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People S Party Paper VOLUME I. POWDERLY IN CONGRESS. ME TELLS OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE. Rowdying* and Riot Rampant Con duct of So-called Legislators a Disgrace to the Republic. As a member of the the third house I occupied a seat in Congress •n the day that Thomas E. Watson aroused the virtuous indignation of the Democrotic majority by repeat ing, and emphasizing, a statement which occurs in his book: “Not a Revolt; It is a Revolution.” My scat was directly in front of the •peaker, and I held a good position had I desired to catch the eye of the •peaker. I used to wonder why that part of the House was labeled “Gen tlemen’s Gallery,” but I shall never again have occasion to rise to a point •f information. The sign “Gentle men’s Gallery” is placed above that door so that members of Congress will not stay in there duiing business hours ; their place is right in front of the “gentlemen” and between them and the speaker. I never •ould quite understand why the pre siding officer of the House of Rep resentatives should be called “The Speaker,” and what was but a ques tion in my mind has resolved itself into a most profound mystery since that brief experience on the after noon of July 29. Having had some; experience in presiding over legisla- | tive bodies, I acquired the habit of! eourth’g a-rhirg vote very quickly, and during the time that Mr. Wat son occupied his unenviable position on the congressional gridiron I •ounted thirty - three members •tanding up and disturbing the meeting by “speaking” to one another; in fact, nearly’all of those who were on their feet were doing more speaking than the alleged speaker. The thirty-three members who stood up to be counted without being asked to do so, occupied vari ous positions, all of them somewhat different from that which the ver dant voter pictures in his mind’s eye when he invades the realm of fancy to scan the outlines of his ideal con gressman. Standing before a mass meeting, addressing the people on the issues of the day, while inci dentally appealing for the suffrages of honest citizenship of the con gressional district, the candidate for Congress is neatly dressed in a Prince Albert coat, patent-leather ■hoes, stylishly-made pantaloons, and with more or less expense of shirt front appearing beneath a nicely fitting collar. He appears the em bodyment of manly grace and digni fied statesmanship. With one hand •lipped inside the flap of his tightly buttoned coat, and with a roll of pe titions—for an appropriation for a post-office building—in the other hand, our aspirant for Congress stands the impersonation of the noblest work of God—and the tailor. On the day that I looked down on Congress—l do not mean to reflect ©n that body by saying that I looked down upon it, and I hope that no investigating committee will be ap pointed to inquire why I say this, for I could not help looking down on them—they would not let me in on the ground floor, and I had to take the elevator and ascend to a point where I had to look down or not see them at all. My experience of that day taught me that it behooves one to be particularly careful in speaking about Congress, and I pause just here to remark that the elevator of which I speak and the one that Brother Watson alluded to are two different kinds of elevators. In jus tice to myself, being a temperance man, it is best that I make myself dear on that point, but I digress, “Equal Rights to All Special Privileges to None." and, while digression may be par doned in Congress, I must stick to my text. To a new member, as I was that day, it is very embarrassing to have to turn to your neighbor and ask : “What did that man say about rats?” I was obliged to interrogate the member next to me on another occasion when the sounds, “He’s talking through his hat,” came float ing up from the sanctuary of the national pilotage. When I took my seat Mr. Watson, it appears, was on his feet attempting to give an expla nation of the following passage in his book: “The Congress now sitting is one illus tration. Pledged to reform, they have not reformed. Pledged to economy, they have not economized. Pledged to legis late, they have not legislated. Extrava gance has been the order of the day. Absenteeism was never so pronounced L"ck of purpose was never so clear. Lack of common business prudance never more glaring. Drunsen members have reeled about the aisles-a disgrace to the Republic. Drunken speakers have debated g ave issues on the floor, and in the midst of maudlin ramblings have been heard to ask : “Mr. Speaker, where was I at ?” While it is true that Mr. Watson was called on to explain, it struck me that the evident intention was to prevent him from explaining. At one time, while he was explaining, thirty-three members of Congress stood between the two speakers— Nir. Watson and the other speaker. If I were under oath now, I could not swear that any of them were sober on that occasion, they did not look like it, and they certainly did not act like the “grave and reverend seigniors” whose duty it is to guard the weal and ward the woe of the State. Mr. Watson deserves censure for at least one passage in his book, lie should not, with his experience, wonder why any man should ask, “Where wss I at?” On the con trary, the man who would not feel round himself to see if he were awake and sober in such a crowd, and while attempting to make him self heard above that bedlam, would, it seems to me, be more than ordi narily gifted. If such a