Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-08-14
THOMAS WATSON.

VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE.
Small In Form bus Vigorous in In
tellect-E.ike Bryan, His Face 4
SmOoth-A Siudent-A Fearless On
pOnent-His Congregational Meth
Ods-a Man of the People.
Correspondent OF the Examiner
Tom Watson, of Georgia, just nov
the Populist nominee for Vice Presi
dent, is physically an atom of a man
His frame is small; he is meagre ir
flesh, and what there is seems laid or
grudgingly as if nature hesitated tc
make the man at all. The entire in.
dividual won't weigh 120 pounds.
But slight though he be almost to
the point OF feeble, Watson has the vi
vacity and heat OF fire. No one in
Georgia can cope with him before a
crowd, unless it is Crisp, whom he bit
terly hates. Watson's face is smooth
no mustache, no beard.
Watson has eyes of gray, with yellow
hair-long this last, and of the sort
that hangs in straight locks and
flaunts defiance. 1t is divided we'll
ever on the left side, this hair, and
combed smoothly back and over with
out any flourish or effect toward the
beautiful. AS he talks Watson has a
Dantonian trick to gesture and whirl
his arms, sways his small body, tosses
his head like a racer. This sets lock
OF hair to waving and hanging across
his forehead and low, it takes part in
his disputes, and, falling and floating
like a pony's name, punctuates his
periods with loppy emphasis. Ever
and again as he talks, his thin, ner.
vous right hand will recover this dis.
putatious forelock and with one mo-
ton furl il smoothly away back of his
ear, where it is prisoner, however, only
moment.
Watson's face is fine and sensitive
rather bony face, hungry and drawn
with the reading of many books. His
forehead is broad, but retreating; and
gives one the impression that Watson
sees more things than he thinks
This is true. Watson is not so much
an originator as perceiver. He sees
things, he reads things, he hears
things; he is not so apt to think them
Consistent with these latter attri.
butes is the hawkish tendency of Wat.
son. His face, rather prominently
phased as to nose, is of the hatchet
beakish kind, and has decidedly fal.
con effect. And that's what Watson
is; and if there is aught in theosophy
which much misdoubt-that's what
Watson was-a falcon. He has the
shrill raspy voice, the power of strong
high flight, the pinion, the talon, the
beak and withal the swoop of the
hawk. He thinks fiercely too, and
while Watson may have the wrong
side of the debate as often as others
one may be sure by beak or claw he'll
set the subject bleeding before he.
closed.
When Watson was in the House few
men cared for contest with him. He
fears no one. His record is pure, his
character without stain. His honesty
has never bred doubt. Industrious
to the point Of over-work, with an in.
domitable bent to labor and dig, book.
fed to a degree. Watson is always bit.
terly full, not to say brilliantly aware
of his subject. He has, moreover, q
lancet-like incisiveness that cuts. And
if interfered with by taunt or jeer OF
contradiction. Watson can talk like
the thrust of bowie knife; his rhet
oric stabs. For all these reasons most
members preferred to give the pale
over-trained young man from Georgis
a wide berth in debate. They got nc
victory, no honor and only wounds
from collision with him.
Watson dresses we'll, but not modish.
ly. His garb is not new.fashioned
But he has all of a cats scruples to be
neat. He has no sense of humor, and
life is a serious struggle with him
His sense of honor is not only high,
but acute, and he is painfully faithful
to a principle or a friend. As you
look at him you realize after 9
bit that Watson is one who would ride
on tumbril and give his head to the
guillotine for conviction. When the
North produces John Brown, the
South puts forth Watson. They are
alike to their regions. Yet it is
doubted if either would feel compli
mented by the comparison.
Watson has no tact, no talent fol
personal friendship, and is disagree
able while doing right. He is es.
sentially creature of his environ
ment, believes in the duello and the
personal responsibility of men fol
their words and deeds. He once sho,
several very satisfactory holes in q
fellow attorney, who invaded his
sensibilities as they tried case.
When Watson came to Congress in
December, 1891, one or two thought
to bully him. Livingston, giant
physically, was one of these. 1t was
at Populist caucus and the trouble
arose out OF Watson's refusal to sup
port Crisp for Speaker. Livingston
L.