The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-05
Kew Note of Watson's Speech
in CASTOR County.
SCORED a GREAT VICTORY
Six Thousand People at River
Bend to Hear Him.
FARMERS ALLIANCE CHARTER
Mr.. Watson Explained Fully His Con-
nection With the Sill That Was In
trouced in the Legislature to
Repeal II.

Charlotte, y. e, August tt SpecldI)
Instead of one hundred people from
Charlotte this morning TO River Bend,
the procession, with flags flying, in
Guiding cavalcade, was about half
mile in length. This line was added TO
as the procession would be joined in
each township until when it reached
the ford of the Catawba river. There
was almost a pontoon bridge of veht-
cles crossing the river for almost half
an hour.
The sight was inspiriting in the
early morning. Cy. Watson was in
the front carriage, accompanied by
S. j. Pemberton and others, and fol-
lowed by the Charlotte band.
A River Bend the woods looked like
an immense camp. From the estimates
of many, together with my own judg-
ment, / put the crowd down at six
thousand-women, girls, children and
men-all the good folks from all the
country around about except scat
tered few who had come to town TO
hear Walter Henry. Then there was
the McAdensville band, and it was
gala summer country scene of pleas
ure, but hot. Three horses succumbed
| and died of heat, and two fights took
place-one between young VIM. \. Gra-
ham and some young Davidson Popu-
| list whom he thought was disrespect-
| full to his father, who introduced Cy.
| Watson in a handsome hearty way.
| In the midst of his speech Maj. Gra-
| ham drew cheers by saying that the
| people did not belong to political par
| ties any longer, SO much as parties be-
| longed to the people.
| Avnnpep those on the nI1ffprm were.
S. j. Pemberton, VIM. \. Graham and
Jack Reinhardt, who was yesterday
unanimously nominated in Lincoln for
| the Legislature. Mr.. Reinhardt says
| he will carry the county, and there is
not a better man in Lincoln county.
| Others were S. Wittkowsky, w. II.
| Lewis, of Gastonia; Mr.. Berryhoe, DR..
| Faison, Heriot Clarkson, W. {. Dowd,
| all of Charlotte; Editor w. f. Mar
| shall, of the Gastonia Gazette; W. r.
Jordan, of Mountain Island, and others.
| The speaking was under the au-
| spices of II. L. Alternately, secretary,
| and w. G.. Cansler, president of the
| River Bend Association, and two Of
the most public-spirited citizens in the
county.
| With the exception of the sputter-
| ing mutterings of the two or three
mentioned above, in the outskirts of
| the crowd, the attention was undivided.
| Many said that Cy. Watson was hap
| pier than he was last night
| The effect of his speech was delight
| full. 1t was as courageous as it was
| tolerant. and always interesting. He
| still stuck to his key note, the people,
| saying in opening that the crowning
| glory of this government was that the
people come out to places like this and
| discuss questions of government.
This is elf-government-this is
coming down to the very foundation
stone of sslf-goyernment--g government
by the people. You come here to
| scrutinize your candidate and to hear
him, TO see if he is the kind of man
to be your servant, not your master,
for the rest of the four years.
Regardless of results / have deter
mined that ] shall say no word that
| do not believe is absolutely true"
The speaker, after defining the rela-
tion of the producing to the non-pro-
ducing class and the relation of the
government to each, said that those
in the government sometimes forget
that they are the mere creatures of
| the people, thereby bringing about
one-man government.
Mr.. Watson said the question of the
| farmers had been one of earnest
thought by him for many years and
here Mr.. Watson told of a talk he had
some years ago with the late Co. l.. L..
| Polk, in which that gentleman ex-
pressed his desire to start paper de
voted to the interests of the farmer.
He talked with Col. Polk long and
earnestly and took his list and went
around Winston and raised $50 with
| which he started the Progressive
| Farmer, having first started the sub
seription himself with half of all the
cash he had in the world being S75. and
his partner put down $75, thus start
ing the list with $3.50. He told Col.
Polk he could not pay it back until he
was able without interest, and he
paid it.
Mr.. Watson stuck to the people as
his key note. He convulsed the great
multitude with laughter by taking
| Tom Reed and Grover Cleveland and
| giving them three years apprentice
ship as tobacco farmers in North Caro-
| lima from the time they began digging
| roots with mortagaged picks to the
| time when they brought it to market
/ with a mule and steer on a winter
| morning, when the wheel would go
| down in the mud three-fourths up to
the hub. Then he pictured the two
on the breaks listening to the auc-
tioneer rattling out something they
knew not what, until their pile of to-
bacco, representing all they had to
| take care of themselves for twelve
| months, their whole crop, had been
| knocked out at bid set by
| the American Tobacco Company.
Then Tom Reed would come