The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-10
THOMAS E. WATSON'S LETTER
ACCEPTING NOMINATION
What the Populists' Presidential Candidate
Writes to the Chairman of His COMMITTEE
on Notification.

corporations seized the public lands.
the money power began that series of
Iofays upon the government and upon
ehe producing classes which has trans
erred almost the whole of the wealth
OF the country to those who never
bravely fought for the government in
TIME OF war, nor honestly served it
IN tltne of peace. The grand armies
oI industry win the yearly victory over
nature by toll, producing the wealth
when the captains of industry appro-
pirate to themselves by subtle chican-
cry. The vastly greater part of the
wealth of this country is enjoyed by
. . VINO never produced a dollar in
their lives.
Ii ! were President would recog-
hize mat capital and labor have reach
ed a dangerous antagonism. NY ut
most influence would be used to es-
taoilsh a national bureau of arbitra-
tioh' would ask combined capital to
choose one man, union labor to choose
another, and l would, myself, as chief
magistrate, choose a third. Such a
board of arbitration should have juris-
dlction over labor troubles and would
become power of good.
Having learned what true Democracy
was from Stephens and from the writ
lngs OF Jefferson, | am not willing to
change the creed at the dictation of
Belmont, Pat McCarren and Arthur
German.
Measured by the old standards of JEFF
ferson, Jackson, Benton and Stephens,
the party which calls itself Democratic
mas no right to do so. 1t contains no
Democratic principles. 1t does not seek
TO accomplish any Democratic purpose
1t has no harmony of creed, no unity
OF action, no common legislative OBJ
Ject. One and all, they would like to
capture the offices; beyond that, they
ject.
In effect, the Democratic party of to-
day has no mission except to keep the
people divided, in order that the cor
porations may have no substantial OPP
position. The Republican party is one
good horse: the Democratic party is
another. Sometimes the corporations
ride the one, sometimes the other. In
either event, they keep in the saddle.
Against the resistance of Judge Holl-
man of Indiana, Mr.. Loud of Cali
fornia, and others, 1 passed through
the House the first Appropriation which
this government ever made for the
free delivery of mail to the people who
live outside cities, towns and villages.
That resolution, which was defeated
on the first vote, but which l carried
through on the second (Feb. II, 1898
is the foundation of the present Rural
Free Delivery System, which gave EN-
ployment to forty thousand men, and
which carries civilization to the re-
hottest meek of the woods The farm
ers of America have seldom asked any
thing in the way of favors from the
government; more seldom have they
got anything even when they asked.
The rural free delivery does more for
the farmer than any law on the statute
book of this republic, and before all
of the farmers decide to vote against
me I trust that they will consider what
l did for them.
Regardless, however, of how any man
will vote because of the laws referred
to, take some pleasure in abiding to
them, for the reason that they prov
ed that the sentiment 'animating this
letter are those which have controlled
my life. ] regret that my opportunf-
ties for doing work of that kind have
been so few. Republicans and Demo-
Gratis united their votes to prevent me
from serving more than one term in
Congress, even when the plainest evil
dence was presented of the frauds
which deprived me of the official COM
mission.
Since then l have had no opportunity
to do more than to advocate with the
pen the principles to which / am de-
voted. To accept this nomination and
eXpound those principles, this becomes
q question of serving the good cause.
And no matter what the results may
be, / shall find satisfaction in feeling
that l have done right.
Thos. e. Watson.