The People's party paper. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, December 09, 1892, Page 3, Image 3

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AT THOMSON! VOTERS OF THE TENTH DISTRICT IN MASS MEETING. Ab Aroused People Demand Justice and Will Aid in Exposing the Thimble-Riggers. It was the second of December. No notice had been given by the daily press. No flaunting railroad circulars giv ing reduced rates had flooded the country. But the boys were there all the flame. The identical boys that pro tected Mr. Watson’s premises against the mob were there. But our goody-goody Governor didn’t order out the militia. The boys were there from the hills and from the valleys, from the cotton fields and from the corn fields, from the new made furrows of the oat and wheat patches, from the farm houses and from the cabins. But the great and learned Gover nor didn’t order the militia out. The boys were there from the fac tories and from the blacksmith shops, from every character of industry, from every field of agriculture they came. They were there by the hun dreds, they were there by the thou sands. But Billy didn’t order out his so jers. Stand where you would and there were thousands to the left of you, thousands to the right of you, thou sands to the front of you. But nary a little dude soldier came! From every county in the tenth district the honest, brave men came by hundreds. From Hart, Wilkes, Screven, Johnson and other counties outside the district they came with enthusi asm in their hearts and cheers on their lips. The sun rose upon their camp fires on the outskirts of the town of Thomson. By 8 o’clock a. m. the streets of the little town were swarming with the crowds. The Democratic members of the community realized that the “pee wees” Lad captured the ring, and seriously doubted where they and Mr. Black were at. But to their credit, be it said, they behaved be comingly, and didn’t call on Billy, the Governor, for troops to save the town from ashes! * - In-the grove where Mr. Watson was given the reception last summer on his return from Washington, a stand was erected for this occasion. Then four thousand people greeted him. To-day, six thousand people were to assemble to repledge their confidence and support. Then, the hope of an opening cam paign. To-day, the determination to undo a great wrong. Haw recruits then, veterans to-day. Four thousand then ! Six thou sand to-day, and growing stronger and stronger, as Democratic methods and frauds become more apparent. At 10 a. m. the firing of cannon announced the arrival of the delega tion from Richmond county. They had marched from Augusta, a dis tance, of thirty-seven miles. This delegation marched to Mr. Watson’s residence and was perse nally greeted by him. Mr. Watson fell in with this dele gation and, surrounded by thousands of true hearts, repaired to the place of speaking. The canon boomed ! But Billy’s dudes didn’t boom ’em. • While the thousands that were scattered throughout the town were gathering to the stand, Mr. Elling ton announced to those present that he would receive contributions to the contest fund. If you ever for one moment doubt ed the patriotism of Mr. Watson’s followers in the tenth district that doubt would have vanished if you had seen the dimes, quarters and dollars as they rolled in. Men, wo men and children gave, and gave freely. • A procession was formed, ten abreast, Richmond county delegation was given the front, the position of honor. Mr. Watson took position amidst them. The column, headed by a brass band, wended its way through the principal streets of the town, with banners flying. The town was too small for the column. It wound its way in and around and about, but there were not streets enough to ac commodate its length, and the head of the column returned to the start ing point ere the tail end had moved away. All along the route they were cheered by the ladies. Handkerciefs PEOPLE’S PARTY PAPER, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1892 waved and children shouted. The air was laden with huzzahs! Mr. Watson “hit the grit” with the boys, and marched with the column. He is one of ’em. No carriage for him. When the immense multitude set tled itself amid the grove of pines it covered near two acres of ground. Hundreds were unable to get in hear ing distance of the stand. When Mr. Watson took the stand he was greeted with a cheering that was never equaled in Georgia. Its echo filled the town. He was in fine trim and more vigorous than when he made his first campaign. His hearers were in excellent voice and full of enthusiasm. Never has victor in martial or civil life had a grander ovation. Under the mantel of apparent de feat he rose the victor. Under the misrepresentations of a vindictive and servile press, he shone pure and undefiled. Emerging from a campaign that has never had its equal in all that was vile, corrupt and villainous, his hands were clean, his Christian char acter spotless and his integrity un defiled. W ell might he exclaim, “ I would rather be the defeated candidate of a clean campaign and have the love and respect of my fellows than claim a victory won by rum, rascality and repeaters.” It is impossible to outline his speech. It was the best he ever made. Watson and the People’s party are stronger to-day than ever. The October election found us unorganized, but we threw our skir misli line against the old parties and gave them a lively scrimmage. The Democrats read our funeral service then, and invited the few liv ing survivors back into the fold. The fold didn’t grow any. In November, they found us quite a lively corpse. In fact, they found we had grown several