The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-28
CAREER OF FIERY
THOMAS WATSON
A Glance at Some Of the Charac teristics
Of the Populist Candidate.
STUDY Of BRYAN's OTHER MATE
The Georgia Statesman an Ideal
Specimen Of the Oratorical Wind
Bag..Delights in Abusing Demo.
Gratis and Raising Row Whenever
Opportunity Is Offered.
Bureau OF The Tribune,
No. sol 14th ST., N. W.,


No. 5O1 14th ST.. N. W.,
Washington, July q.
The most remarkable and pictur-
esque national convention ever held was
the one which completed its labors-or,
from all accounts. 1t was with much
labor that It finally adjourned-at st.
Louis on Saturday last. The proceed
ings Of this most peculiar gathering
were composed principally Of wind and
whiskers. If anything. wind predomi-
mated, whiskers only lending pictur-
esqueness to the occasion. The mong-
rel ticket nominated-Bryan and Wat
son-is certainly unique one. No
simeon or prairie storm every contained
quite so much wind as does this re-
markable ticket, particularly the tail
end Of 1t.
Tom Watson Is the biggest blather-
skite that ever occupied seat In either
branch Of congress. with possibly the
exception of "Pitchfork" Tillman, one
of the present senators from South
Carolina. While a member of the
Fifty-second congress, Watson made a
donkey of himself every opportunity.
When an opportunity failed to present
itstii, HC was always Ciuui ~ Wv w
casion Of causing one. Watson is a
little wlzenedup man between 40 and
As years of age, with a large cocoanut-
shaped head. Unlike most of his Pcpu-
listic friends, his face is clean shaven.
He is fiery and impetuous debater. al
ways looking for and getting into a
row with somebody Upon one occa-
sion Watson made himself very un-
popular among his colleagues i'm the
house by charging all of them with be-
ing drunkards. Before he was tolerat-
cd as harmless crank. but afterwards
he was ostrucised by even men Of jerry
Simpsons stripe.
Watson took particular delight in
abusing Democrats, especially members
of that party from his own state
| Georgia. lie liked to stir up Speaker
Crisp. and oftentimes the presiding Of
ficer was compelled to sit down on Wat
| son very hard. 1t was Watson who
made ex-Judge Cobb. of Georgia, then
a member of congress. famous by call
| ing the attention of the house to his
| butchery of the English language. Wat
son asserted that during speech Judge
Cobb got off the now famous express
| sion: Mr. Speaker, where am / at?'
| Whether or not Judge Cobb was guilty
of making such break am unable to
say. The JUICE always denied 1t. and
as the Congressional Record failed to
record it. the chances are that Judge
Cobb never uttered the sentence. Judge
| Cobb Is very learned man, and was
| considered one of the best lawyers on
| the Democratic side of the house.
The climax of Watson's career in the
! house came on a hot day in July, when
General Wheeler. of Alabama. called
him to account for publicly besmirch-
ing members of congress, by accusing
them of drunkenness. The debate made
one Of the sensational chapters In the
| record OF the Fifty-second congress.
Watson was on the defensive most of
the time, he was hissed during his ex-
! PLANTATION, and finally. on a vote, the
house refused to let him proceed with
his explanation.
| The trouble grew out of a campaign
book. which Watson had written. 1t
was in the characteristic vein of in
vective and extreme assertion used by
the Populists. and was bitter in ar
raigning public men for alleged in
competence, venality and libertinism.
Speaking of the house of representa-
tives. Watsons book asserted:
Lack of common business prudence
| was never more glaring. Drunken
members have reeled about the aisles,
a disgrace to the republic Drunken
speakers have debated grave issues on
the floor, and in the midst Of maudln
ramblings have been heard to ask, Mr..
Speaker, where am I at?'"
! General Wheeler read this and other
assertions from the book, and then
proceeded to lash the Georgian.
| Il was so shocked he said, that I
went to members of the house and ask
| ed them If they had ever seen drunken
speakers debating grave issues and
every gentleman replied that he had
not asked them If they had ever seen
drunken members reeling in the aisle,
and they all said they had not
| watson sought to explain, but was in
terrupted from many quarters. This
made him defiant
| II want 1t to be understood" he ex-
claimed. that no representative from
New York can bulldoze the gentleman
from Georgia in the exercise of his
rights on this floor. He may as we'll
understand that now. I stand here to
defend every line in the book and will
DO 1t against all comers, whether from
the north or south. (Hisses) I saw
that every word in that book is literal
iy true, and all men who have been
Keeping their eyes open and wanting TO
admit the facts. will admit these facts
as fairly stated
| Inc scene that followed was a bois-
ferrous one and objections came from
all sides. A vote was taken as 70
whether Watson should be allowed to
proceed, and by 1879 to 25 Watson was
allowed to explain, the feeling being
that it was only fair to hear his side of
the case.
i want no matter Of grace from this
Democratic majority, which seeks to
hiss me down when am defending nv
character here on the floor of this
house, Mr.. Watson continued. "Jef.
fersonian Democracy grants to a man
freedom Of speech and freedom of press
and II you want to howl me down. do 1t
and will appeal from your tyranny ia
the fairest sense Of Justice that abides
in the heart Of the American people
1 scorn your grace. scorn your mercy
"The only crime charged in that para
graph which Democrat takes offense
at is that he got drunk at the barroom
this congress allows to be run in tho
basement. and the record shows that
members came up here on previous
day and admitted that they were drink
ers at 1t. You have planted the tree
why should you wonder at the fruit %
| There was another chorus of protests.
members asserting that Watson was
violating the rule which permitted an
explanation, but not relteratlon of
| the charge