The age-herald., 1898-02-03
 TOMWATSON FOR GOVERNOR He Will Head the PopuIist Ticket
 in Georgia. REMARKABLE. LAW PRACTICE Eighteen Criminal Gases and Only Lcses One Fills the Jury Room With populists
 Secret of His Success.
Special to The Age-Herald.


 Atlanta Ga., Feb. 2-It is announced and from high sources that Hon Thomas E. Watson will be the popullst candidate for governor Of Georgia. It it fact that the state convention, which meets in Atlanta, March 18th will nominate him by q unani- nous vote, and that he will accept there is now no doubt.
 Since the last presidential election, when he was the populist candidate for vice president, Watson has been taking little part in politics. He has been quietly prac- ticing law at his home in Thomson, Ga. and has made reputation in criminal practice second to ne man in Georgia. When Watson a democrat, elect ed to congress from the Tenth Georgia dis trict he sold his law library and intended not to again resume his practice. Subse- quently he joined the populist movement and in his attempt to be reelected to con gress, not as democrat, but as populist, he failed, and the periodical contests that followed attracted national attention. It was only few months ago, when, realiz- ing that all efforts to go to congress again were futile, he again swung his attorney" sign to the breezes.
 The eleven counties of the Tenth district are populist with the exception of the two that have been able to roll up democratic majorities enough to affect the aggregate populist. ma jorites of the remaining nine. MT. Watson is a power among his constit- uency in whatever role he may appear, and it has been frequently charged that he ac- complishes his remarkable successes before the juries of these eleven counties within which his practice is almost wholly con fined by his ability to select populist jurors biased by their infatuation for the counsel. A review of the recent cases in which Wat sons has been employed and the verdicts rendered in each certainly disclose sur prisns record
 Watson's practice is devoted almost en- tirely to defending in capital crimes. Re- cent developments show that it is almost impossible to convict in his section of the state if Watson is employed for the de- fense. His jurors are not always popu- lists, but strong sprinkling of that ee- ment is found in every jury box if it is in the Tenth Georgia district, and if Wat son has a voice in the proceedings.
 It is a matter of record that of the eighteen notable capital cases he has de- tended since November, 1896, he has lost DuIf one. W netnerf III tHe Ientfl NeOrSla district majority of the accused murder CTS are legally innocent of crimes, or whether MT. Watson has the good fortune to defend only innocent men, whether the juries, largely composed of popuists, are swayed by the personal and political influence of their party. leader, are ques- tons upon which there are wide differ ences of opinion. Certain it is, however, that the record is one that has been sell dom if ever equaled, and it is no wonder that if a popust gets in trouble he sends for Tom Watson. His clientage is not confined exclusively, however, to populist ranks.
 Watson's re-entry into politics has tonal significance. He is the leader of the middle-of-the-roader as against the Marion Butler faction, and it unquestona- bly means an Independent populist presi-4 dential ticket. Watson can head that ticket if he will.