thousand stronger. We hit ’em again, and hit ’em harder. Our funeral service is again read, and we are begged to come into the fold. In January we’ll hit ’em again, and hit ’em harder and harder, and two years hence the corpse will bury the undertakers. No man who was present at Thom son doubts it. It is the liveliest corpse that ever strutted this mundane sphere. Several speeches w r ere made. En thusiasm was unbounded. The money necessary to contest Mr. Black’s election was pledged, and will be raised, regardless of what the Democratic papers say. The frauds in Richmond county will be published to the world. No man that contributed to them will be spared when the evidence is obtained. From every quarter of the district the cry for exposure comes ringing along, and the cry will be answered, and don’t you forget it. The protection of the purity of the ballot-box in Georgia has been dele gated to the People’s party. The trust will be faithfully executed. That’s what the meeting at Thom son has demanded. What Democrat is patriotic enough to aid us ? The door is open. Democratic liquor, Democratic boodle, Democratic frauds, Demo cratic repeaters in the late election, are eye-openers to hundreds of up right, honest men who have hereto fore affiliated with the Democratic party. They can’t stay in such com pany when the facts are known with out being contaminated. The door is open. We won’t ask Billy to call out the militia. People’s party men throughout the State, take courage. Attack the enemy at every point. Rally your forces for the January election. Make a fight on every office, from coroner to sheriff, from constable to magistrate. That’s what we’ll do in the tenth district, and we’ll win L a heap of them, too. You can do the same. Try it. Every man and woman present at Thomson went home happier than they came. Every man and woman that heard Mr. Watson loves him the more. Every man and woman will work and pray the more for the success of Watson and the People’s party. Every man and woman will give of their means and, if necessary, stint their poverty to aid the vindication of an honest ballot. Every man and woman that heard Mr. Watson will henceforth be a hero in the cause of an honest elec tion. Every man and woman will be an inveterate enemy to the party of rum, rascality and repeaters. Every man and woman will look with pity upon Mr. Watson’s de famers, and love him the more fer vently. Oh, it was a glorious meeting—a regular rousement. The cities and towns were not in it much. They’ll be m it largely within the next two years. The producers and consumers will yet bring the haughty merchants and dudish clerks to realize which side of the biscuit has got butter on it. Stand firm, boys ’ Youv’e got ’em by the hip. Another tussel and you’ll be on top, sure and certain. You’ve got the bravest and brain iest man in Georgia for a leader. He has got the truest and bravest followers that ever fought a political battle. Proud of our principles, proud of our leader, proud es our campaign in its results and methods, we buckle our armor around us and are stronger to-day than yesterday. More deter mined to-day than yesterday that the wrongs of the common people shall be redressed at the ballot-box that a free and untrammeled ballot is the right of every American ; that we are “in for the war,” and will never lay down our arms until “equal rights to all and special privileges to none” is secured to every American citizen. Billy and his followers may rely on the soldiers —we on the ballot. The following were adopted: Knowing, as we do, that the basest fraud imaginable was perpetrated by the so-called Democracy of Richmond coun ty, in order to subvert the will of the people, at our late national election, and that said frauds consisted in open bribery, repeating votes, intimidation by the job lash method, etc., all of which we are willing, able and ready to prove ; and knowing, as we do, that a pure, unde filed ballot-box is the main bulwark of American liberty ; be it therefore Resolved, That we, as citizens of the Tenth congressional district of Georgia, do hereby express our utmost indigna tion at the methods, coupled at the same time with expressions of horror that such methods should be used, and seemingly prevail, in our once free and happy Southland. And be it further Resolved, That we bitterly denounce, in unmeasured terms, any man or set of men who willingly took part in the per petration of that fraud. Be it also Resolved, That we, as a gathering of true American patriots, stand pledged here to day to always defend the Ameri can ballot-box from the onslaughts of those who would corrupt it for any pur pose, and that we will ever strive to re store it to its primitive purity, as when instituted by our grand old sires. THE CONTEST FUND. Thomson, Ga., Dec. 6, 1892. To the People’s party men of Georgia : Having been made chairman of a committee to raise funds to aid Mr. Watson in defraying the expenses of the election contest in the tenth dis trict, I desire to suggest to our friends in every county in the State to go systematically to work by ap pointing county and district commit tees to collect money for above named purpose. Our people are all poor, but each one of us doing a lit tle can raise the required amount and none of us will be hurt. Mr. Watson should not be allowed to bear all the burden of this fight. And I am glad to be able to say that our brothers in this fight will not al allow him to bear it all. We had a grand People’s party mass meeting in Thomson December 2, when be tween 5,000 and 6,000 of “our boys” got together from all over the tenth district. They told Mr. Watson that they would stand by