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VOLUME 1. WATSON’S WELCOME HOME ACCOUNT OF HIS STEWARDSHIP. “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.” Incidents Along the Line from Atlanta to Thompson—The People Turn Out En Masse. “GOOD-BYE, JIMMIE,” IS THE RALLYING CRY IN THE TENTH. [Reported Expressly for The People's Party Paper bj J- L. Driscol.] Thomson, Ga., Aug. 9,1892. If the Hon. Thomas E. Watson had any resentment rankling in his bosom on account of the “slings and arrows” from unscrupuous partisans and syco phantic admirers of purse-proud plu tocrats, he certainly found compensa tion in the ovation which he received en route to bis home in Thomson from Atlanta last Tuesday. The fun began at Madison. Quite a crowd had col lected at the depot, and your reporter, not giving the fact that Mr. Watson was on the train a thought, was trying to surmise a cause, when a sturdy son of the soil asked, “Is Mr. Watson on this train ?” Being answered in the affirmative, he quickly made his way to the door and rushed up to shake hands, while many clung to the train until it got under good headway, and as we rapidly receded the voices could be heard in the distance rending the air with such expressions as “Ilelloe, Tom; howdy, Tom;” and “Good-bye, Jim.” The last expression seemed to be infectious, and I fancy that Mr. Black will become accustomed to it between now and the ides of Novem ber. The scene at Madison was inten sified at alt tbe other stations between that point and Thomson, with the ad ditional incident at Norwood, that a delegation of lovely ladies presented a beautiful shield of flowers with the following note attached: Mr Watson : Your lady friends of Norwood and vicinity beg leave to pre sent you with this bouquet of flowers as a token of esteem in which you are held as the honored representative of the Tenth district. May you live long to defend the rights and interests of the helpless and oppressed, and with voice and vote uphold the motto of the Peo ple : “Equal rights to all; special privi leges to none.” Between Norwood and Thomson, the saying applicable to an omnibus, “there’s always room for one more,” would scarcely apply ; but on reaching Thomson, to use a very original reporto rial phrase, the scene beggared descrip tion. The mass of struggling humanity on the train, packed like sardines in a box, looked down upon a mass of strug gling humanity in streets, packed ditto, Broad street, from the depot to beyond the court-house (a distance of five or six squares), presented the appearance of a sea of heads. Mr. Watson was caught up on the shoulders of his sturdy ad nvirers and borne in triumph to a car riage, gaily decorated, which was in waiting. The people came to see and hear Watson, and would not brook de lay. The line of march was imme diately taken to a beautiful grove about half a mile northwest of the town, where a small platform had been erected for the speaking. So eager were the people to get near, and so densely were they packed around the stand, that it was with great difficulty that your reporter made his way to the platform. Many estimates were made of the number present, ranging from five to eight thousand. It was a standing joke among the people that the Augusta Chronicle reporter professed to believe that there were not more than two thousand people present, but nobody thought he believed it* How this accom plished prevaricator must have turned green with envy, however, when he learned that the accomplished Journal young man(?) reduced the crowd to about nine hundred. Nobody, how ever, expects Augusta to hold a candle to Atlanta. Two bands were in attendance and People’s Party Paper “KqtAal Right® to -A.ll Special to discoursed sweet music, but the people were anxious to hear the music of Wat son’s voice, so at two o'clock he, took the stand, and without any formal introduc tion, spoke as follows : Fellow-Citizens : On my return home, after the longest absence I ever had, it is extremely pleasant to me to have this welcome from my neighbors and my friends If 1 were to attempt to express just what I feel ; if I were to attempt to express my appreciation—my thorough appreciation—of the compliment by both white and colored you have paid me to dat. words would fail me. Fellow-citizens, for eight months I have been attending to your affairs —my own affairs have taken care of them selves ; for, eight months I have stood where you placed me, doing what I un derstood you wanted me to do [applause]; and the man or the newspaper who says 1 have ever shown the white feather speaks most untruthfully. [Renewed applause.] It is an easy thing for a man to make pledges when he has a cheering crowd like this, and when the bright eyes of hundreds of beautiful women and the eyes of hundreds of brave men are upon him and the strong arms of the people are about him. it is easy, I say, to be true to the creed of the people under such circumstances, but when one is standing alone ; when you have no frind except the conscience which tells you you are doing right ; when your friends are hundreds of miles away and your enemies are opposing you front to front and foot to foot, that tries the strongest. [Avoice, “We are here ; go it !”] 