scene as occurred that day in Congress wore to take place in the General Assem bly of the Knights of Labor, we would shut the doors in sorrow after having closed the session in disgrace. If such conduct as manifested itself on the floor of the National Legisla ture on the afternoen of July 29 were to occur during a session of our General Assembly; if thirty three members were to stand up in differ ent parts of the chamber—some with their backs to the presiding officer, others grouped in knots, others shak ing their clinched hands at the per son attempting to address the Hou-e, others hissing like adders, and all of them talking aloud or muttering as the spirit moved them—a vote of censure on the presiding officer for incompetency would be in order. I do not wish to be understood as say ing that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is incompetent or that the Congress sho dd. be charged with blackguardism, not even infer entially do I say it, for customs differ as you travel from home, and the conduct which would be execrable in a drawing room would be quite proper and exceedingly appropria'e in the Jupanar. As a man’s environ ments are refinad or vulgar, so will his conduct shape itself after a time, and I would not wonder if our own John Davis should bceome demoral ized and wonder “Where he was at?” after a few more terms in Congress. !It strikes me that “Where was I at?” is an exceedingly appropriate question for a man to ask himself after he has been in Congress a few months, but in at king the question he should be particularly careful that those who can tes ify are not within sound of his voice, for a truthful an swer might prove very embarras&ing ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1892. to the questioner. Instead of mak ing such a row over Watson’s charge, I thought that it would be the grace ful thing for Congress to pass a reso lution of thanks to him for not tell ing the whole truth about that body. Ido not frequent bar-rooms; have i invaded the realms of stale beer, | Congressional tea and vile odors but I a few times in my life. Even when ! I was Mayor and was obliged to preside over a court-room full of plain and ornamented drunks, I never witnessed such disorderly or boistorous conduct as furnished the sequel to Mr. Watson’s innocent summing up as I witnessed in on July 29. After Mr. Watson took his seat the clerk read some “Senate Bills,” and then each member seemed as if possessed by a fiendish desire to scatter himself all round the room. No one paid the slightest heed to what was being read, and not one in ten could tell “where he was at” when the clerk finished read ing. I know it was warm and that something more cooling than the roasting that Mr. Watson had ad ministered would be appreciated, but then the dignity of the republic, which these men were so vigorously defending against the assaults of Watson’s book, should have been kept in mind for a few brief moments after the wave of indignation had fanned the heated, broad, thick, massive skulls of our national law crea’ors. Why Senate Bills should not be listened to no one could tell me. How any man, not gifted with supernatural powers of perception or intuition, can sit in Congress and know what is being done is to me a mystery. If Congress ere a circus ring, if the members represented a menage rie, and if law making and money appropriating n ere but a light and frivous joke, I could understand such antics as I saw that day. One man thrust his feet above his head yawned until the lining of his stom ach reflected the subdued light which changed color as it came through the stained glass and found itself—as I found myself—in Con gress. Another chewed on the end of an unlit cigar, while ever and anon he ran his fingers through his hair in search of an idea—or some thing. Another, oblivous to the in fernal din around him, sat reading a a book, and as he read he took time to laugh occasionally, but whether his menment was occasioned by what he read or the show that it cost his neighbors $5,000 to turn him loose in did not appear. Two others stood to the left of the speaker shaking their hands at each other—not as though they intended to fight, for Congressmen only challenge each ' other to fight—and all at once they ' shot out of the chamber as if a honey factory had started up in their neighborhood and the honey makers had intimated that they wanted more room. Perhaps they only retired to inquire where they were at. One member strode into the chamber daring the debase and then strode out again, as if he sud denly remembered that he was in the wrong house. I saw him long 1 enough to be able to testify that he did not have the appearance of a graduate from the Keely Institute. Ido not know whether he is the Cobb who has since then been con victed of d/inking Congressional tea, and, perhaps, he might have been sober after all. I fear that Mr. Watson’s sense of the ridiculous is not very keen. He could not have appecia.ed the humor of his surroundings, or he would not have stated that drunken speakers debated in Congie*s. As I saw Congress, it stmek me that the only one who wou’d attempt to speak be fore that body would have to be drunk, for a man in his sober senses would hesitate long before testing his lungs above the clapping of hands, the jeers of the members and the hisses of those who thought that ariy sentiment, good or bad, could be smothered or drowned in the hissing of serpents or geese. Wat son said: “They have not reform ed.” Os course not. The man must have been insane