that all
men are created free and equal and
that the government shall do equal and
exact justice to all men. (Applause,)
II am here today 20 remind you
laboring men of the cities. that you
entered into a contract witk The labor
ing men OF the country and you ought
to stand by it, lam here to remind the
Western reformers that they entered
into a contract with the Southern re-
formers and that they ought to stand
by it, (Cheers,) am for straight Pop
ulism. (Cheers.) Ard I donot propose
to be carried to one side of the road or
the other, but I expect to bear the ban
ner right straight down the line and
carry it to victory or fall with it in de-
feat. wild cheering and prolonged
handclapping
What was that contract and when
was it made? What brought it about?
In 1889 tn re were governmental con
ditious that were uns satisfactory to the
wage-earner. whether in forge or fac.
tory whether in country or town,
whether in the East or West, whether
in the North or South. The sum and
substance of this dissatisfaction was
this: that the nou-producers got what
the producers ma le and the producers
got nothing OF what they themselves
produced,
"What was the contract; where was
it made AT St. Louis in 1889 seven
teen labor organizations representing
the organized labor of the cities of this
republic met the Western farmers and
the southern farmers and signed up an
agreement that they would act to-
gether ard vote together until the re-
forms demanded in their platform had
been enacted into law. What these
reforms were, / shall discuss later on. "
just at this time table for the ac-
commodation of the reporters arrived