The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-08-18
T OF

MANA Great Mind in q Feeb e BODY "
His Record in Congress--A Self Made
Man.
Tom Watson of Georgia, just now
the PopuIist nominee for Wee Presi
dent, is, physically, an atom of a man.
His frame is small. He is meager IN
fash, aud what there is seems laid on
grudingIy, as it nature hesitated to
make the man at all. The entire indi-
vidual won't weigh 100 pounds.
But slight though he be, almost to
the point of f~eebIeness, Watson has
the vivacity and heat of fire. NJ one
in Georgia can cope. with him before a
crowd, unless it is Crisp, whom ne
bitterly hates. Watson's fac is smooth
no mustache, no beard.
Watson has eyes of gray, with vel
low hair-long, this last, and OF the
sort that hangs in straight locks and
haunts defiance. 1t is divided we'll
over the left side, this hair, and com6ed
smoothly back and over without any
flourish or effect toward the beautiful.
AS he talks Watson has a Dantonian
trick to gesture and whirls his arms,
sways his small body, losses bis head
like a races. This sets a lock of hair to
waving and hanging across his fore
head, and low, it takes part in his dis
putes, and falling and floating like a
pony's name punctuates ~hisperiod with
loppy emphasis. Ever and again as
he talks his thin. nervous right hand
will recover this disputatious forelock
and with one motion fUrl it smoothly
away back of his ear where it is pris
oned, however, only for a moment
Watson's face is foe aud sensitive.
a rather bony face, hungry and drawn
with the reading Of many books. His
forehead is broad, but ~retreating, and
gives 4 the impression that Watson
sees more things than he thinks This
is true. Watson is not so much an
originator as a ]perceiver. He ees
things; he reads things; he hears
things. He is not so apt to think
them.
Consistent, with these latter attri-
butes is the hawklsh tendency Of Wat
son. HIS face, rather prominently
phrased as to the nose, / s,of the Ratchet,
beakish kind, and has decidedly a fal
con tff oct. And that's what Watson IS.
and if there is aught in theosC ply
which 1 much misdoubt-that what
Watson was-a falcon. He has the
shrill raspy voice, the power Of strong,
high fight, the pinion, the talon, the
beak, and withal the swoop Of the
hawk. He thinks fercely, 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's
closed.
When Watson was in the House, few
men cared for contest with him. He
feared no one. His record is pure, his
character without stain. His honesty
has v bred q 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 subj ct. He has, moreover, a
lencelike IHcisiveness. And if inter
fered with by taunJ or Ger OF contra
diction, Watson a talk like the
thrust of a bowie knife. His rhetcrie
stab5. For all these reasons most mem
bers preferred to give the pale, W.
trained young man from Georgia a
wide berth in debate. They got no
victory, no honor and only wounds
from COLLISION with him.
Watson dresses we'll, but not mod
ishly. His garb i5 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. Asyou look
at him you realize after a bit that Wat
son is one who would ride on a tum
bril- and give his head to the guillo-
tine for q conviction. When the North
produces a John Brown, the South
puts forth a Watson. They are alike
to their regions. Yet it is doubtful if
either would feel c0mplimented by the
comparison.
Watson has no tact, no talent for
personal friendship, and is disagree
able while doing right. He is essential
ly a creature OF his environment-be-
lieves IN the duello and the personal
resnnnsihiItv OF men for their mnrdn