to expect such a thing. They do not apply the gold cure in Congress. This talk of economy with other people’s money is all rot to the average leg islator. He goes there to make himself solid with his constituency, and the average constituency is just as dishonest as its representative, for it requires that he drive his fin gers to the botton of the national purse in order to dredge the river next to his home or to erect a pub lic building over a town so that some speculator may sell the sur rounding territory to good advant age. Thomas E. Watson entered Congress an honest man. He went there expecting that patriotism and not pelf would be the actuating im pulse, and he has had the scales torn from his eyes. He should have known better than to expect such things of a Congress elected on an issue between two vultures whose only essential point of difference lies m the fact that one has its talons around the vitals of the nation, and the ether would take hold in its stead. For its own sake, I hope that Congress was drunk the day I saw it. I would rather know that men acted the rowdy while drunk then ,do it in their sober sense. Whether drunk or sober, honest or dishonest, that body on the after noon, was just what Thomas E. Watson styled it—“a disgrace to the Republic.” And if each voter in the United States could but look on at the spectacle, could he see Con gress as I saw it, he would fear for the perpetuation of institutions com mitted to the care of such a gather ing of partisan shoutersr. T. V. Powderly. The Ventura (Cal.) Unit of August 10th says: The Democratic central committee of Los Angeles county appointed a sub committee of nine to wait upon the People’s Party convention which met in Los Angeles last Saturday and confer with that body in regard to fusion on the local ticket. The convention had no proposition to offer and the committee retired without getting any encouragement. It seems difficult to make the old par ties understand that fusion is impos sible. Our contest is not a mere scramble for offices. There are prin ciples involved which would be sac rificed by combination with either Republicans or Democrats, and in forming such alliances we should de grade our party to the level of pol itical tricksters whose only idea is to capture the offices. Let us keep in the middle of the road and maintain our self respect. Success will come in good time, and success by any other road would be valueless. Once-a-Weekof Stephenville, Tex. says: Those who fear the votes of the employes of the state and federal governments if the railroads should pass into the hands of the govern ment, should get up some remedy, not find faults and objections all the time. How would it do to disfran chise both state and federal employes while they draw pay from the govern ments. Not allow a postmaster or other government employe to vote. How does that strike you? It can be made constitutional. The New York Mail and Express says: It is somewhat to the credit of Bergman, the Anarchist, that he has not yet produced a letter from Gray Gables sympathizing with his efforts to strike down a “tariff baron.” Money is not property, neither is properly money. Money is created by law, properly is created by labor. is anything that will extin guish a debt at the will of the debtor without the consent of the creditor, hence ail money is flat money. There can be no money but fiat money. —So. Mercury. Proceedings State Alliance. The fifth annual session of the < Georgia State Alliance met in the Opera House at Gainesville on the morning of the 17th, at 10 o’clock with President Livingston in the chair. The Alliance was opened in due from, prayer by Chaplain Davies. The report of the credential commit tee was read and adopted. The dele gation was full, showing a live interest in the organization. President Livingston delivered his annual address, which was followed by a short address from Acting Presiden t W. A. Wilson, The roll of officers was then called and most of the officers responded. Rev. 11. R. Davies, Dr. J. W. Taylor and Mr. A. A. Stephens were ap pointed a press committee. The executive committee made their report which was adopted. Mr. H. L. Smith moved, to amend the report by making the pay of the delegates two dollars per day instead of one as recommended by the committee which was adopted. The convention, by motion, ordered the expenses of the delegates to the St. Louis conference paid. On motion the district lecturers and Editor of The Southern Alliance Farmer were extended the privileges of the floor. Resolution by Bro. McDaniel chang ing the time of electing the delegates o o o to the State Convention from the Jan uary meeting to the July meeting of the County alliances. Unanimously carried. By Bro. McGairity: Resolved, That the State Alliance now in session, endorsed The South ern Alliance Farmer, as our of ficial organ. Resolved 2nd, That we endore the editorial management of M. D. Irwin. Resolved 3rd, That we select The Southern alliance Farmer as our official organ for the ensuing year and that we hereby elect M. D. Irwin as our editor. Resolved 4th. That we endorse the editorial course of our national organ, The National Economist. These resolutions were brought forth by report of the paper committee, sub mitted by Calvin and Livingston on the part of the majority and C. 11. Ell ington on the part of the manority. Pending the discussion of the resolu tion the Alliance adjourned until eight o’clock. night session. On reassembling the convention took up the paper matter again. The