him and with him in this fight until justice was more than a name in this country. They went down into their pockets and contributed nearly S6OO to the contest fund, and all promised that they would go home and do what they could toward raising enough to pay the expenses in the election con test in this district. And I believe they will do so. In the recent State election the Democrats gave us credit for 70,- 000 votes. J ust think of it! Even at their figure (which is if we had our rights, 20,000 below the mark), 70,000 volunteer soldiers fighting for principle. No tories. No Hessians. No hirelings. No bribe-takers in that grand army of People s party men—almost every man of them a hero. And “Our women, God bless them; they are the bravest men we’ve got.” When I think of that host of pat riots I feel confident that we are invincible, and that it is simply a question of time as to our success. Now, don’t let any man in Georgia or all the country who started with us in this fight grow faint-hearted or weary, or discouraged. Place your feet the more firmly by keeping your face to the front, with a set and de termined purpose, born of your ab solute consciousness of the right ousness of the cause for which we are struggling ; that for nothing less than victory w’ill you ground your arms. Remembering always, “that the battle is not to the strong alone, but to the vigilant, the active and the brave.” Yours fraternally, C. H. Ellington, Chairman Contest Committee: “Not a Revolt; It is a Revolu tion” —Tom Watson’s book—has been reduced in price to 50 cents. For sale at this office. Opens the Safety Valve. As the campaign of 1892 has passed into history, let ns review some of the methods adopted by the old par tisan papers and leaders in this long to be remembered contest, at least in the Tenth Congressional District of 1 Georgia. First, the two old parties appear to have agreed to disagree upon oue or two minor questions, the force bill, for instance, in order to stir up sectionalism and array the people as much as possible one against the other; and so they piped force bill and racial difficulties . throughout the South—but nobody - danced. They also piped tariff re form, but the people had been edu cated until they knew the difference between the two old parties upon this question was only one of degree and not principle, and there was no enthusiasm upon this question; so the two old parties, as between them selves, hoisted the flag of truce and ' joined forces to defeat the People’s Reform party. There was no more discussion of Democratic or Republi can platforms by either old party; they caused no ripples upon the great political sea; no enthusiasm; no speech-making ; no debates; no form er campaign like this one between these two old parties. The explana ; tion is found in the furious tirade, by t both old parties, against the People’s party. Heaven forgive such unholy, unjust, outrageous methods and tac tics to defeat the honest demands of ■ the people for just and equal laws. The weeklies and great dailies evaded any discussion of the great economic questions that rest so unevenly on the masses of our country, enriching a few, impoverishing the many; and despite the efforts of our reform press and speakers to discuss the de mands of the people and the injustice of certain laws, and conduct a cam paign of education, the old press, by sheer numbers, forced the most re morseless campaign of abuse, slander and misrepresentation that ever dis graced our country. They appealed to the lower and baser passions and sentiments of their readers by calling our leaders traitors, rascals and an archists, and the rank and file rag tags, bob-tails and mugwumps,'and o ther opprobious names, in order to reate a sentiment against the great c eform movement of the people. r Threats and force measures of every b hade of depravity, and any device that might weaken the people’s move ment or reflect upon the characters of their leaders, was considered quite an addition to the campaign fund and entitled the originator of such questionable means to the position of a. hero in Democratic ranks. But enough of this. Now a few thoughts on the Con gressional election in Georgia. Ought there not to have been a free ballot and honest count ? Ought the large •cities and towns to have debauched the ballot box, as done in Au gusta and other pk : Ls, by force, bribery, threats, voting non-residents —yea, dead men’s names are found upon the tally-sheets. Shame upon Democracy, its methods and devices. The people are justly indignant. Let the investigation and contest in the Tenth district go on. Hurrah for Tom Watson and the People’s party. Lift high the banner of reform. Truth must and will prevail. Vox.. Amity, Ga. lu the Saddle. Before the borean blast of the closing days of November it was hoped by the old parties that the People’s party would be numbered among the things that were, and forever buried beneath the winter of oblivion. Even the old unreliable Augusta Chronicle” hoped to bury Tom Wat son and the party beneath a“snow storm of Black ballots,” and while King Alcohol and his devotees were rejoicing over what they thought were the ashes of the pee-wees, it has taken a new lease of life, and is here to stay. Once in a life-time has Augusta eclipsed Atlanta in over-doing a thing—voting one to every three and a half of her population, and now the boasted “banner county of Democracy”— “In tears and blushes should sigh heirself away, And hide herself beneath the flowers of May.” It looks like the Democratic slate for ’94 is already made out. Black to the bat, Wright on deck, and (per , haps) Collins to follow, is a con jecture. At the