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About The Columbia sentinel. (Harlem, Ga.) 1882-1924 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1920)
Vol. 38 ANOTHER WEEK OF THE SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN I left home, Tuesday morning, to be at Covington by 11 o’clock A. M.; but owing to the fearful condition of the roads, we arrived at Covington late. My address to a multitude which must have gone high up into the thousands, was •delivered in the open, and lasted nearly two hours: then we had to go back to Madison, where again we were late. The address at Madison was in the open, lasted at least an hour and a quarter; and by that time, it was so late, T decided to spend the night there. An early start was made, next morning, for 'Winder, which we reached on time, in spite of the very heavy roads: there ^>rc places where the car almost stuck, or ditched; and of course, the passenger was jolted, bounc¬ ed, thrown violently this way and that, and thoroughly knocked up. At Winder, the crowd was overwhelming: no man’s voice could have compassed it. be¬ cause it was not in the open air: it was under a warehouse shed. After a long speech—following Air. Hard wick and John L Kelley—whose brilliant talk was the feature of the day—the shaking of hands w ith old friends and new, occupied my time gratefully, as long as 1 could stand the suffocating heat and the strenuous exercise, Mv suit case had been suplied with cliang •es of underwear, for one day, only, as it expected that 1 would come home Tuesday might, and start for Winder, early Wednesday morning: therefore, it was necessary for me to go in person to a drv-gdods store to pur¬ chase what was needed; and by that time this was done, I was a very tired man. Seeing my exhausted condition, a local friend secured a pint of corn whiskey, whose virtues I doubted: he boldly showed me that it was pure, by taking two generous of it, himself. These two drinks noticeably reduced Miller— quantity left in tliis pint bottle—especially', as who guards my health while we arc traveling these long trips— accepted the* invi¬ tation of my local friend, “to try -it. ’ y Too heated to eat dinner, and having had no breakfast, I made myself a milk-punch, using a wine-glass to measure the whiskey', pouring about two fable-spoonfuls. After resting a hit, we set, out for Bnfoi 1 —whose distance, we were told, was 24 miles. When we found ourselves at the Brasei ton store, we stopped, to consult the local Bn reauu of Information. We were joyously- informed, that wo had taken the wrong road. (If our chauffeur had < i tried” anything at Winder, 1 am not aware of it.) We stayed a few minutes among the Bol sheviki, at these (Voss-Roads,,and 1 had the pleasure of being introduced to Mrs. Brasel ton—a line old lady with beautiful white hair— who told me of her trip, 50 miles, to Bethle¬ hem to bear me speak, in 1893—and they had no Fords in those days. Several of my local well-wishers gave me directions to Buford, which, by this time, was only 32 miles off. We still had plenty of time, though, and 1 did not particularly regret the fact that we had come out of the way, since it gained us the enjoyable stop at the Braselton store; and the guiding help of a friend who rode with us as far as his home. After he had got out of the ear, ho gave us further instructions as to how to reach Buford. We followed these directions for miles, until wo reached a stretch of road that was a continuous quagmire of red mud. Then we had trouble, and lost at least an hour “negotiating” half a-milo of road. So often had our chauffeur driven the Jackrabbit. through these morasses of lob¬ lolly, that be bad become overconfidant. He saw a Ford stick in this bog, and yet he did not put on the chains, or corduroy the had place with brush: of course, I ought to have had sense enough to have directed him to do this; but like Hoke Smith’s attempt to run for President, I did not see it, until after the event. The Jack Rabbit stuck. A number of the young men on the road, first pushed and pulled the little Ford out—or rather picked her up and toted her out: and then they tackled the Jack Rabbit Appersou. A scraggy mare, owned hv the gentleman who lives on the “rise” near this suck-hole, was harnessed and hitched to the front of the J. R. A.; and then there was a shout “All to¬ gether!’’ and the generous volunteers pushed and pulled, with all their strength, while the Settfmel Jy ,a E 12th St ' N g», Price $2.00 Per Year engine tried to catch up with the mare. The owner of the mare, however, kept a keen eye on her interests; and she never got within reach of the big ,1. B. A. At last, the ear came out of the bog, throb king in all its parts, from the exertion of full power. “Thank you, gentlemen-, far your kindly help.’’ The mare earned the just reward of her services; and if that mud hole remains in front of that gentleman’s house, many more rainy seasons, the mare will make the gen¬ tleman rich. It never occurred to me, before, that a hog and a handy marc, might make a gen¬ tleman’s fortune. Bid of this calamity, we went on toward Buford; and just before we began to see the outhouses of the town, four men passed us in a car, and one of thorn shouted—‘‘When you get 1o John Somebody’s house, turn to (lie left, or you’ll get stuck.” Of course, we did not know which house was John’s; and we went right into the pit, through which, as it happened, a resident was guiding another car. We had sense enough to follow this car; and thus we escaped another ‘stuck.” But if we had known John’s house by | sight, we certainly would have taken dic road to the left. W gradually worked our way into Bit ford, and stopped the ear at the depot. Some hoys gathered around, and 1 asked one of them whether he knew Air. Brogden. “Yes, I saw; him up-town, fifteen minutes ago.” Handing the lad a quarter, T asked him to run up town, and tell Mr. Brogden that 1 had conic. ’ Evidently', Air. B. had gone home—some miles in the country'—and f had no stomach for any more “stuck” holes, that evening. i | It was, by this time, about 8 o’clock, ami we engaged rooms at the Hotel for the night, After 1 had registered, the landlady was j so good as to ask whether 1 wauled anything special for supper. 1 thanked her for this attentiqn, and acted upon the suggestion. j The meal was sent to mv room: I aske1 Mr. Miller to take to the lady my thanks and my appreciation—which he did. While I was eating, a young man came in¬ to my room smoking a violent cigar, which spread out at the outer end like a feather duster. He asked— “Well, how's things going. At the awful prospect of having to give a history of the campaign, (in a voice that was already hoarse,) not only to this young man, but to others who might follow in his foot¬ steps, 1 requested the landlady to sponge out the number of my room—which she did. Having finished the supper, I measured off the medicine for a milk punch, and took it. The fact that the Big Warrior of Buford admitted that the pint bottle was half full, when he got access to it, proves that, it had not been abused. I turned out the light and went to bed, hoping to have a restful night, so that I might be in good trim for the meeting on the morrow But it was impossible for me to sleep, be¬ cause of the loud talk in the lobby below—my room being so situated as to get the full ben- SCHEDULE OF MR. WATSON’S SPEAKING DATES McRae, Thursday, 2lith. 11 A. M. Ashburne, Thursda, 26th, 4 P. M. Valdosta, Friday, 27th, 11 A. M. Moultrie, Saturday, 28th, 11 A. M. SEPTEMBER. Atlanta. Thursday, 2nd, 8 P. M. (Auditorium-Armory.) Friday, Calhoun, 3rd, 11 A. M. (Gordon County.) Harlem, Ga., Monday, August 30, 1320. efit of this noise. It was bed time, and those men who were making so much fuss over their cards cer¬ tainly showed no consideration for other guests who did not want to play card s, but who had registered there upon the idea of a night of necessary rest and recuperation. Have you never seen a whole coach disturbed at night by a noisy quartette of card-players? Have you never known eases in which protests had to be made and enforced? I am not making a plea for any special privilege in my own behalf: 1 am simply stat¬ ing the case as the average traveler—-not a card player—finds it everywhere. It. is a very great nuisance; and 1 have no doubt that nearly all hotel managers would put a stop to it, if it were possible. To a person, nervous and unable to get to sleep, because of a persistent noise, time drags slowly, and 30 minutes may seem like 00; therefore, I will not attempt to say- how long one voice, in that group of card-players grated on my nerves and irritated my temper. The time seemed to me a long one; and at last that voice raised to a high pitch, bream ' a torture. Leery traveler must feel that he is entitled to his rest, in his inn; and if a hark ing deg wore kept at night, in every corridor of the largest hotels, those hostelriea would j soon have to choose between the dogs and the boarders. | ; At length, I could stand it no longer; and not seeing anyone else with whom 1 could tile a protest, I tiled it with the gentle men who were so vehemently and boisterously playing cards. Vehemence, turbulence, and loud noises avo by no means indispensable to a game of •a rds. Those who love a game, of whist for instance, impose silence: I do not know of any card-game'which requires incessant loud talk. X if aware flint any lady was within sight, and having seen none on the floor where my room was situated, I ventured upon the 1ml cony in my night clothes, to file my protest against such a game of cards. Mv voice was too hoarse to make itself heard above (he unceasing chatter of tin* players, therefore I dropped a harmless hook down upon I he table, where the cards were. The card players look it for a bomb. The manor in which their coat-tails stood out, as they ran from the table, to the doors, was perfectly ridiculous. They' acted as though the Beds