The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-09-07
WATSON HAD ROUGH HOUSE
his enemies the words:

~~-~~~~~.~~ ~~~O~~0~~~N~ ~-o-~~~~~N ~~~~-~-~
his enemies the words:
Your tyTannOus action at yester-
! days state convention destroyed half
your chances, and your infamous
treatment of me tonight will destroy
the rest"
At this point of Mr.. Watson's
speech there were cries of "Hurrah
for Hoke Smith, but the speaker
proceeded in spite of the Interrupt
ton.
THAT registration law disfranchis-
ed more than 100000 white voters
of this state, and it enfranchised at
least 700 negroes" he continued.
And these negroes will hold the
balance of power in this state
Again Mr.. Watson was interrupt
ed with yells for "Hoke Smith" and
shouts for Tom HaTdwick."
Wheeling like a tiger at bay Mr.
Watson shouted toward the section
of the balcony from which the in
terruption came:
Watson Turns on Crowd.
Your mothers are white women,
your sisters are white women, you
are white men. This Internal reg
istration law was cooked up for the
purpose of DISTINGUISHING white men
in elections. You are not hurting
me tonight-you are hurting the
people of Georgia | don't want any
votes or any money, and / am ask
ing for no office, but | will make
this insult tonight ring from Rabun
Gap to Tybee and from Savannah
to the Chattahoochee."
And Mr. Watson turned from the
front of the stage and walked back
to his seat. His address was cut
short before he had reached the
message he had come to deliver.
He had been on his feet just 55
minutes, fully half of which had
been spent in waiting for applause
or disorder to subside.
After five or ten minutes in his
chair, with a crowd surrounding him
and cutting off the air, Mr.. Watson, 4
half fainting, left through the rear
entrance and returned to the Kim
ball and retired to MS room, where
he was followed by as many friends
as could gain admittance.
The Message That Wasn't Heard.
At his hotel after the riotous con-
clusion of the speaking at the audi
torium Mr.. Watson said: Il am sor-
,ry the people of Atlanta would not
hear me develop my line of thought,
which was"
And then he went into the details
of his attack on the Georgia disfran-
chisement act and outlined what he
termed the right plan to do away
with the nero vote.
He asserted that the present dis
reimbursement law is bound to prove
a failure and result in giving the
negroes the balance of power in
Georgia. There are now 10 900
negroes registered" he said, and
in a few years there will be 1000.
The law is only stimulus to educa-
ton. The time is ripe for the south
to demonstrate that the fifteenth
amendment was illegally adopted,
and we should take that stand and
disfranchise the negro absolutely If
/ had been given a chance | would
have shown that they voted negroes
in the last primary election, used
money and whiskey, and unless
something is done for the white men
of Georgia the heel of the negro will
be upon our necks. The ballot box
was so debauched in many districts
that the voters are not in honor
bound to abide the result"
Wants Independents.
Il do not feel that the sentiment
of tho pnnd noOn1o Of Of
Fulton county or of the state was
! represented in the demonstration to-
night, said Mr.. Watson Tom
Hardwick and Hoke Smith were re-
sponsible. Hardwick stayed over in
Atlanta to stir that crowd against
me"