The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-16
WATSON ON STATE ISSUES.
Talks on Prohibition at AlDharetta.
AppeaIa to the blacks.


Fully three thousand people assembled
in the little town of Alpharetta Friday TO
listen to Hon. Thomas E. Watson, says
the Atlanta Constitutions report. AS
Watson arose and stood before the audi
ence he was given an ovation in the way
of applause that fairly lifted the bushes
off the roof. After waiting for the ap-
plause to cease he stretched out his hand
in one Of his customary attitudes and
secured silence. From that time on for
over two hours he held his audience.
There were many democrats and a few
republicans in the crowd. but they seem
ed to feel that the day belonged to the
populists and the few interruptions that
were made were of a quiet and orderly
character.
Mr.. Watson began his speech by a brief
review of the political situation, and then
as he got into his subject, he fell into
his usual vein, and began to tackle in
dividuals and individual issues in a char
actertstic way. 1t was evidently his pur-
pose to help out the state ticket first. He
followed up the arguments made the day
before by Wright and started some new
ones. Gov. Atkinson he handled without
gloves, and If the governor had been pres
emit to reply there would doubtless have
been some warm cross firings. Among
other things, he brought up the story Of
the pardoning of Hinton, the man who
killed the one-armed negro in Wilkes
county. He said that he had been pres
ent and heard the man plead guilty to
the charge of murder in open court, and
yet he had never received an hours pun
ishment or even worn a stripe.
This was intended to play on the ne
groes, quite a crowd of whom stood on
one side of the arbor. He easily excited
them and was frequently greeted with
cries of Diets de truth" Yes, Lord /"
and other EXPLANATIONS.
we believe he said, lin the separation
of the young from the old criminals in
the establishment of reformatory, where
young boys, white or black, who fall into
the hands of the law, may be taught how
to work, may be trained to useful trades
so that when they have served their
terms they may be sent back to their
homes to make useful citizens, instead of
being turned loose after long associations
with the most hardened of criminals ia
miliariZed with and trained to every atr-o-
city and crime that human nature can be
guilty of. My fellow countrymen, this is
one of the crying evils of our present law
Let us go out of the business of educating
hardened criminals. Let US cease to de-
feat the very end for which justice and
punishment is intended by establishing re-
formatorles, so that your boy who goes
to prison may come back to you a better
man than he went and not return
from a state institution so hardened in
iniquity and crime that no path is open to
him except that to the gallows"
In this line he made a further appeal for
the negro vote, telling them that the popu-
lists would take care of the negro convicts
as they should be cared for In further
urging them to support the populist tick
ct, he said
"You colored men owe us your votes It
was the popuHst party which first de-
manded and secured for you the right to
vote. You had it in theory, but you never
had it in fact until we gave it to you. The
democrats never gave it to you. The re-
publicans tried to give you the power to
vote, but they never succeeded in doing
1t until the populist party demanded and
secured for you this right that had so
long been lawfully yours, and now, when
by our efforts you can vote, are you going
to use your votes against us?''
The clause in the populist platform on
which he spoke most earnestly was the
prohibition plank. North Georgia has a
unique record Of its own on the whisky
question which makes the discussion Of
the question a difficult path Especially
is this true of the mountain counties. Bur
Mr.. Watson plunged boldly and fearIessly
into the discussion and handled the saloon
without gloves.
I'VE are pledged" he said, ito abolish
the barTooms. They tell us that this is