Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-09

ATLANTA, Aug. S.-Atlanta has been in
the hands of the populists this week.
Several hundred strong, with their
wives, sisters and sweethearts, they
have possessed the streets, hotels and
newspapers They all wore badges, of
course, red badges and are an earnest,
sturdy set of people. They have their
chickering's, their antagonisms and their
personal ambitions like all other poDti-
cal bodies, and there are statesmen and
officeseekers, self-poised leaders and dis
sentious delegates, such as one finds In
every gathering of men called FOR the
purpose of discussing the principles OF
government and selecting standard
bearers for the campaigns which are TO
ensue. OF course, the delegate most in
evidence was the Hon. Thomas watson,
whose vice presidential aspirations seem
likely to bring about certain unfortunate
acknowledgements. He Is a man of intellec-
tual power, scholarly attachments, and
is firm, positive and answering after
assuming a position upon any question
of Importance. He Is fearless and pold,
asserting his views, political or other
wiseI and courageously stands for what
heIconceives to be right. He Is, with all
these attributes, of strong, forceful ma
lure, ambitious to degree that brooks
AUerivalry, and he makes no concessions
which may uDDTevldle IiS POWCi VI ASSS-
en- his influence. The good of the nation
and the benefits to come to his people are
insignificant matters compared with the
tepsonal advancement that may come TO
him. Hon. Thomas Watson is dominate
edaby a. greed for place and position,
craving for national notoriety, which
blind him to the higher duties of Ameri-
eanse.tizenship. He is a demagogue, not
d statesman; politician, not patriot.
But, withal he is one of the men OF the
day. around and about whom centers
much of the thought and the talk OF this
fnomentuous time. No man, who for
years has contended for principle, ever
had "a grander opportunity-to prove 10
his Followers that he struggled honestly
than, this same Georgian. But VIII ne
accept this opportunity, and oy suDord y
realizing the dreams of his people anu
bringing to them certain and quick re.
lief? Those who know Mr.. watson pes'
say that he will not.
Sneaking of political matters, we drove
out few afternoons ago to the exposi-
zion grounds, and, as we stood on one
OF the broad terraces ana remempefeu
all the gay pageants that hlied the ave
nues and boulevards of the GROUNDS with
color and sound, there came back to us
especial days, when the blare OF trum-
nets. roll of drums and all the rank and
nara pbernalia of a nations soluLery
made an indellible impression upon the
mind But. of all days in those memoir
able weeks. which stretched rom ~ ~
TENDER until January, the most notapfe
was that one when President cleveland
and a portion of his cabinet came to this
Georgia town to view the marvellous ex-
position of southern genius ana PLUCK.
Referring to that occasion, my opserv-
ami companion the other afternoon re-
marked: ,s"Oleveland stood just there on
aSnlaffSJrn on that terrace and reviewed
Ire snfendfd line of soldiers which pass
ed1below him. The grounds were pack
I'd with a seething mass OF humanity
butxnot q spark of enthusiasm was Wis
fh3e in that vast crowd. except when the
peaple cheered the different bodies OF
M5fe troops. They were courteous ana
Ebsbitable, but there was IAN utter ap-
Se1ce of southern fire and noise; there
EaH an ominous silence when the pres
neT,t spoke ana while he stood to review
Ma military. He should have known
Mep that the people were preparing Tor
a=revolution and that they had lost fa1th
frfeffim as a man and as president. 4
And as we turned on our way no dnns
newer of the people came to me a1resn.
ts-recalTedc how southerners hao cast
H63r votes solidly to make man presi-
Hef1f whom, they deemed just, proao-
XIfHded~ and true How tney nau gen ten-
tnnrjes that lead to the enriching OF the
Nv and the impoverishing of the mil
ANS How, with loyalty to an IDEAL they
xsflised to believe him capable OF those
zs3ssEtionab BILE acts which fastened upon
<n5ss sectlon deeper and more direfui as
Sfexs. But when once aroused 70 tneir
Anger. when once confronted with the
46si that they had been betrayed, ana
Ma man whom they had elevated ana
66nored, they arose in the magnincens
majesty OF their manhood and demanded
&settlement atshis hands. 1t Is useless
fosbarley or to discuss with southerners
any question which has about It the
taint of betrayal. There Is no "infu-
.ence" sufficient to stifie the honor ana
nobleness of our people, and there al
WAYS comes day of reckoning to q man
,Who delivers into the enemies hands
those men whose votes have given him
PoWer. Whether he be constable or pres
dent, the people have right to demand
an account. of his stewardship, and they
always do. and more than that, they al
wayswilL mo man is too great to escape
the vengeance OF deceived people; no
man can hide from the wrath of his out
ragged and betrayed fellow creatures.
There was on that day at Atlanta only
the mutterings Of the approaching
storm. which has since grown into re-