People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-09-18


written contract with the farmers of
the country, and that written contract
was signed by Powderly, by Wright
and by Ralph Beaumont on your part
and was signed by Macune, by Living
ston and by Polk on the part of the
farmers"
Here an old man sitting away back
in the audience jumped up and com
menced to read the riot act to lot of
small boys who were making an awful
racket at the other end of the stand.
His speech created a great commotion
and it was some time before Mr.. Wat
son could proceed.
"If my friends" proceeded Mr.. Wat
son, will give me about five minutes
to get this crowd in my hands they will
never get lost again. Naughter.) If
my friends here in front will just
sit down and leave this thing to me l
will have it all right in few minutes.
This amt the first crowd I ever faced
by joyful. l can hold my own with
the boys-I am one of the boys myself
Naughter) Now here, let me get
back to it again and I hope there will
be no more interruptions from anybody
in the crowd, for no matter however
well meant they disturb rather than
quiet.
Il say, then, it doesn't become me to
say why or how certain of the labor
leaders are no longer supporting these
principles and standing by that contract
no more than it is worth my while to
talk about whether Macune IS doing it
or Livingston is doing it, do say this;
That l believe that the rank and file of
the labor organizations were true to
that contract then and are true to it
now, Just as know that the rank and
file of the Farmers Alliance were true
to it then and are true to it now.
Leaders may fall but the cause shall
not fail (Cheers.) Leaders may sell
out, but the gold has never been coined
that can buy the patriotism of a whole
people. (Cheers.) Leaders may hold
themselves aloof from the party and
trade off principles for pie, but the
rank and file still cling to the principles
of that contract and they have sworn
and swear it with them that the bat
tie shall not cease until the victory is
ours. Then, say to the labor organi-
cations of the United States you pledg-
ed your faith to us. Upon that faith
we of the South have acted. Upon the
faith that the laborers of the city would
stand by us the laborers of the country
have gone forward in their movement.
So far as | am concerned it is well
known to you that I ran for congress
on the contract and platform of 1889,
was elected to congress, stood faithfully
in congress by every plank in our plat
form, followed the party when it in
structed me rot to obey the caucus
dictations of either of the old parties,
followed the grand council at Indian
apoiia when yoC Instructed the con
gressmen that were elected on that
contract platform of st. Louis in 1889
not to go into the caucus of the old
parties. followed the movement and
your instructions when you came to
the conclusion that from neither old
party could you get any of the relief
you demanded. Further, l followed
you into the Peoples party, ran for con
gress on the Peoples party platform
and was swindled out of my seat"
Voices-o''Thats right"
81 was swindled by frauds that no
Democrat will deny and no Democrat
can defend. contested it in congress
ard was denied hearing. l fought
TIE battle again in 1894 and was swim
died out Of it again and the Democrats
themselves admitted that they had
overdone the thing They had cast
10000 ballots in a county whose male
population old enough to vote was H.
600 (Yells and laughter.) Even the
Democrats themselves said to me
Don't let's contest this thing. Let's
have it over again. We had it over
again in 1895; was swindled out of it
again. The contest is now in the house
and will be carried forward until it is
settled one way or the other But in
the meantime comes my party at st.
Louis and asks me to take presiden-
tial position upon this same platform,
and, believing in it as | believed in it
when you made it, stand by it now as
I did then, l have given five years OF
my life to it: am ready to give five
more and I simply ask you who made
the contract to stand by it just as l am
standing by it, and if you will be as
true to me as l am going to be to You
God will bless our efforts and we viii
achieve the reforms we wish to achieve.
wild cheeriug.) Unless the reforms
which we demanded in that platform
have been carried out we ought now to
come forward and carry them out II
is binding upon you and binding upon
me to carry forward the work until the
contract is established. The only way
you can escape from it is tosay that the
Peoples party has been untrue to the
contract made between the city laborers
and the country reformers. Can you
say it? (Chorus of voiccs-No.D
I'VE have been represented in con-
gress by body of Populist congress-
mon and they are the only MOI, in con.