1 thank you, my friends, not only for this ovation to myself but in behalf of my good wife, who has shared every hour of my toil, and without whose company I would be weak indeed. If I have been true to you, as I think I have been ; if I have discharged every demand of duty ; it is largely owing to that number of the firm of Watson & Wife, which is the better half of the two. [Several voices, “Hurrah for Mrs. Watson ! Hurrah for the w hole family I Hurrah for all his kin folks! ’] I hope that includes the old man over there, because I got my good looks from him. [Laughter.] I can say this to you fellow-citizens— that I have never seen the time when I was ashamed of you, or your platform, or your instructions, and if I have come back to you in such shape that you are not ashamed of me, I am content. [Voices, “Ne ver ! Never !”] I saw in yesvertiay’j/prints that McDuf fie county wan disgusted with me. To-day as I came home, at every sta tion after we struck the district, at every point where the train stopped, there were the good, brawny and tried men of the country, and the sweet ladies of the land had their flowery tokens L; evepv station along the road. I wish 1 hau here the magnificent wreath of flowers framed for me by the good ladies of Norwood, and on this evidence I would ask you to say whether the people of the Tenth district are disgusted with their representative. [Cries of “No! No! No!”] Now, ray friends, I wish to discuss, fairly and plainly, some of the facts in this campaign. lam glad to see so many of the colored people here, for I have something to say to them. I have never made a campaign in the Tenth District that I did not have something special to say to these colored people, and today I am going to read them a few lines of good doctrine. [Great applause, in which the colored peop e joined J Now let me render to you a brief ac count of my stewardship while I have been absent. I shall make no comment upon it—l leave that o you. I have introduced bit's on nearly every point included in the Ocala platform. I introduced a bill to prevent the payment m advance of the m erest to the bond holder In one year there were thirteen million dollars of your taxeo taken out of the treasury and paid to the bond holders in advance of the contract. I introduced a bill to have that stopped, and it was referred to the Ways and MLans Committee, and no man ever heard of it afterwards. [Derisive laugh ter.] I introduced a bdl to repeal the National Bank Act, which even General Gordon says is “a great crime against the people;’ [renewed laughter] which even the Augusta Chronicle has at last found to be a monopoly, and class leg>s lation. That bill was referred to the committee on banking and currency, whose chairman is a New York banker. He put it in his pocket, apparently, and sat down upon it, for the bill was never heard of afterwards; and, mind you, this is a Congress which is Democratic by 148 majority, and the Democrats are tel ing us that all they want is a chance to re peal the National Bank Act. It takes more chances for the Democrats to do anything than any body of men I have ever found yet. [Laughter.] From year to year the great corpora tions have had a standing army, iu the Pinkerton detective agency—men who are hired to go into other states armed wi h Winchester rifles, and shoot down, in cold blood, laborers who are dissatis fied with the reductions of wages. So far as I know, there has never been a made in the halls of Congress against thus institution. When I went to Washington one of the first things'l did was to introduce a resolution and $ bill upon the subject. That laid s7x months before the committee, and I was covered with a bucket of cold water evjflly time I went before that committee. ■'But after the strike at Homes ead, avid the Presidential election was coming/on, and votes were becoming objects of solici tude, they sent a committee over there. The Pinkertons had bevn at work, and dead men were in the streets, murdered by a gang of ruffian* that never would dare to invade a slate if the Democratic party had done, in time, what was its duty; but they bought a brand new padlock and carefully locked the door after the horse; had been gone about forty-eight hours. [Laughter.] I introduced a b?.11 to cover into the Treas- ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1892. ary the $100,000,000 gold reserve which serves no real purpose, and has laid idle in thp Treasury for twenty years. Fur ther, I introduced the sub-treasury bill— a measure whose principles are.perfectly sound, and which would bring relief to all our people. After the hardest strug gle we obtained a report upon it. They reported it the last day of the session, but would not give us one minute of debate upon it. Not only did I introduce these bills and others but from the first flay to the last Iwasan exponent of yourprinciples and maintained them in debate. Not only this, I attended to every detail of business for the District. (Several voices, “you did.”) As far as my knowledge of arithme tic would allow I made 2000 packages of garden seed go around to the 165,000 people who composed the district. In this connection I will state that I was denounced because I sent to you col ored people some of these garden seed and a share of the public documents for which your taxes helped to pay. Bear that in mind. How many times have your Congressmen sent you col ored people these things|before.