discussion lasted until eleven o’clock, when R. H. Kelley introduced the following resolutions as a substitute for the whole: Resolved, That the past course pur sued by The Southern Alliance Farmer be endors id by the State Al liance, and that we earnestly request its editor to advocate the principles and purposes for which the Alliance was organized, and let the paper be truly an educator of the people as out lined by the ritual and constitution in a non-partisan spirit: Provided that nothing in said resolution shall be an endorsement of any political party, but of the principles of this order as advo cated in the said paper. This resolution was introduced by a strong reformer. After the full dis cussion of the question, the original resolution would have passed by three to one, but Editor Irwin at the critical moment stepped forward and asked his friends to support the substitute which fully vindicated his editorial conduct of the official organ. This action on the part of Editor Irwin calmed the convention and all was harmony afterwards. The original resolutions were withdrawn when Ir win accepted the substitute. The res olution was ordered printed in The Southern Alliance Farmer. The convention then adjourned to meet next morning at 8 o’clock in the court house which had been tendered by the sheriff of Hall county. SECOND DAY. The convention met according to adjournment and was opened by prayer. Minutes of previous day read and approved. The hour having arrived for the an nual election of officers, Rev. J. W. McGarity put in nomination Hon. C. H. Ellington, of McDuffie, for presi dent. He was elected by acclamation as president. Hon. \V. E. 11. Searcy was elected vice president of the Stalfe Alliance for the ensuing year. NUMBER 48 The following officers were then elected: Secretary, A. W. Ivey; treasurer,. W. A. Broughton; State lecturer, Rev. S. A. Walker; assistant leeturer, J* L. Gilmore; chaplain, 11. IL Davi&j doorkeeper, J. M. Bruee; assistant doorkeeper, F. IM. Waddell; sergeant at-arms, A. G. Daniel; Dr. J. W. Tay lor member of the executive. DISTRICT LECTURERS. Ist—ll. L. Smith, Merrett. 2nd—J. E. Dikes, Colquitt. 3d—Allen Kenyon, Lumpkin. 4th—J. W. Wilson, Hamilton. sth—W. S. Hubbard, Conyers. 6th—S. C. McCandless, Jackson.. 7th—J. W. McGarity, Day. Sth—W. Y. Carter, Hartwell. 9th—J. R. Henderson, Cumming. 10th—II. E. Strother, Amity. 11th—J. M. Pofferd, Willacoochee, the section after the words “for such service” in line live and inserting “shall be $3 for each county visited. The said counties to bear the trav elling expenses of said lecturer. President C. 11. Ellington and John- Cunningham were elected as delegates to the national convention from the state at large, and L. F. Livingston and J. D. McGee were elected as delc gales to the national convention of the Alliance. The new elected officers were then - installed, and the convention adjourn ed to meet at 2 o'clock in the opera i house. This adjournment was made 1 to give the old soldiers the court house to hold a re-union. The report of the executive com mittee was read and adopted. It pro vided for the following salaries: President, 81,000; secretary, 81,50®; chairman of executive committee* 8400; treasurer, 8200; state lecturer, 83 per day while in the field; district , lecturers 83,00 for each county visited; ' doorkeeper, assistant doorkeeper and ' ‘ s?a , .nt at arms,Ls3 } (l® per day during the session. AFTERNOON SKSSION. Meeting called to order promptly by President Ellington. As usual at lasX session of the convention, businegn was finished up, prov sions made for printing and distributing proceedings and all matters disposed of for eariy ing out the work for next year. All business on hand being disposed of at 4 o’clock p. m., motion was made and carried to adjourn. The Gainesville Meeting. The convention of county trustee Stockholders met at 10 o’clock. Most of the stock was represented. The annual report of the president, manager and board of directors was read, and after being referred to a special committee, was adopted. A full and complete account of th®' proceedings was ordered printed and forwarded to each county trustee s toek hokh r, and a certificate of stock be issued to each sub-Alliance for the amount already paid in. The following gentlemen were elect ed as directors: Wm, L. Peck, Conyers, state at' large. W. H. Wood, Mannasses, First dis trict. R. M. Brown, Fort Gaines, Second’ district. W. A. Wilson, Americus, Third district. D. B. Wells, Draneville, Fourth district. J. T. Davenport, Douglasville, Fifth> district. W. E. H. Searcy, Griffin, Sixth dis trict. L. S. Ledbetter, Cedartown, Sev enth district. W. A. Broughton, Madison, Eighth >- , district. 11. P. Riden, Cumming, Ninth dis trict. J. L. Lingo, Commissioner, Tenth - ; District. W. E. Ecord, Homerville, Eleventh » ► district. After the meeting adjourned, the board met and accepted the resigna tion of Colonel Peek as president and manager, and elected Wm. A. Brough , I ton, president, L. S. Ledbetter, man ' ager and the bookkeeper was made secretary and treasurer. The meeting was harmonious, and; i all pledge themselves to the support of ! the great object for which the exchange ; was created. I “With a few more advances of thig’ I sori,” remarks the Windsor (Vt.) Jonr ’ ria’, concerning the price of coal as de creed by the Reading combine, “per i haps ape »ple’s combine will’ be ia- I order.” Such a combine will indeed* ;be in order but it is a little surprising . to find » he prediction in a Vermont re-’ I publican paper.