Democratic Saturnalian jubilee in Augusta it seems that the “peerless statesman” played second i fiddle and was confronted with the anomalous spectacle of not succeed ing himself in the national halls of American solans. But as he is full > of that charity that suffers long and is kind, and that, while it is human to err, it is also divine to forgive., The man that enters the political arena in modern times, in order to • succeed, miist descend to the level of such methods as is generally used in campaigns—that of money, whisky and intimidation. The People’s party has opened the way for a free and honest ballot, and may it never use methods that are wrong in order to succeed. Let us as a party do no rash acts, say no unkind words, use no dishonest means, seek peace and pursue it, and continue in the course our leaders have outlined; that though they have been maligned and misrepre sented in the last campaign, in the future a sober and intelligent public will render a decision in accordance to the facts. Then, and not until then, will Georgia be restored to her boasted civilization, when wisdom justice and moderation was indeed her motto; then will she occupy a prominent place in the galaxy of States and be justly called the Em pire State of the South. We cannot believe the nations are degenerating; nor yet could we with kaleidoscopic vision point the nation as over-righteous or free from po litical corruption; yet, we believe that He who shapes the destinies of men and nations will guide the old ship of State to a harbor of safety. What now seems to be chaos and disorder is but the passing cloud heralding the coming of a new po litical era. J. P. L. Thomson, Ga., Nov. 29, 1892. Prosperity and the Tariff* National Watchman. Since the old ghost of the tariff is to be again brought out for inspection by the incoming Democratic admin istration a few plain facts drawn from past history, concerning the prosperity of the people under a sys tem of high or low tariff, may be instructive. The Republican party claims that prosperity can only be possible through a high protective tariff, while the Democrats contend with equal zeal that good times will always wait upon free trade or a revenue tariff. This has been the situation po litically for nearly a century, and yet the people are willing to be periodi cally deceived even at this late date. The promise of relief comes from both parties and is based upon di rectly opposing conditions. A large proportion of those who hold to these views are good citizens and should be credited with honest in tentions. It therefore becomes a matter of careful investigation to determine as to the reasons for such radical differences. Without at tempting to discusss the merits or demerits of free trade or protection, a final decision upon which has never been reached, it is perfectly safe and susceptible of proof to state that good times as well as bad times have come to the people under both sys tems. Such being the case, it must be admitted that some other facts aside from the tariff enter into the economic questions of government which brings prosperity or adversity to the people. What is known as the compromise tariff of 1833 pro vides : That, on the 31st of December, 1833, all ad valorem duties of more than 20 per cent shall be reduced one tenth; on the 31st of December, 1835, there shall be another reduction of one-tenth on duties of the same class ; another equal reduction, on the same class and the same principle, the 31st of December, 1837; another do., do., December 31, 1839 ; on the 31st of December, 1811, one-half of the residue of such excess, to be taken off; and from and after the 31st of June, 1842, the remaining half of such excess to be taken off, leaving a maximum of 20 per cent. From this time until 1837 the country prospered. The govern ment was not only out of debt, but actually distributed 828,101,646.01 among the different States. The currency had increased from $61,- 000,000 in 1830 to $149,000,000 in 1837. Then came the demand for coin from England, together with the specie circular from President Van Buren, which required all pay ment for land to be in specie. As a result the banks failed, the money tied, and the people suffered. Again, in 1846, wnat is known as the Walker tariff was passed, which remained substantially unchanged until 1857, when it was reduced to an average of 20 per cent on duitable imports. The circulation at the close of the panic of 1843 is given at about $60,000,000, in 1847 at $164,- 000,000, and in 1857 at $215,000,000. Beginning with 1850 a steady export of gold had taken place. Congress demonetized all foreign com Febru ary 21, 1857, and drove it from the country. A run was soon after made upon a few banks, which dis closed the fact that a specie basis was a fraud, and a general panic en sued. Contraction of the currency at once began, so that by 1858 only about $140,000,000 was estimated as in circulation. The above is a record of two se rious panics, during which property values were almost eliminated, and this, too, under the operation of the lowest tariff of modern years. The Morrill tariff was passed in 1861, and has continued in force, with a few modifications, until the present time. In 1873, under the influence of a high protective tariff, came the most destructive panic of the century. Here again is found the universal cause for such conditions. Green backs had been called in and de stroyed, and the aggregate volume of currency had been reduced from $1,863,400,217 in 1866 to $652,896,- 762 in 1873. Silver was demone tized practically that year, and gen eral financial destruction prevailed. Since that time the currency