Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-12-01
WATSON IN PROPHETIC ROLE.

Thomas E. Watson, recently candi-
date of the peoples party for President,
yesterday addressed a ! arge crowd at
Charlottesville. Ga, the former home of
Alexander H. Stevens. His address
was received with close attention, but
with no marked enthusiasm. He spoke
10 part as follows:
"In national politics tAe democratic
party stands without party, declara-
ton of principles or accepted leader. 1t
is utterly bankrupt in reputation. 1t
has no unity of conviction, sentiment or
purpose. 1t contains antagonistic ele-
ments which can never be harmOnized.
Its secret purpose is 80 foreign to what
democratic masses approve that the
eternal struggle OF the national leaders
is to prevent the democratic masses
from penetrating that secret purpose.
"What is that secret purpose? To
use the democratic party in support
OF the same system of class legislation
which the republican party stands
for. The watchword is, Keep up the
attack upon republican individuals,
but do not attack the system of spe-
cial privileges which is responsible
for present conditions In other words,
the secret mission of the democratic
party is to keep up a sham battle.
"By keeping the party divided and
deluded they hinder the organization of
a real opposition to privileged class leg
islatiOn and corporate greed. Thus the
democratic national party is the best
friend of which the plutocratic republi-
can party can boast, for the Belmonts,
who call themselves democrats, are just
as much in favor OF special privileges as
the Carnegies and Morgans, who call
themselves republicans.
al make this prediction Bryan will
be the candidate Of the democratic party
in 1908. And l make this second pre-
diction
"When Bryan runs for President in
1908 as the candidate of the Parker
Belmont. CLEVELAND German combine he
will be a worse beaten man than Parker
ever was.
"Does Mr.. Bryan sincerely believe
that he can commit the national demo-
cratic convention to his recently repaired
and replenished populist platform? Ifso,
he must see that the country would then
have two populist parties. Such con-
tingency would be laughable were not the
crisis so grave. Mr.. Bryan must know that
his program promises nothing better than
spectacular combat at another st. Louis
convention, with another dog fall as the
result, another surrender on the part of
NJ Bryan, another sham battle before
tie people and another Waterloo 10
which all will be lost, including honor.
"The democratic party can no longer
claim to be national. 1t is sectional.
The South is still its victim. The South
is still the qusdrennial sacrifice which
corrupt or stupid Southern politicians de.
liver to Wall street. But for the solid
South the eastern democracy would have
to shat up shop, join the republicans
and face genuine party of opposition.
"What keeps the South solidf Moth
ing in the world except an out-of-d date
sectional animOsity and The shamelessly
hypocritical cry of negro domination.
sIn each Southern State there is mo-
nopoly of privilege and power which is
fighting for its life. AS rule. the mo-
nopoly is based upon the support of
northern railroads, northern banks, north
ern manufacturers, the school-book
trust and the cottonseed oil trust. Fed
bountifully from these rich sources the
democratic machine in the Southern
States is very naughty indeed. 1t wants
no change Southern politicians will
sacrifice the national ticket any time to
maintain the local monopoly.
"And the negro question is the joy
of their lives. They exist upon it.
They fattrn on it. With one shout of
'nigger' they can run native democrats
to their homes at any hour of the day.
Men who appear to have some common
sense in other directions lose all their
mental bearings when the negro cues
ton is sprung, and they Immediately
begin to hop around in a Dervish dance
OF the political hysteria.
"The South cannot afford to be sec
tional. In self.defense she must be Ia
tional. If We allow our Southern lead
ers to put us in degrading position ma
tionally ours is the fault. As long as
we allow the solid South to be a politi-
cal slave to handful of eastern capital
lists we may expect to feel the lash of
the slave driver and to feel the weight of
the chain.
"Let us put a finish to this degrada-
tion of the South. Let us assert our
manhood against the tyranny of political
bosses Let US break the shell of this
b lurbonism, which neither learns nor
forgets."