were upon them, and that the explosions would soon be¬ gin. The little loud month man, particu¬ larly, attracted my attention: lie fled through the dining-room door, like a flash from an electric lnilh; and ho closed the door behind him; and then began to put his face through the jam, to glance first at the hook and then at mo. Every time he made as if to come out, 1 made as if to throw another bomb; and his face vanished behind the door. Up to this time, 1 had not to my knowl¬ edge, been' seen by anyone, except the four players: I bad not committed any act, except lo drop a book on to a table: nobody was bit or hurt, and nobody bad claimed, (so far as I know) that I bad Ivied to hurt him. If I had meant to damage those imbeciles, there wore missiles at hand with which it could AUGUST Bainbridgo, Saturday, 28tli, 4 P. M. Washington, Tuesday, 31st, II A. M. (Wilkes County.) Sparta, Tuesday, 31st, 4 P. AI. Thomson, Saturday, 4th, 11 A. AI. (McDuffie County.) Metter, Tuesday 7th, 11 A. M. (Candler County.) Macon, Wednesday, 1st, 8 P. M. Issued Weekly have been done. I certainly was not making any effort to injure anybody, either then or afterwards: my purpose was to go hack to bed, and, if pos sihle, to nic y. No intention to harm anybody, or auy thing was on my mind, liie Big Warrior claims that I was stand¬ ing in the balcony. Doing chat? For 'the sake of lit argument, admit that 1 Iran standing in the balcony: is there any law against it? What right did he have, to violently seize Too. sclap my face, and so beat me with his lists that even now, mv bodv shows the bruis cs ? I will not say that it was in my room he manhandled me, using his gigantic strength against his prisoner, because when he grabb¬ ed me, and immediately began to beat me, carrying bis brutality and criminality, to the unheard of extreme of slapping my face, T became so blind with fury at Ibo outrage, that I cannot recall as yet, .just what happened a flenvards. I know there was a struggle, as desperate as I could make it—and j H as yon would bare made it. This man Lawson is a giant, and lie loves to use his slrenglh. like a gianl. and. then fore, cruelly. His attack was wholly unexpected: no¬ body had said a word to me concerning the hook arid the card-table: and 1 had no idea whatever that anybody thought, of calling in the police: at that stage, 1 cfore I was seized, hit and hurt, a kind word would have controlled me. The Big Warrior did not ask me for my side of it: he gave me no hearing at all: with¬ out a warrant of any kind, ho seized my per¬ son in so violent a. way that any nan with red blood in Ids veins would have fought. He did not even tell me of what 7 was ac caned. His first words were, “1 mkan to put YOU IN .TAIL. t y In seizing me and trying to pinion my arms, 1hey r had ripped every' button off my drawers, and the garment fell, in spite of my frantic efforts lo keep it up. But before they dragged me down stairs, they had again gone into iny private room, ta¬ ken my clothes, brought them to the southern rail of tin' balcony', and forcibly put them on, preparatory to locking me up. They ruined my vest and my r trousers. ! was taken into Mr. Rowe’s store, and tlm Big Warrior stepped outside; in the store, the two gentlemen who endeavored to end the episode, made various propositions, which no brave man could accept. One was, that I take (tic next train to Gainesville. Another was, that I leave the hotel and go to a private house. bond—cash Xo offer to let me give or otherwise- -was made unconditionally. Each expression of willingness to accept, a bond, was accompanied by an illegal, or a humiliating condition. The law accepts hail, unconuitionally: you make the bond, and you go free, until the time stipulated in tlic bond. The commonest negro in the land can give bail, and go along about bis business, until Court-time: that privilege, enjoyed, ev¬ ery day by every sort of man, was denied, to me, by the Big Warrior of Buford. I claimed no more for myself than [ would claim for you: stood upon my consti* futional right to give satisfactory bond, and then to he released unconditmially. I was denied that elemental, time-honored, and legal right; and the evident, intent ot this Lawson to lock me in an iron cage and keep me there all night filled m< iis it would have filled von with unbounded indignation. In thin low-quarter shoes, ! had to walk a longdistance in the slush, and I was left, all night, in these soaked shoes and socks: the Big Warrior refused to allow a frier d of mine to bring my suit case to the cell, so that I could put on dry clothes. Mr. Miller and I were put in the same cage: it, was fold, and it stank; and tiro al¬ leged bedding of the narrow bunk, supposed to be intended for the use of one inmate of the cage, was as full of uncleanness—inde¬ scribable dirt and filth—as any you will ever see, I hope. sleep On this bunk, Miller and I spent a less night. of these vile To put two men in one (Continued on Page Four.) Mo. 47 «
