Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

V JiSik \ . „ <... > . , « rr*Hieg , Tf * c *' T . i .. *? •* *> * « < , ' T *t * •L r % ; vc' i I. ■ '«J f V -,*i p ■ r 11. 4 !. V . * *. \ 4. ijff*- i *iV 1 i k't' A,/ >1 k. . • ' * 4:± J • >\ ™Pp|, V ! % 1' vr) /V ; V ■ • .v-\" ■•' A ?F* - • • E. H. MILLER, ED. & PUB. VOL. XXXVI. Stenographic Report, by D, 0 . Smith, of the Speech of Thos. E. Watson, Delivered in Front of the Court House, Crawford ville, Ga., August 24, 1918. As Mr. Watson appeared and’ mounted tlie table from which he spoke, there was prolonged cheering and cries of “Hurrah for Watson.” Fellow Citizens; It lias been 26 years, almost to a day. since I faced an audience in Taliaferro County in interest of my own political atfairs. Across that gulf of the years, made, aud forever made, there floats to day many a memory that is sacred to me, because ' of the fidelity with which I served my people aud the honor with which they have always been ready to obey, to honor their State and myself (Cheers and cries of that’s so.) (A voice: We are still here too, Uncle Tom. Cheers.) I challenge any man, city or town, rich or poor, to mention tlie time or place where I ever faltered, was ashamed of my cause, was afraid to meet the enemy, and did not share my fortunes, good or bad, with the men who loved me then and the men who love me now (cheer and ap¬ plause). (Voices “That’s good.”) Thirty days ago,—confined to my room in Jacksonville, Fla. with a nervous breakdown, which baffled several physicians before one could be called in who mastered it,—if any one had prophesied that I would be standing here today a candidate for Cougress or Jor any other office on earth, I would have thought him a lunatic. No man can tell what time ora day will bring. No man who puts liis head on the pillow to night will know where his foot-steps will lead him during tomo.row. On mv return to Georgia, very much shattered in health, broken hearted, without ooocupation, I cast about almost hopelessly, seeking some opportunity to occupy my energies, and my mind, and keep memory away from misfortunes that could not have been prevented and cannot now be remedied. To my ut¬ ter astonishment there came lrom the old Tenth District just such a move*, ment as called Alexander H. Steph¬ ens hack to public life iu 1872. (Cheers.) with an almost unanimous voice those who had been my friends, and those who had been mv foes, uni¬ ted in the wish that at this time, when our Republic Is undergoingthe greatest crisis thathLtory presents,— at that time there seemed to beaspon taneous demand throughout the dis¬ trict that the Old Tenth should be represented in Congress by a stron¬ ger, more experienced man (cheers and applause). During the afternoon ol the da v before the last date set—not by the Knox Hotel meeting (laugh¬ ter)—but the date set b y the State E x ee u tive Committee and published abroad throughout tlie land, friends came to my house and told me that unless I re fused them tlie privilege they would put up the assessment fees the next day and enter my name as a candi¬ date for Congress. After a few min¬ utes reflection, 1 told them I could not refuse, but that I would not com¬ mit mvself; I must have time to think it over; I must have time to consult my wife. I am not ashamed to say that I did consult her. Then I let the announcement be made •that “my hat was In the Hog”) IWae rtfady to follow my hat, and fight the •fight tothe very end of the campaign. (Cries of good, cheers and applause and Hurrah for Watson.) *OW VINSON ATTACKED »*, TJWBDTO TRICK mil DISTRICT, AGAIN 1 Let me clear away « UuUe of the brushwood at the outset, so that we will all understand wbat wo ore fie. ing and where “We are ak M Wbeo It became known that my friends had not paid mv assessments assessments nntll .a the 16th, the cry was raised by “King i Entered as Second Class Matter Every Friday at the Post-Office at Harlem, Ga. HARLEM, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30. 