People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-09-25
TOM WATSON IN KANSAS.
From Woman's Point of View
1000 People Hear Him.

1000 People Hear Him.
There is always sense of unessi
ness as to whether an ideal formed
through the written words of an in-
dividual will reach complete satisfac-
ton in the reality of personal en-
counter, but those who have formed
an opinion of the man Thomas E.
Watson, through his spirited, fearless
and spicy editorials in the Peoples
Party Paper, had no ideals shattered
when he appeared before an audience
at Abilene, Kansas, which numbered
1000 despite the drawbacks of but
four days notice and heavy rains
to within a few hours of the meeting.
A reception committee of twenty,
Populists, Democrats and silver Rec
publicsns, met Mr.. Watson on the
arrival of the middight train at Abb
lene, and from breakfast hour the
next morning to the time of meeting
at the Wigwsm in the afternoon, he
was waited on by a motley crowd
comprising every shade OF political
color. Middle Of. the ROAD Pops,
timid Pops, fusion Pops and panic
stricken Democrats elbowed each
other for word with Mr.. Watson
while chuckling gleeful Republicans
as the small boy in the gallery pat
Of the audience, cheered the play.
Order came out of chaos, however,
when after talk of an hour and forty
minutes, Mr.. Watson closed speech
which has left no doubt of the admi-
ration in which he is held by even
those of differing political creeds,
and which has left spirit of earn
estness and zeal working as leaven
in the minds of those who heard
him. Only universal praise OF the
speaker is heard on all sides, and the
Judgment of one of the leading law
yers of the county, and Mckinley
republican, whose opinion has weight
with huudreds, was that the speech
was the best built-up and most log
ical political epeech ever delivered in
Abilene.
Not the least enjoyable portion OF
the speech to those who enj ~ origi-
nality and humor, were the Watson
ian bits of sarcasm and fumor with
which it was intersper3ed, one j.
tempted to carry his witty simie o.
Sewall's mild attack of var ioloid il
the present small pox free silver
epfidHsSmic f6rtherr hd suggest that
Dame Columbia's children may be
suffering from an attack of politics
measles. The eruption has come on
beautifully over all the states except
poor "bleeding Kansas" where the
malady has "struck in" But "whilt
there's life there's hope" and speed
resort to good nursing and such ho'
applications, mustard drafts and
lamentations So tbs doctor, Thoma
Watson, can 30 skillfully apply, We
expect to see glorious rash brsal
out all over Kansas yeti
One thing is certain whether {
Bryan and Watson flag is unfurled
or not on the Kansas breezes, many
hearts beat Loyalty for the candidate
of the Peoples Party CHOICE; heart'
which need no drum corps to bea
them into their position in the lint
and it is with no disparagemen
toward the head of the Populist tickle
to assert that the man who occupiel
second place on that ticket is first i,
the hearts of the rank and file of hi
Populist countrymen.
The juvenile illusions TO Bryan
have been run into the ground, hu
at risk of being trite We can hszar(
the comparison of Bryan in his awk
ward position at the head of tn,
Populist ticket to an oVergroWn DO,
suddenly thrust into a room-iulI o
company; neither knows what to d
with his hands and "manners" forbit
the comfortable luxury of pant
pockets. However, anyone who ma
listened to Thomas Watson's heart,
and earnest expression of good faitl
aptly expressed as an endorsement
to the Bryan and Sewall promissor,
note, and has personally felt hi
warm hand clasp, will rest assure
that the boy has one friend in tn
room who understands his plight an
will extend that sams ready clasp il