The Charlotte Democrat., 1896-08-06
THE RIVER BEND
RALLY.
". C. CANSLER AND ROBERT l.,
ABERNATHY PUSHED 1T.


ersl Fights and the Deaths of Severa
Horses from Heat. Marred the PIeasur
Somewhat
The River Bend Rally has come and gone
Robert L. Alternately and W. c. Cansler desery
much credit fer their suburb management O
affair. They made the day great success
From early morning till late in the afternoon tn
woods were full of people, about 5000 men, wo
men and children From all corners of the Gloh
they come Some very rough fellows who SEE m
el to hail from the forest of Africa with out th
essence of civilization tried to disturb the speak
ing now and then. Three h orses died from hea,
Nj. Alternately and his coed wife and othe
men bers of his family fed the most of the Grove
sumpuOusly. All honor to these good people
The speaking b' gan at II o'clock Major W. A
Graham introduced Mr Watson to the large au
dience. Watson took the stand and said IRE
ported for the Charlotte Observer by H. A
Banks
SERGEANT wATs0Ns PEECH
Mr.. Watson began his speech at fifteen
minutes to IL o'clock. He said:
GAS have been sitting here l have
been thinking what a wonderful syste M
Of government we have, that people can
come, without let or hindrance, and dis
cuss together the great questions of gov
ernment and issues of the duy. That
they can come-one sitting by another of
another party, who holds different opin-
ions, and discuss them dispassionately,
each striving to learn the truth.
"Do you remember" he asked, "that
you are come to consider to-day the ques
tions to be decided at the next election
that you are come to hear O candidate
for Governor, to scrutinize him, and see
if he may be trusted as your servant for
the next four years2"
The eloquent speaker then entered upon
glowing description of our country and
its resources. 1t was dependent upon
no other country for anything at ALL
Then as a preliminary to the strong De-
mocratio argument he was about to
make, he said:
81 have decided ut the outset that if l
shall go back to my | o ne ate the cams
paign, shall go back as good man as
when | came out. (Cheers). | shall
from the start to the finish speak no SEN
timent that | do not believe to be absolute.
ly true"
He saw around him, be said, men OF
every class. all dependent upon the other
Every interest is dependent upon the
other The non producer is dependent
upon the producers and toilers in the field
while the latter depend upon the produ-
cling class for their market THE only
way for you to participate in your gov
erLment is to meet in your primaries and
conventions, make your platform and
lhen select your leaders to carry out your
wishes as there expressed The great
trouble in the past is that men have step
ped off these platforms, acting on their
own ideas, aud thereby establishing one
man power.
You have got to see," be said, "that
no interests are trampled upon" He went
on to say that he was a man who haC
studied the people and the progress o.
political events. He found a slow bu
gradual encroachment in the past history
OF our government upon the agriculture
classes.
WATSON BEFRIENDED L. L. POLK.
Just here the speaker related one of th'
most interesting incidents that the cam
paign just beginning has developed. 1t il
connected with the idol of the common
people Of North carolina-the man whom
they hold in honor next to q. B Vance
perhaps-Col L. L. Polk. Mr.. Watson
said that long time ago-it was no
necessary to recall the exact date-Co
Polk was in his (Watsons town and sal
he was thinking of getting up newspape
devoted to the interests of the State
But have no money" Col. Polk said
81 said to him." said Mr., Watson, 81 be
eve | can get you up enough money i
my town to start your farmers paper.
| put down half the ready money that
then had, and my law partner, who wa
moro able TO help him than l was, pu
down q liberal sum himself, and we sta
ted him then and there with $3.50. W
canvassed the town and raised $500 an
thus started him in the movement whic
resulted in the establishment of the Pre-
gressive Farmer 10 Raleigh. Col Pol
paid that money back when the paper b'
came success.
The speaker then referred to the orgaI
ization of the Alliance and after that
the Peoples party. He told of address
ing some of these people by invitatic
not long ago, and in the course OF b
speech he said to them that if he cou
have his way for awhile be would like
have charge of four of the leading men
political life of the day-Cleveland, Hal
risou, Mckinley and Reed-for about
year. h would take them up to Il
old place in Stokes county where he W
raised, and put them all four to layir
off new ground for raising a crop OF t
batcp. Hero Mr.. Watson was at b
best He is born actor and be descrlLe
not With words but W ith facial expres-i'
or bodily movement the difficulties t
four gentlemen alluded to would expel
ence in raising crop of tobacco
plowshare striking a hidden root; t
cussedness of a mean mule; hunting
tobacco worms; looking after the tob'
CO in the barns; hauling it over froz
roads in the winter, etc; etc. Sometime
said the speaker, "I'd let them get toge
er and say how they liked IT." He tn
went on to describe his four imagins
pupils with the distinguished names,
they would appear when they faced
Jabbering auctioneer in the warehou
talking in an utterly unknown torg
with the American tobacco trust biddi
Tor their Leaf. The speaker imsgir