People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-10-09
Hon. Thomas E. Watson.

N"~A AASSAASSCNoA GAOou WAloA 40 INV Sh~
joyed many times in lifetime. The
writer of this has had the good for.
time to hear lincoln, Douglass, Sum-
ner, Wendell Phillips, Gladstone,
Labourchre, Ingarsoll, Bradlaugd
and Phillips Brooks, but never wss
he at an intellectual banquet where
food for thought was served more
bountifully than at this feast of rea-
son and flow of soul rendered the
people of Lincoln by our guest from
Georgia.
In elegant diotion, in inoessive
statement, in convincing logic, in
that triumph OF all oratory, the power
to gain the good will and sympathy
of an audience, Thos. E. Watson has
no superior in the United States.
He began with an acknowledg-
ment of the generous and kind treat
ment he had received from the peo-
pie of Nebraska, and then cane the
frank statement that he was Popu-
list standing upon the Populist plat
form. He spoke for over two hours
amid almost constant thunders OF
applause, yet the time seemed only a
few minutes. There were keen
flashes Of wit rapier like thrusts OF
sarcasm, demoustrative logic, beau i
iul word pictures, pathos and SEMI
ment.
HIS discussion Of the principles of
q just system Of taxation was iull Of
learning and scholarship, and his
conclusions the same as are arrived
at by all students of that subject
viz taxes should be laid on property
and not per capita on men.
He defended the Populist idea of
the public ownership of all pubic
highways. In reply to the question
of how We could buy and pay for
the railroads, he said. We paid for
them, as things now are every twenty
years anyway, aud after they were
thus paid for we did not have even a
hand, car to show for our money.
He told the story of the Georgia
central railroad. 1t was the pride
of the state. The money of wido Us
sad orphans was invested in its
stock as safe Investment. Retired
merchants, after business lie time
in trade, put their money there.
Then Col. Brice and a syndicate
came down in palace car and "re.
organized it." When they got
throug it was bonded and mort
gagged for $50,000,0OO. The stock
worthless and the widows, orphans
and old retired nero aants were beg
gsrs. He thought the government
could run the road better than that.
In speaking Of the tariff question
he summed it up this way: A pro
tective tariff will either raise. lower
or not effect prices at all, anu asAea
the Republican which it would do.
The Republicans not being inclined
to answer, he said that if it raised
prices, then these goldite Republi-
cans we're worse than tho free silver
men, who n Bourke Cochran de-
nounced, because they waited to
raise prices and make the wage
worker pay more for his food and
clothing,if g protective tariff lowered
prices they could see the effect of
that all around them. Ii it did not
effect prices at all, what was the use
OF having any thing to do with IT.
There was little crowd of Re
publicans at the back part Of the
theatre. When Mr. Watson said
That the real gold standard meant
that all taxes and all 'ebts must
be paid in gold, they see med inclined
to make disturbance as the free
silver men began to yell back at
them.
No public speaker ever showed
more tact and skill than Mr.. Watson
did at this junction. He had the
whole thing quieted in side OF a half
a minute. He said: off am wrong
wish to be corrected and if you
prove that l am vi ong l will make
an apology. What do you mean in
your platform when you say 'the
present gold standard?' Then he
won't after Grover Cleveland and the
old Democrats parry with few
savage thrasts that sat the R4publ