1918. Carl” (laughter) A German name, indeed—(Laughter) That my assess ments were paid too late, and I could not get in. Well, I immediately took charge of the case and I went to tracking King Carl, snd here is what I found:—His assessments were NO MORE PAID ON THE KNOX HOUSE date of August 1st than mine w ere (laughter and applause). Now what do you think of the Old Tenth District being represented—its hon¬ est manhood, its pure womanhood, its growing hoys and girls—what do you think of these people being rep¬ resented in the highest representa¬ tive body that the world ever knew by a man who secretly sought to throw me out, because my assess¬ ments were not paid on the 1st of August, WHEN HIS OWN WERE NOT paid, until the same day mine were paid. (Laughter, applause and cheers.) Tlie first county in which I treed him was Lincoln. The coon was up the tree all right (laughter). His check was placed with Secretary Perryman just an hour and a half before my fee was paid. In Colum bia County my fee, a local check, (cashable right there) was put in the hands of the Secretary on the 15th while King Carl's draft on his salary was not lodged in the Secretary’s hands , until ... an . hour or two after . mine was there. (Cries of good, cheers, and iiit him again.) In Rlchmond county, a six vote county, when was his assessment paid? Not on the , - lirst £% . ol s* August, a * , . but . upon the - lltb, afid if the 15th day , of . Aujnst , , was too late, U the 14th was, because “The T7 Knox House date" , t was August . 1st. In 'Warren county his Roval Highness Carl forgot lie owed any assessment, apparently, because it was John Evans, the Post Master, who went and gave John Whitely the money, and that was done, ac cording to my information, on the 16th day ot August- Now, what do you think, whatcanyou think about facts like these? Trying to throw me out because my fees were not paid on the first of August, when he can not show, to save his life, that his fees were paid in a single county on that day, set by himself? Was it treating you honestly ? (Voices, NO no.) Was it treating his opponent honestly (Voices, No.) Is that the fair play lie talks about ln the Au¬ gusta Chronicle, declaring that he would not take advantage of any¬ body? (Laughter and cries of hit him Tom.) He would not rely upon “a technicality;” he is in favor of a free field and fair fight. Then after I had treed him and turned him down before the State Committee, lie took his medicine when he had to take it (laughter). A man who plays one trek will play another. (That is right.) A man who will de¬ ceive YOU IN ONE THING WILL FOOL YOU IN ANOTHER. There is one tiling I will never do— I will never tell yon a lie and I will never play a trick an you. (Applaoso and cheers anfi cries, “You never Uavo.”) (Voices, <Vo always knew It.) T*r» state owifiirntii ttnani KOUSLY FI/It IKS «N« t'AtU., Well, as I said t passed those mat¬ ters up to the true afttberitleo-t* the State Executive Committee*, and If any man has the slighteet doubt m to ttio light of fay triono* to dswakd that my xamo go on tho tldkofa, and to §«e toit that jt |# them thin letter ought to convince them: “OrUBa, «k, AUtfttt 22. HR*.’’ "My dear Mr Watson-: You* favor ** tH ® aB< * W"** *• to ,e P*y *° I bog to *ky that I h “ T * vrit **“* L. Gardner, ® f ** ComIMoo , tohav. yonr name pi n-ed npon the official ballot and *,*,,*** &-4h* vH te to .eery e*. cutive committee in tlie Tenth Con¬ gressional District notifying them of tais fact. I thrist that this will reach you before you open your cam¬ paign Saturday. Yours truly, J. J. Flynt, Chairman, State Democratic Committee.” (Applauseand cheers.) Who does this District belong to anyhow ? (Great Applause and cheering.) Does it belong to any set of politicians ? Ought it to he sewed up in the interest of any candidate? or should the gate lie thrown open for all summer and a free opportu¬ nity given to the people to see which one of these men should represent them in Congress? MY REASONS FOR BEING INTHERACK. My motive for answering my friends in the affirmative when they requested the use of my name, were briefly1 naturally desired to escape as far as possible, hitter recollections which W“l'e driving into a settled case of melancholy. I desired an out let for the lire that was in me and the activities of which I still feel myself capable; I desired that my work, which had been stopped by tlie suppression of my publications, should be resumed, believing that j could do for you in congress what i could not do for you any where else. (Voices. Good and (hats right.) the after war reconstruction. I believe that there are new issues movinguponthehorizon.notverydis tant either; not such issues as have be ?“ BettIe ?’ not tho8e thln " s wbich belong to the past—conscription, V. 4 es |Hona.g*s . so lorth , aiut , so on. thk IiEQI8LATI0N that congrkss has PA8SKD AND THK PRESIDENT AP FROVKU BIN1)S MEi AB A LAW ABII) _ rNO cjtizen. (continued applause ant j cheers.) Another motive for my candidacy besides serving you when these great issues come up—was this: I wanted to strengthen the military arms of tlie Government (applause) and tlie invincible mig.it ol the American army by putting carl vinson in IT- (applause, laughter and cheers con ^' n,lt, d.) (Cries of hit him again.) ° arl has been awfu "y active ln P ut ' ting your boys inthe army; he lias been awfully active in putting your tenants, .your wage hands, your clerks, everybody who is available, into the army. That is alright, but a man who is so fond of fighting, ought to have a chance to fight tap plause, laughter and cheers and cries of “Hurrah for Watson” ) He is on¬ ly 35 years old (Cries of Amen.) He is in his prime. My information is that lie lias never found a daugh¬ ter of Eve yet that was pretty enough to trap him as liis wife {laughter and cheers. J He would no doubt be made a captain at the very time lie offered himself, and I can’t think of any va¬ liant figure presenting himself on the firing line that would do more to demoralize tlie Germans and to dis¬ may tlie Kaiser, than Carl Vinson ( Applause, iaugnter and cheers.) VINSON THE AGGRESSOR AND PER. SONAL AND POLITICAL ABUSE! My friends, I had hoped that in (his campaign, where the issues are so mighty ttmt they will be lelt by all the nations of Christendom for the next hundred years, we would have one campaign without abuse, without mud slinging, withtot rak grave yard#, as in the past, and with¬ out stirring up bad blood anywhere. Bat, before I had said one ward, .before I had even announced what ■ay plat form wenld be and what I would try to do If sent te Congress, there came out. In the Augusta paper two articles headed this way: “Con¬ gressman Vinson lays Tom Watson", rhe Chronicle’s editorials read the same way. PwsiblyCnrl wastheanthor of both; if not, Loyless wrutv both Vinson’s "Flaying of Watson” is ln (hesamestyle and temperas t-heLoy los* editorials. The same mas wrote both cad most ef us know that Ley leas fa a good writer. Please remem btr that ne matter what occurs hcre¬ a fter, that it was my opponent who first made the attach upon person and upon record.I do not intend to allow him to make me lose my temper, or to make me behave anywhere at any time, other than as a gentleman should behave, that if any bad blood frets into this campaign it comes from the attack, the unprovoked attack, which Messrs. Loylsss and Vinson made unon me inthe Augusta papers. Mr. Vinson alleges—f will notice his charges briefly in order to get l id of them—charges me with having opposed tlie Government since April 2‘ 1917; and having split with him BECAUSE OF HIS VOTE ON CON¬ SCRIPTION. That statement is un¬ founded. 1 have tile record to prove it. 1 don’t ask you to take my word against liis, I will prove it. As to the espionage hill lie voted both ways ( Laughter.) And if 1 would have to frown at him for one vote, I would have to smile at him for the other. ( Laughter.) Ou the conscript hill I presume lie voted as lie said he did, but as to my¬ self, when the Supreme Court settled that question on an issue which we had proposed to raise in a purely, legal, constitutional manner,'I bowed to that decision as I would to any other decision rendered by the high¬ est court. (Applause and cheers.) As you know, perhaps, I have been away from the State, nearly all of 1918, owing to causes which most of you know. During that period and up to this.day, I defy Mr. Vinson to produce—in person, or by letter, or by affidavit—a single human being, man or woman, who can say that I have ever, in any way. opposed the Gov¬ ernment. (Cries of good and ap¬ plause. ) I regarded what was done as done by the highest constituted authori¬ ties of the law, and being a lawyer and taught to obey, I have-learned' my lesson ana did obey .Today, T am beinglicard for the first time since September 1917, and you will learn today whether I am a traitor to mv country or not. ( Applause. • AS TO OBSTRUCTING THE U. S. GOV¬ ERNMENT. In the first place, soon offer the war was declared, I being too old for conscription or to volunteer, my son, who was 36 years old, promptly tendered liis services to the Govern¬ ment, WITH MV FULL CONSENT. What greater thing can a man offer upon the alter of patriotism than his onlv hoy (Great Applause.) He made that tender of service through Judge Frank Park, who represents a district in South Georgia. That tender of service went straight, to the war department, according to the letter of Judge Park, but from that day to the day of his death In Flori¬ da, my son never heard a word lrom it. Let that pass. Messrs. Loyless and Vinson say I didn't buy liberty bonds (laughter) therefore am unfit to go to Congress. Would you wantaman who had been stripped of Ids cash last fall, bv ac¬ commodating ids friends, i three ol whom were in terrible financial stress and about t» lose valuable property,) to borrow money at from 8 to 12 per cent to lend to Uncle Sain at 4 per cent ? When 1 went to Florida, I went on borrowed money; while I lived there, I lived on bor¬ rowed money; when I staved at the Hotel Mason in Jacksonville, an in¬ valid. 