has been steadily contracted, and the panic has been continued. The lesson to be drawn from these state ments of fact are : that in spite of the benefits which may result from either free trade or protection, hard times and distress will follow when the volume of currency is reduced below the wants of business. The financial condition of the country at the periods above referred to is posi tive proof that all this tariff tinker ing and tariff talk is entirely useless, and can do the people no good so long as the currency of the country is insufficient. For the January Election. It will be borne in mind that our county election will be run by the same old mrchinery of the late national election; consequently it will be highly necessary to give it c ose attention, as was done in some sections in the last election, which changed results in one month’s time. The machinery has become badly worn and very uncertain —so much so that on the first Saturday in January, immediately after the county election, we will endeavor to supply it with new material, which will give us something to base our hopes on two years hence for a free ballot and a fair count. There is no cause for dispondenoy on the part of the People's party, notwithstanding stuffing the ballot box,* defrauding, etc. We can remedy that evil on the first Saturday in January at our district election, and let every People’s party man bq awake to our future interest. The donations and eloquent speeches made by Mr. Watson and others at Thomson on the second instant was a full demonstration of the determination of the People’s party to succeed. The first step to take is to capture the district offices in January; then patronize in every branch of indus try as well as trade the People’s party element. A man with one eye can sea that a man’s land is a burden to him without labor, his stock will soon eat their heads off, and his stock of goods become stale without our pat ronage. So long as the People’s party possess the muscle and brain they can measure arms with those of their political enemies. Then, my friends, let’s make preparation for a long march on short rations, for our cause is just, and we must decide between two evils, of which we will take the less—a quick pain or slow fever which has been praying on us for a long time. It takes brave men to stand the storm, but we have them. But few of the old veterans op pose reform. Yet there are some who love the red liquor and soft promises. They look and long for the crumb that will never fall while the wicked reign. Reformers love equal rights to all and special privileges to none—of which the interpretation is equal taxation, justice and equity in every case, irrespective of future condition of race or color—not social equality as some bourbon Democrats accuse us; not their calculation—naught is a naught and 5 is a figger, all for me and none for the nigger. Wrens, Ga. *■ Jefferson. “To Starve Him Out.” Editor Chronicle: Under the above heading, an edi torial appeare d in the Chronicle of the 15th inst. I feel like rising, if you will permit me, to a point of person al privilege to vindicate my self as a father, a citizen, a People’s party man and a member of St. Luke’s church. The charges in that editorial are too broad and too op probious to be overlooked, and I do not think I would do myself justice to keep silent when my honor is tra duced in so palpable a manner. The onslaught upon the memb era of this church who belong to the People’s party is unqualified. It says, “There is division in St. Luke’s church. It all comes from the bitterness engen dered by the third party.” This brings every People’s party man equally under every charge that fol lows. We are charged, all alike, with boycotting our preacher. As for myself, I have paid every cent I obligated to pay, and others, who are People’s party men, have done the same. I will confess that I was in dignant at the way our preacher made acute angles just before the national election. He was such an extreme prohibitionist in July and spurned it so early as November 8, following. Prohi-populists, as you call them, are not so in gloriously ignorant of Methodist laws as you charge them, either; but there is one thing we are ignorant about, that is, how a sancti fied Christian Democratic pastor could allow himself to become a cat’s paw in the hands of greedy politi cians and designing men to belittle and disgrace the members of his flock, unless it is for the sake of filthy lucre. Mr. Timmon’s year is nearly out and we have been as liberal to him as the means of poor people would allow. We feel that his course in the last few weeks, in his story of starvation, will likely fill his pockets and make the meshes of his purse glitter more with the treasure that perishes, but we feel that the poor day-laborers, among whom he works, after having divided their meager earnings with their preacher, and who suffer for actual needs in their homes, must suffer the shame also heaped upon them by one who ought to have been their friend. * The people of St. Luke’s church are poor, but willing, and as they aie poor they must suffer every abuse that those in better circum stances may please to heap upon them. As the living of our preach er’s parish is meager, so must his living be meager. We can’t promise a fortune to a preacher, but if a preacher is a Christian he will en dure with us and try to help us up, and not turn his heel upon us be cause his salary does not satisfy his covetous appetite. I close this letter praying God that the Democratic pastor will re pent of the egregious mistake he has made and ask the forgiveness of all good brethren offended. T. Allen Shipp. 3