[ Voices “none.”] Have I sent you any ? [Voices, “yes, yes.] It is not only right but I expect to continue to do it. Not only that, I do not see why my congressional speeches will do any more harm to a colored man than to a white man. I have been told by my friend Jack Roberts here that my speeches do not lay a man out if he will be careful of him self. [Laughter.] I sent you some of them and the Constitution and the Chronicle cussed me out for doing so. [Voice, ‘Thats right.” Good-bye Jim.”] There is another thing. That is that I had confidence enough in my Dis trict to believe that if 1 did what you told me to do you would do what you promised me to do. [Cries of, “that’s right. Go it Toni. Good-bye Jim.”] Therefore while so many other were away looking after their fence, coining home to save the JJemocracy and their own bacon, [laughter and applause] I staid at my post till the gavel fell and school was dismissed. [Cries of, “that’s so. Good-bye Jim. Hit em again.’’] In other words, if I had failed to do your will in all matters it is not be cause I did not try. [Cries of “That’s right.”] Now my fellow citizens I want to talk to you a little about our friends thK enemy. f You v, ill remeuibefc'etVat this wi-i gress was elects *y a r W| j ’of , a land’ slide—the greateaXmajon 1 ever had in the Houfc of > _ I fives. The Democrats f<* e Jt# ! selves in magnificent They went into office ]o a-mouthed\ about what they we*- going to do. I They promw?d you relief. They asked < j-bu to trust to their pledges. You did so and elected them. Woe unto the party which openly , violates its pledges. Woe unto the leaders who deceive the people. I most earnestly believe that honesty and fair dealing are as sure to win tn public as in private life. [Great ap plause.] They promised to reduce your taxes. They have not done it. They promis ed to retrench expenditures. They have not done it. They promised to. repeal the McKinley bill. They have not done so. They specially promised to pass the Silver Bill. Tney have not done so. Let us examine the record. Let us see the difference between promise and performance. How much have your taxes been re duced? Not one cent. From one end of the lard to the other no map, white or black, will pay smaller ''taxes. No man’s burdens are lightened. No man’s reward has increased. [Applause and cheers.] Have they economized? They went in pledged specially to economize. Not content with this, they passed the Holman resolution, which dis tinctly committed the party to no ex penditures beyond the needs of the government. How have they kept that promise they made to the peo ple? Going into powe£- abusing the billion dollar Congress* they ad journ after having spent about $40,000,- 000 more than the Republicans. [Cheers and cries of “goodbye Jimmie Black.’’] How is that for high,? [Renewed laughter.] How have they kept ' their pledge against the the McKinley bill ? They have fired off thsir little pop gun bills for free wool, and free tin and free cotton ties, etc., but the Democratic Senators have made no determined effort to p ass them through the Senate. i How have they kept their pledges as to free silver ? If there is anything a Democrat needs crutches on when he talks about it, it is the free silver bill. [Laughter.] Whenever a Democrat starts out to hold himself up on that question he ought to have a rail strapped to his back. [lncreased laughter.] Why, my fellow-citizens, if there was one pledge upon wich tlie Demo crats seemed to be solid about it was free silver. The newspapers sale you should have it. All political ills were to be softly plastered with free silver. After the first failure to pass it in the House, the Democrats said: “Oh, well, it does not matter, the Re publican Senate would have killed it.” But, sad to say, the Republican Sen ate passed it and it came to the House again, and the thirteen Democrats who left us voted with the enemy. They cleaned us up. Why, fellow-citizens, if I had time I would like to go into the record and show you how, at the opening of the session, a conspiracy was entered into in Wall street to strike down free silver; I would like to show you where David B. Hill stood at the time that the Atlanta Constitution was trying to make the people believe that he was for free silver and Cleveland against it. Not only that, Mr. Springer and some others went over to New York to a banquet, where there was lots of good things to eat and lots of good things to drink. Well, at the moment when the wassail and wine were going forward, and you Democrats who had borne the standards to vic tory were lying asleep on your couch es, after praying God for the people to triumph (and you would have triumph ed if your leaders had done what they promised you), at that selfsame mo ment the plot was made free silver should not be passed, and the bankers of Wall street struck it down as they did in 1873. I gave you warn ing, and you may have thought that I was too previous, but if I ever have had to lake back any deliberate state ment of mine because it was not true, 1 cannot at this moment recall it. [Applause and cries of, “That’s so.”] They did not intend to keep their promise. The votes standing on the record will show whether or not my statements are borne out by the proofs. [Cries of “We know you, Tom,” “Good bye, Jim,” “Hit him again.”] You all have heard about the force bill. I have heard that the babies down here are put to sleep by telling them about the force bill. [Laughter.] 