The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-10-06
v e REASONS WHY.
Colorado Herald Announces Its Allegiance
to Watson.

Colorado Herald Announces It's Allegiance
to Watson.
We have been asked why we prefer
red Tom Watson to Mr.. Sewall as a
Vice Presidential candidate. There are
several reasons, chief of which is, he
has been tried as a representative of
the masses, and found not wanting,
while we have no reason to expect any
favor for the masses from Sewall.
When the union of labor forces in
the South and West resulted in the
election of forty-one Congressman in
1890, Tom Watson was one of that
number. THESE members were then
virtually Republicans and Democrats,
but they had pledged themselves to de-
cline to enter their party caucu or be
controlled by it in any manner what
ever. This pledge was exacted by the
Farmers Alliance and other kindred
and affiliated labor organizations. OF
the fOrty-one members elected by this
union of labor force in 1880, thirty were
AAOW gLAS ODOUS4 AIN OA0NSA HULL GL4O
West. When Congress convened in
1891, party lines were closely drawn
and the party caucus was all powerful
in holding together the old party vote
in the organic alton CT the House. To
the honor Of the eleven Western Rep
resentatives be it slid that every one
of them held firmly to their pledge not
to enter their party caucus, and to the
honor of Tom Watson be it said he was
the one of the thirty Southern Repre-
sentatives who held his pledge to the
people Is a sacred promise. He was
the candidate Of the Western peoples
representatives for the Speakership,
when he knew it was a hopeless race
and an empty honor, but he welcomed
defeat and accepted it in the discharge
Of what he felt to be his duty.
Is it any wonder the people, the rank
and file OF both the Democratic and
Populist parties, and farmers, and me
chanics and common laborers trust ard
honor Tom Watson9 More than this,
the toilers of the West and South have
long ago decided that the South had
been held at the repentance seat long
enough. The prime object of the ALI
ance movement was to unite these sec
tions on common political grounds for
the benefit of all. For thirty years the
Democratic party hadn't the honesty
to leap the barrier Of sectional hate and
prejudice and name ven n candidate
on its National ticket from the South,
yet for thirty years. with one excep
ton, received it's solid electoral vote.
For the past two years, if n might
judge by the utterances Of the Demo
cratic press and Democratic politicians,
there appeared to be a disposition on
the part of the Democratic party
to unite the West and South; but when
that party named it's National ticket
this yea. it was evident the union was
to be one. of sentiment only, in which
the South had no representation.
The nomination of Tom Watson by
the POpulists for Vice President was as
much a rabuke to this sectional spirit
as it was a declaration of PopUlist in
dependence. Tom Watson stands to
day not only as the choice of the Popu
list party for Vice President, but as a
preference of a maj ority of Southern
Democrats. His record is clean, he Is
the tried and true friend of the masses,
and if the Democratic party cannotsee
its way clear to removing obstacles it
has placed in the way of his election 1t
is a misfortune f which the Demo
cratic party alone is responsible.