1 stayed on borrowed money; arid my fare back home was paid with borrowed money. That monev cost me from 8 to 12 per cent; and I got jt from my factors Ramsey & Legwen, and from the McDuffie Bapk. Now, if yon ildnk that 1 ought to have borrowed money at 12 per cent aud bought Government Bonds, If you think that my failure to do so d.squalifles me to represent the Tenth, why, then I vrtll have to bow to your decision. But 1 consider It a man’s privilege to render his ser¬ vices in the Way In which he can make It most serviceable. I have ne disposition la the werld te hide any thing, but when I and my family by necessary construction are placed beside the enemies *■( my country by e?e who seeks offico again by hie artful “Knox Hctwe" methods, ] will »»y this, there are some el these bends In my family, and they were bought fer my grand children by mv wife with rents from lands 1 had given those children in years gone bv. t Great applause and cheers aod cries ef good.) As to giving menoy t» H»« Ited Cioss and the Y. M. C. A- Vinson kfatod what was absolutely antrue. As I have said often, toe oftea per- PRICE ONE YEAR $1.5© haps, I was in Florida at the time aud sick unto-death in mind, heart and body, but when Mrs. Hart, ou r neighbor on Jupiter Island came to the house in her collections, she got a t least as liberal a collection at Tom Watson’s house as anybody ever got at Carl Vinson’s. f< Applause ) And the money was borrowed money, as T have said, at from 8 to 12 per cent. So much about that. CARL VINSON’S FIRST RACK FOR CONGRESS. They say that I fought him because of conscription. I willprove to you the shameless falsity of the charge, in liis first race for Congress, lie ran on the Anti-Catholic issue. He got into Congress making a violentanti Catholic si'Jech at Norwood, so re ported in the Augusta Chronicle, and reported to me by T. R. Massengaie, over tlie long distance telephone. Some of you know how industriously f worked, in Warren and Talliaferro Counties to turn the tide for Vinson, because lie had got upon myplatform against political Romanism, Mind you, I don't criticise a man for his religious faith, I don't religious critcise an v human being for bis faith. The faith of the individual is some thing that i ft sacred, it is liis, it is his conscience speaking to him. I have got nothing to do with it. It is none of my business, any more than my faith is his business. And I have never anywhere insulted, in¬ tentionally, tlie faith of any man, woman or child that adheres to tlie Catholic church, ( Applause and cries of good.) But when any church, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, or Catholic—goes into politics and wants to chose ourrulers and make our laws, then and there I see red, and am ready to fight it ( Ap¬ plause and cheers.) CARL, A8AUOMPOSITK JUNIORORDER AND ROMAN CATHOLIC, I belong to the Junior Order ol'tlie United American Mechanics, the OIl ly secret order to which I belong. Carl Vinson belongs to the same or¬ der. He, as well as I, took the oatli of that Order on our bended knees. I cannot divulge what that creed is; but if there is any Junior Order man here to day, he knows that when Carl Vinson secured the support of that Catholic organ, the Augusta Clironicie, secured the sup¬ port of every Catholic in Augusta, got tlie cheek by jowl with every Catholic in Augusta, the Junior Or¬ der men know that be is either i'ooi ing them or is fooling the Catholics. ( Applause and laughter.) But speaking about doing things for one’s country, and investi'ugone’s money for the benefit of humanity, I will say want I have never before said in public and what tlie public does not generally know. I hold in tny hand a copy of the deed of gift that I made tlie Mercer University four years ago when Iliad no thought of seeking for your support for anj office, what is that deed Brother Ten drick? (handing paper). It is tin en dowment of $6,000. made to Mercer University to have and to hold for¬ ever, for w Init purpose? To support four or five worthy, promising poor young Men entering theireshinan’s class in college. Ever since 1914, 1 have been educating five young men every year; au(i if that endowment is not ‘mismanaged, an equal number ol boys, coining from among tlie hum¬ ble ranks oi life,—boys who can not go to tlie State University, boys who can’t go to any costly college, hoys who hunger and thirl ‘ for learning and shabby who hats may earry\^Siiatli iheii a brain Stepps as gifted as that of Alexander H. himself,— will get their start in life on that en de% meat. Has Mr. Carl Vinson anything in his record that will compare to that? (Applause and cheers. 