1 am told that tired and lazy mules and horses go faster immediately if you say “force bill” to them. [Renewed laugh ter.] Now how would you like it if I were to tell you that the democrats north and east threatened our south ern democrats that if the free silver bill was passed the force bill would be put on the people of the south, [Mar iners of indignation.] I know this has been bitterly denied, but I stand here ready to furnish proofs. [Cries of “you can do it,” “go it you, goodbye Jim.”] I have here the report of a conversa tion which occurred when that free silver bill was up, reported for the Washington Post, [an independent newspaper] at that time, and quoted in the National Economist, which had a circulation all over the country, and nev’er denied by anybody, that those democrats of the North and East said [hat they would not have the dishon est 83 cent dollars, and threatened that if the free silver bill was passed the ‘ irce bill would come down the sc uSh-ph people.- [-Hit ’em agajn. y ou, goodbye, Jimmie BU.-k.”] Xot only ihat, but I had it from Seiie.A» Qol qi’Zi’s’ rivate secretary, Hen y'T Joh v<s that u i j<rrs w - Chicagoyhnd the northern >.ern democrats said “if you force that free silver bill look out for tha force bill.” Now, if the time has come when the relief promised to the people—the re lief that is indispensible to the wel fare of the country —is to be defeated by threats from northern and eastern democrats, or from northern and east ern anything else, I do not care whether they are democrats or repub licans, they are enemies of my people and I—[the speakers voice was drown ed by a storm of cheers and cries of “go it you, we are with you ! goodbye Jim, keep them on the run.”] The at tempt is being made to show that the republicans have killed the silver bill every time that it has been an issue in the last ten years, but lam here to prove that the democrats have helped to kill it, and don’t you forget it. [Great applause.] I want to read to you w hat one of the democrats of the House, Mr. Geis senhainer, said after the defeat of the bill: “People forget even reoent history very fust,” said Congressman Geissenhainer at the Arlington. “For instance. Mr. Reed plumes himself and his party for defeating the silver bill, and would have it go forth to the world that the Republicans deserve all the credit for annihilating that measure. Is it not well to recall at this juncture that when the Senate in the Fifty-tirst Congress passed a bill for free and unlimited coinage of silver and it went to the House, it would have passed that body also had not twenty-two of our Demo cratic Representatives stood out firmly then as now for honest money ? On that occa sion the country was saved from the silver de lusion by a small contingent of Democrats,’ and yet we are to get no credit for it; that ser vice is forgotten and ignored by Mr. Reed, though he was glad enough to have our aid when we needed every Democratic vote that could be attained.” In other words they considered it such a good thing to have violated their pledges to the people, they con sided it such a strong card to play to their nori hern and eastern Democratic friends, that they were not willing to allow the Republicans to claim ail the eredit of breaking Vhe promises which were made to the white and the black people of tbe South. [‘JTbat’s true’ That’s true, hit em again.”] I want vou to remember, that newspa pers and leaders deliberately made pledges to the people, and as de liberately repudiated their pledges; and it is time to put the question to you whether you will stand by the party that is true to your highest and best interests, or continue sup porting the men who deliberately deceive you? [Cries of “hit them again! Hit them hard.”] Now I would like to tell you how they took nearly ten million dollars out of the treasury to send carriers around with the mail to be delivered on the tables in the offices of men in the cities; but when we asked them to give fifty thousand dollars to make the experiment in the country they spurned us and called us a lot of dem agogues, because we wanted a little of the taxes spent among the people who paid it. We stand for the income tax. I introduced that myself. It was re ferred to the committee on ways and means and it never was reported back. I tell you my fellow-citizens you will never have fair and honest govern ment until the great fortunes built up by trusts, combines and monopolies are made to distribute their shares to the support of the government. [Cries of “that’s so true every word of it.”] This great democratic party which says that it is the champion of the peo ple; whose leaders say they go to bed praying for the people and get up in the morning weeping bitter tears for the people; this party with one hundred and forty-eight major ity had that bill and a dozen other bills of like character before them and were urged and entreated to report the bill, but they treated us with contempt and virtually said that the taxes must con tinue on the poor people.. The farm ing implements, the house-hold and kitchen furniture and the great mil lionaires. [A voice, “that is what they said.”] Do you think they had chances enough? [“Well, I should smile.”] Not only did they fail to give your sub