Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-08-13
HON. G. B. WATSON.
ADDRESSED THE PEOPLE IN
THE M MESSENGER OPERA
HOUSE

He Discussed the Financial Situa-
tion at Length and Urges a Con :
centration of Silver Forces to De-
feat the Money Power,
Daily Argus. Saturday Aug. s,
At the appointed hour of -
o'clock to-day in the Messenger
Opera House there had assembled
quite an audience Of the white
voters of the county on the first
floor and the gallery was well
filled with colored people, who
were present to listen to a speech
by the appointed leader of the
Democratic hosts in North Caro-
lima, the Hon. Cyrus B. Watson.
On the stage We're seated the
speaker of the day, Hon. f. A.
Woodard, ex-Gov. T, j. Jarvis,
Hons. B. F. and C. B. Aycock,
the latter of whom eloquently in
troduced Mr.. Watson as the next
Governor of North Carolina.
Mr.. Watson prefaced his re-
marks with an anecdOte and then
explained the relations that
should exist between candidate
and his platform. saying that the
platform became his authority to
Of 10
wishes Of the people. His
first subject for discussion
and one around which all his
remarks were centered was the
financial question. He enumer-
ated the national conve tiOnS
that had been held and mentioned
the fact that this question had
invaded for the first time the
ranks of the Prohibition party
and split that party in two. The
Republican convention, he said,
had met and nominated men and
set up a platform not suited to
the masses of the American peo-
pie. bug to the liking Of the few
who had put them up. The man.
ayers had spent money in
North Carolina long before the
convention to control delegates
and when the convention met at
St. Louis McKinley's nomination
was already an assured fact. He
described the evil consequences
that would await the election of
Mckinley.
He said he was present at the
Democratic Convention at Chic>
ago and saw delegates resist the
decree of the people and sit
dumb in their seats. The same
men, he said, are now trying to
organize sound money party.
The action of the Democratic
convention, he said, was SO much
in accord with the wishes of a
majority Of the A nerican people
that the Peoples Party and the
Silver Party adopted the essen
tials OF the platform and named
Bryan to leac the people out Of
the wilderness.
The speaker said that great
efforts were now on foot to cap
ture the next Congress, so as to
tie the hands of the president.
He urged that the people be
careful to cast their votes for no
man who did rot stand on the
Chicago platform. He said that
if men cannot be made to stand
on a platform, then there is no
free government and the wishes
of the people are not represent
ed.
Mr.. Watson said he came here
principally to discuss National
politics; that the people of North
Carolina would run their own
State, and that they were not un-
easy so long as such was the
case. He said he stood on the
Chicago platform and had long
before it was built, and had been
studying the free and unlimited
coinage OF silver for three years.
In explanation of its mean
ing he said that it was demanded
that the money of this country
be based upon the two precious
metals-gold and silver-and
that both should be the measure
of value. He then went into the
history of the demonetiz ation n OF
silver in 1873 and faithfully de-
scribed the financial legislation
from that day to this. He men
toned its demonetization in Eu-
gland in 1916 and showed that il
was legislation in favor of the
few and To tie detriment of the
masses.
He said TO th e Peoples party
that we have got together a.
sast. He cited the decrease ir
the prices of farm products an6
said they had been cut down fol