People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-09-25
GIVES REASONS WHY.
Colorado Herald Announces its
Allegiance to Watson.

Colorado Herald Announces ITS
Allegiance to Watson.
We have been asked why we pre-
ferred Tom Watson to Mr.. Sewall as
vice presidential candidate. There
are several reasons, chief Of which is,
he has been tried as re preventative
of the masses, and found not want
ing, while we have no reason to ex-
peot any favor for the masses from
Sewall.
When the union of labor forces in
the South and West resulted in the
election Of forty-ons congressman in
1890, Tom Watson was one of that
number. These members were then
virtually Republicans and Demo
Gratis, but they had pledged them
selves to decline to enter their party
aucus or be controlled by it in any
manner whatever. This pied ge was
exaoted by the Farmers Alliance and
other kindred and affiliated labor Or
CARNATIONS. OF the forty-one men,
bers elected by this union of labor
force in 1890, thirty were from the
South and eleven from the West.
When congress convened in '91, party
lines were closely drawn and the
party caucus was all-powerful in
holding together the old party vote
in the organization of the house. To
the honor of the eleven Western re-
representatives. be it said that every
one of them held firmly to their
pledge not to enter their party eau
Gus, and to the honor of Tom Watson
be it said he was the one Of the thirty
Southern representatives who held
his pledge to the people as a sacred
promise. He was the candidate of
the Western peoples representatives
for the speakership, when be 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 mechanics and common laborers
trust and honor Tom Watson? More
than this, the toilers of the West and
South have long ago decided that the
South had been held at the repent
ance seat long enough. The prime
object of the Alliance movement was
to unite these sections 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 preja,
dice and name even one candidate
on its national ticket from the South,
yet for thirty years, with one ex.
ception, received its solid electoral
vote.
For the past two years, if one
might judge by the utteranoes of the
Democratic press and Democratic
politicians, there appeared to be a
disposition on the part of the Demo.
cratic party to seek to unite the west
snd South; but when that party
named its national ticket this year 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 g rebuke to this gec.
tional spirit as it was declaration of
Populist independence. Tom Wat,
son stands today not only as the
choice of the Populist party for vice
president, but as a preference of a
majority of Southern Democrats
His record is clean, he is the tried
and true friend Of the masse9, and if
the Democratic party cannot see it's
way clear to removing obstacles it
has placed in the way of his election
il is misfortune for which the Dem.
ocratic party alone is responsible.