treasury and income tax matters any consideration, but I want to show you, in contrast to that, hosv they treated a great corporation, the World’s Fair Exposition Company. You are nothing but common, plain people, standing isolated in your shops, homes and fields; you are not organized ; you have no representatives to speak your wishes; those that did speak were laughed at. This great cor poration had trained lobbyists and feed attorneys there. I want to show you how the thing turned out. There was a fair to be held at Chicago. These lobbyists and attor neys were before Congress and before the committees, and the Republican Congress gave them one and a-half mil lion dollars that the hotels might have a fat thing; that the bar-rooms might have a fat thing and the street car com panies might have a fat thing. Well, these Republicans were de nounced from one end of the country to the other—and properly so. It was a most outragious piece of class legisla tion ; it was a most indefensible looting of the treasury ; it was a most flagrant violation of a public trust Now, I want to tell you that the Democrats, who never had a chance [laughter] to do anything for the people ; who had no chance to pass the income tax(?) ; to give you a currency by which your cotton could be held as collat eral —a better collateral than whisky; these men who did not have a chance to lighten the burden of yur taxes, did have a chance, and exercised it, to take two and a half millions of your hard earned dollars and give it to tbe Chicago corporation. 'J n-st only h».rl ■ Repub licans, ent they went them one million better. The Republicans gave $1,500.- 000 ; the Democrats gave $2,500,000. [A voice, “What kin are they ?”] -s ip [Loud laugter.j Now I want to show you that in one case they had promised to relieve the people by lightening the burdens of taxa uon ; they had promised to give you free silver, to make the farmer more content, the home more happy, to give you more sunlight and less of cloud ; yet they violated these promises On the other hand they promised not to give this money to the Chicago expo sition company. Let me read the pledge ; here is the promise, page 7869, official report. Gen. Spinola, then a member of this House from New York City, uttered the following : New York will erect all the buildings for the fair, including the Government buiidihxs provided for in the bill, as reported by the committee. The impeiial city of New York will do all that may be necessary without any Government aid of any kind, either in money or Government guaranty. Therefore no Gov ernment help is necessary for the organization or management of the fair in the city of New York. That was one thing said to bring the fair to New York city. Now, Chicago had to make a similar offer, and here is what was said by the Hon. William M. Springer, chairman of the commit tee on ways and means—therefore the leader of the House—the man who had that increase tax bill sent to his committee and never would report it back to the House —the man who had the sub-treasury and other bills under bis control and would not report them. Mr, Lawler said the same thing, and one quotation will do for both. Here it is: I want the New York people to come beyond the Allegheny Mountains once and see what we have got iii the great Wefet. I say hbat Chicago stands ready to make this a success ful enterprise Chicago does not ask a dollar to bear the expenses, but our business men will subscribe, if necessary, $25,000,000 to make this exhibition what it ough»to be. There is the pledge on behalf of New York and Chicago that they would not ask this money, but when that bill came to a vote Mr. Spinola was dead and his colleagues (most of them) from New York voted for this gift. Mr. Wm. M. Springer was away irom his seat on sick leave, but his pair was announced. Mr. Bryan, of Nebraska, said it 1 he (Springer) were present, he would vote for the bill “and I would vote against it.” In other words, Mr. Springer, the leader of the House, voted squarely to give two and one-half millions of the peo ple’s money to this monopody after saying he would not do it, yet would not report back those bilis for the re lief of the people, that they might even be considered. Don’t you think they needed a “chance?” [Laughter.] Their “chan ces” ought to be handed out in a ham per basket, and their performances, could be passed around in a desert spoon. [Loud laughter.] Their prom ises, if reduced to water, would be enough to float the Great Eastern steamship; their performances, if re duced to snuff, would not be enough to make a little girl sneeze. [Pro longed laughter and cries of “Hurrah for Tom.” Not only that; they passed a bill giving $65,000 for the Intercontinental Railway Survey away down towards South America. What have we to do with railroads in South America ? They gave $5,000 to a naval display NUMBER 46 at Portsmouth; they gave $90,000 that the Grand Army of the Republic might have a “blow out” in Washington city. Where did they get the right to take the tax-payer’s money to be squander ed in that way ? They said much against us about pensions. But they found a good chance and they put upon the pension roll all the nurses that attended the soldiers during the war. I am told that for eight months we have been denounced because we wanted to give pensions to Northern soldiers, but here they not only gave pensions to the sol diers, but pensioned the nurses, and next, I suppose, they will be pension ing the sutlers. The Democrats took a great deal of credit for reducing expenditures, but Democratic members at this session stood upon the floor of the House and said that the Democrats did as much for the soldiers as the Republicans. 