The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-09-07
WAS NOT PERMITTED TO FINISH
HIS SPEECH IN ATLANTA.
Criticism of Hoke Smith and Regis
tration Laws Brought Jeers That
Drove Him From Stage.

tratiOn Laws Brought Jeers That
Drove Him From Stage.
ATLANTA.-Si thousand meI
and women sat through an hour o.
tumult at the auditorium Friday
night and got their tickets worth
of excitement. Mr.. Watson was
driven from the forum by the Kisses
and uproar of a part of the audi
ence. They had listened to his fierce
arraignment of Tom Hardwick, slat-
ed in the announcement for the
heavy role of the evenings drama
They had appaluded his eulogy OF
the old democracy and cheered him
in his flights of oratory over the old
flag of Georgia, but when he raised
his iconoclastic hammer against
Hoke Smith and his election laws
they rose up in their wrath and cast
him into outer darkness.
If Mr.. Watson had a real message
for the people it was cut chort by the
tumult which drove him from the
rostrum 1t was the second time
within "a hours that a representative
of a minority had been denied a
hearing by men who differed in opin-
ion.
Mr.. Watson Enters.
Mr.. Watson made his entrance
from the rear of the stage, appear
ing suddenly and Electrically before
his admirers. There was a storm of
cheers and cries of Watson" The
speaker bowed to the right, to the
left, to the corners rapidly, nerv-
ously, running his hand around his
low collar, shifting his Slight shout
ders to adjust more comfortably the
long frock coat which orators affect
He smiled as he bowed, pleased,
happy smile, as one who had been
given the tribute of an audience far
SURPRISING his expectations Some
one handed a bouquet of flowers over
the footlights and he accepted them
Up to this time there
had been no discoTdant note. 1t
that Watson, once leader
of mighty army, had come back
from Elba to be again greeted by
the old guard. But it was the quiet
before the storm. Waterloo was
ahead
A Friendly Beginning.
1t was in a spirit of friendliness
toward all the world, a praise of
reconciliation, of charity toward
mankind and forgiveness of enc
mics that Mr.. Watson opened his
address. Those who had read the
lofts and rocop+ oor5c frov, yEo+~or,
in his controversy with Hardwick
sat up in surprise. 1t didn't sound
like the old Watson.
Tonight l come to you in a spirit
of harmony" he said. ''You have
cruelty misjudged me; misunder-
stood me. l want you to understand
me, for in the years to come | mean
to be your soldier, to fight your bat.
ties" A roar of applause went up
Taking up the foreign mission
work he stated that he was not
opposed to foreign missions, but tina
he thought such work should be
done after the people at home haC
been attended to and not before
And so far as the ministers are
concerned, Mr.. Watson stated tina
he did not see why they should be
better treated and better paid in the
mission field than when working il
the home field.
He deplored the extent of The
liquor trade, and touched upon the
influence and the prevalence of the
cigarette. He deplored the rush O.
immigrants to this country on the
ground that only a few of them be
came real American citizens, while
the majority of them were here
merely to make American dollars
Then he turned his attention t
the political situation, declaring i
was corrupt through and through.
Mr.. Watson had spoken for per
haps 80 minutes, including frequen
Interruptions, when he reached tn,
white primary and negro vote mat
ter. He claimed the original intro
duction of the white election idea
and took up the first Howell-SmitI
campaign, in which Pope Brown haC
started in the race against Howell
after a conference with Watson a
Thomson. Mr.. Pope Brown was OF
the stage, and he did not look com
Portable under the personal refer
ence. Perhaps he knew somethiny
was bound to break loose if Watson
got upon the dangerous ground o
Hoke Smiths campaigns before al
audience partly made up of many o
Hoke Smiths supporters.
Bedlam Broke Loose.
Mr. Watson then began his attacl
on the registration law, a Hok,
Smith measure. 1t was his intention
according to his previously prepared
manuscript of the address, to urg,
an amendment to the state consti
tuition restricting suffrage to tn,
whites. A white face and a tax re
ceipt should be the only qualifica
ton necessary for a voter, he said
But Mr.. Watson was never permit
ted to proceed with the outline O
his plan. The Interruptions and erie