1 (A voice. If he has, let him shew it. > Caul's Record. He has a record; he refers to his retold; and is proud af hi# record! Wher* is his receru , Lasghtei) ? He certainly has a record—saeh as it 1*. (Laughter and applause. 1-Just as a jack rabbit ha» * tali, snob as it is, { Laughfaj.) When the rabbit is sitting down, you ■an not see it; wii^w h* i H coming to¬ wards yon. it Is invisible (laughter ); and when he fa going the other way, t bobs up and down, first one side snd then the other, until the mis. <xp*rt marksman could not diaw n •ead ou it. (A voice, No you could No. 50. not. Great applause and cheers.) WIIATt FKLI.OUT WITH III M AISOCT, ■ * not fall out with him aboil? conscription, not at all; l tell otlt’ witli him because he didn't do What he promised to do in his public speech at Norwood, and other placed, and there are men here perhaps who heard those speeches. f Friends over t here in the audience nod and feay they did hear it. • JMNK -v ' This same Carl Vinson went all over the country counties of the 10th District, in 1914. telling the peonle that Joe Reynold of Augusta was unfit, to go to Congress, because Joseph had married a Catholic, sign¬ ed away his unborn children to the Pope, and was allowing them to be educated by the Catholic teacher. Carl Vinson made a most bitter at¬ tack upon Romanism, in Glascock County, ill 1915, and sent me a type writeu copy. in other words, he beat Reynolds and Evans both on tiiis violent anti-Catholie issue. hon king carl opens and shut THE GATES. When that artful Carl Vinson got home in 1916, lie called for his corn mittee. lie took them to Milledge ville, and when did they meet? They met on July 23, 1916; at what date did they close entries? August 1st. It seems to be liis favorite date,— August 1st (laughter), In other words, tlie people of this district had little less tnan a week to find out that the committee had met and to find out that the gates had been opened just long enough to shut it again. Hardly a breath or air had the chance to get through. Everybody was shut out, except King Carl. Here in Tlie Jeffersonian is an, editorial paragraph on Georgia Poli¬ tics. 7th page, issue of "August' 17, 1916. There you will read how I con demi ied the acts of that com mittee and held Vinson responsible for it, just as I then condemned liis deser¬ tion of his own platform of anti Roinanism. He asked to draw up for him a Rest^ution against the Pope. What was tlifit resolution ? 4 is innocent enough. I wrote for him iu parliamentary language, a demand for an investigation of why it was that our Government was re ceiving' and hud for many years re celved, an ambassador from a church, namely,the Church of Rome, \VF, SPLIT ON THE CATHOLIC QUES¬ TION, We do not receive an ambassador from the church of Mahomet, which is bigger than that of Rome. We do not receive ambassadors from the Episcopal church. We do not re-,: eeive amhasadors from the Germans Lutheran church; we never did. No Baptist ambassador, no Methodist ambassador ever goes to Washington to represent the church. The lope of Rome is tlie only Ecclesiastic which claims and exercises the right to send a political ambassador to Washington City. Curl was glad to get that resolution; said he would fight iorit. Gave me to understand that he would tweak the Pope’s nose. Gave me to understand he would make all Protestants proud of him. i Laughter). Wimthappened ? Noth¬ ing happened. Nothing has ever happened. < The Pope s ambassador is still at Washington, in the midst of the War 'ilMmmrhiHsn well known fact that the Pope is pro-German.> Palling to get results i l Dill VliiHU. ‘i ift tr two years of trial I lost confi¬ dence in my ferocious anti Catho¬ lic—ferocious in words us he now is. i wrote him a letter reminding him if Ids speeches of liis sDeeehes, re¬ minding him of what he promised, and if I didn’t scorch him from his head to his heels. I didn't do what I meant to do (Applause and laughter.) (Since then, the split between us lias been complete.) Nobody had heard of conscription then. Con¬ scription is quite a good thing to hang quite a number of hats on, but it want hold mine. (Applause and cries “That is right.”) My position was exactly that of HpeakerChampCIufk. Loyless and his vinson attack WATSON “VAGAfilES”. In his caid attacking me in my record 1 —I o o lid not otherwise men¬ tion hfa name—exceptfor hisuttoek. ■Some people muy think I ought not :o notice this little tiling, and that ittie thing; but how do I know what .iiatiuau over yonder mavthink, and tliisoneiv t lieiemay think. They may tli ink Ufa no small thiog.nnd that I ought to answer it. All right, so (Continued on hack pit gw)