1 want to read you some proof. I un derstand that the charge was made at Douglasville that Cleveland had done more for pensioners than the Republi cans, and that the statement was strongly disputed. The Democratic platform of 1888 makes this claim for the party. “While guarding the interest of the taxpayers and conforming strictly to the principles of justice and equity, it has paid out more for pensions and bounties to soldiers and sailors of the republic than has ever been paid before in au equal period.” Now let me read from the New York World. On Wednesday, August 3, that great Democratic newspaper discussed Mr Cleveland’s pension record. The impression had gotten out North that he (Cleveland) was not friendly to the pen sions, and the World undertook to de fend him from the charge. Newspapers generally make a good cas« when they’ set about it. I quote from this paper : “The allual report of the pension com missioners for the fiscal years 1883, 1884 and 1885 shows certificates issued as fol lows : Claims admitted during the last three years of Republican ru1e.191,221.” Then it goes on to show the total claims admitted during the first three years of Democratic administration to be 359,454 FUNDS DISBURSED. During the last three years of Repub lican rule .$lB3 000,000; during the last three years of Democractic admistration, $217,000,000 ; excess of disbursements by Democratic administration. $34,000,000. That is to say, the Democratic party, to catch Northern voces, shows that it has paid out in pensions $34,000,000 more in three years than the Republicans. How is that for high ? [voices, “That’s pretty high. 'rahfor Watson! Hit them Now, there i jo/Kgreat deal said about the bills that Cleveland vetoed, and this editor goes on to defend Cleveland from that charge, and says : “Private pension bills approved by President Grant, 485. ‘ ‘By President Hayes, 303. “By President Arthur, 736 “By President Cleveland. 1,264.” I quote further from the World : There is not a member here who does not know that if the President had not given more attention to the bills passed by this House and the Senate than the House and Senate gave them, great injustice would have been done in many cases. Twice during this present Congress has he received bills the sec ond time for his signature. He has vetoed seven bills passed by Congress where the pen sioner was already receiving a larger pension granted by the Pension Bureau than the bill passed by Congress called for. He has vetoed bills that were passed for the relief of soldiers because on examination of the evi dence on fie in the departments he was con vinced that the soldier would receive justice through the Department and be entitled to arrearages weieh he would lose by the special act. The veto of Senate bill T. 540 saved to the beneficiary $5,760. The veto of Senate biU 1,( 67 saved to the beneficiary $1,074. These amounts were paid to them shortly after the veto through the Pension Office. One of the worst measures passed by this Congress, in my opinion, was the McGarragan claim. It seems that McGarragan claimed that he was de prived of valuable lands and minerals by a corporation called The New Idria Mining Company. It was said this corporation had taken ten million dollors worth of quicksilver from the land. The bill which passed at this session provided that McGarragan should go into the court and make out his case for damages. But, strange to say, after doing so, he was to be paid by the tax payers of the County, and not by the corporation which had in jured him. In other words, it would be to the interest of the corporation and McGarragan, to league together, make out a great account of damages and collect it from the tax payers and then go off behind a tree and di vide the swag. (Laughter.) To Presi dent Harrison’s credit be it said, he vetoed the bill. Another bad law was that which au thorizes the beginning of hydraulic mining in California again. You un derstand that hydraulic mining is the washing down of hills and mountains' to get the gold. Thousands cf homes in California have been destroyed by it and the aggrieved party got no re dress. The Federal courts Anally stopped it after some of the fl nest val ley lands in the world had been ruined by it. The bill recently pass ed authorises this thing tp L . be com menced again, and nowlie" are pri vate land owners guarante es from in jury. I tried to defeat the bill on the 'floor of the House, and regret shat I failed. Many a poor man will lose his home under that law. Now about absenteeism. [A voice, “Now he is getting there.”] What does that mean ? Simply that members are paid sl4 per day to work, and will not work. S<tnetimes only 65 members were there. During the national conventions we were at a stand-still. One time the sergeant-at-arms had gone out after ab sent members. When excuses were rendered the next morning it turned out that the legislation of 62,000,000 people had stopped because the statesmen want- [CONTINUED ON FIRST PAGE.]