The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-15

ernacle, Nashville, Tenn, on the Sth
day Of the present month, at which
more than 1000 people of every walk
OF life were present, Thomas e. Wat
son, peoples party candidate for presi-
dent, again delivered one of his mas
terful addresses. Republicans and
democrats of national prominence
were mingled with the audience. Con-
spicuous among these were: Sena-
tor w. B. Bate. Congressman John
Wesley Gaines, John McMillin, Inter-
nal Revenue Collector John E. Mccall
United States District Attorney A. nj.
Tillman, Chairman of the State Re-
publican Executive Committee j. G. r.
Mccall and other men equally as we'll
known in politics and affairs. The
meeting was presided over by Hon. H.
j. Mullens. Mr. Watson's address
follows in full:
Fellow Citizens: For the first time
since the civil war. national party
has dared to nominate upon its presi-
Dental ticket man south of Mason
and DixOnS line. In this campaign
that southern man. who is proud to
say he is a southern man, in blood
and in sentiment. is the only candi-
date who stands upon platform of
Jeffersonian, Jacksonian democracy.
tApplause) And yet, almost without
exception, those politicians and edi-
tors of the south, who claim to have
in their peculiar keeping the word
democracy" are doing their utmost to
misrepresent the candidate, and to
grind him down into the mire of de-
feat. Isn't that singular situation?
If the candidate really be southern
man, if he really stands upon demo-
cratic principles, has he no right to
sympathy and support among his own
people ofsthe south?
Tonight / beg you to listen to me
patiently, while / endeayor to appeal
not to your passions, not to your SYM
pathy, but to your reason-to your
judgment. 1t does seem to me that it
is high time that the average man OF
the south should do some of his own
thinking, and should act for himself
according to his own light, and not
forever obey the crack of the party
whip fAlLiause.)
Your BALLOT! What is it? | wonder
sometimes if American manhood stops
to think what the ballot really repre-
sents and what it is. In the first place
it represents the triumph which cham
Iions of popular liberty won from ty-
ranny in the years that are gone. The
time was when this race of white peO-
pie had nc such thing as free speech
had no such thing as freedom of the
pen, had no such thing as freedom of
conscience, had no such thing as free
dom of the ballot How did the race
get it? By following the lead of those
brave pioneers who unfurled the STAN
dard of revolt against existing OPP
preston, against existing tyranny
whether of king or class. and, conse-
Grated to the purpose of lifting the
common mass of humanity up upon a
higher plane of civilization, demanded
for the people the right to vote for
themselves fApplause,l Therefore
the ballot-the ballot is the trophy
the evidence of victory which the re-
former won in the years that are gone;
and many brave manifest his life
lost his life at the heapman's block.
or on the battleiellr before tnat piece
of paper came into> thu hands oq the
white race. (Applausel Not only is
il souvenir and sacred heirloom of
the years that are gone-reminding us
forver of the great reformers of the
white race who have stood the stress
and the storm. and made the fight for
the rights of the common people. Not
only that, but II Is. after you have got
IL. the weapon. the hloodless weapon
with which YOU defend hdme and fire.
side. Wife and child. liberty and life
from the oppressiveness of Nose who
might. III their Entertainments were
submitted 10. drive Won back again
into condition Of class seryltude,
Eternal vigilance being the prfce og
liberty, the use 90 which YOU shall put
that weapon that bloodlees weapon by
which civil liberty II 10 be- kept after
n h won-that weapon with ceaseless
vigilance should be used wherever
your liberties are al stake. and In
such way a. "a preserve the sacred
heritage ot the past lApplausci
hope 20 God that every man who
takes bis ballot on the sih day OF No