Watson's weekly Jeffersonian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1907, August 08, 1907, Page PAGE NINE, Image 9

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to every other political consideration. Just now the fact Is recalled by the very interesting and anything but dull correspondence between the Hon. Thomas E. Watson, of McDuffie, and Bishop Warren A. Candler of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South —a corre spondence largely personal, yet concerning two men of such prominence as give to it widespread public import. Bishop W. A. Candler recalls the fact that in the campaign of 1896 he refused to stump the state for the nominee of the Populist party, who had cor ralled the prohibition plank, because he disapproved and deprecated any effort to use the prohibition cause for political ends. Politically, he was a Democrat; morally, and religiously, he was a prohibitionist Thus he draws the distinction: In that campaign Mr. Watson and his party asso ciates undertook to give the people of Georgia a dose of Populism in a capsule of prohibition. They mis led some good men. But when it was given out, without my knowledge or consent, that I would stump the state for the nominee of the Populist party for governor, I promptly contradicted the statement, and deprecated the effort to use the prohibition cause for any party ends whatsoever.” That was eleven years ago! Things are entirely different today. The evidences are all about us that the time has come when appeals on the ground of party loyalty can no longer be made in Georgia. The people are doing their own thinking. If organized Democracy thinks the same way—all right; if not, then out with organized Democracy! It may be said, it is true, that we have a white party—a party comprising prac tically all the white citizens of the state regardless of former political alignment—in which are to be found, at last, Democrats, Populists, Republicans and Prohibitionists, but as for organized Democracy set ting the pace for their political conduct, it is a ques tion of the past. The very first thing done by the legislature is the enactment of a law which time and again the Geor gia Democracy has repudiated, a law against which the recent Macon platform itself entered protest in its endorsement of local option after specifically turn ing down a state prohibition plank. Former Popu lists and Democrats alike were at the head and fore front of the movement. Even the governor, declaring for local option apd urging the platform of the party as a guide in all matters of pending legislation, was swept aside. No word or sentence is here said byway of com plaint. The action accords with the wishes of those whose authority to take the step is unquestioned. The new condition is accepted gracefully and good citizenship throughout the state will adjust itself in accord with it and in<he determination to make the new law effective. It is said to be a settled fact that Judge James K Hines, for years the avowed enemy of the Georgia Democracy, and once the candidate against its nomi nee for governor, is to be tendered one of the highest positions in the gift of the state, the first vacancy on the Supreme bench. Nor is this said with any view of fault-finding. Judge Hines will, no doubt, make ? capable and effi cient judicial officer. But why should we attempt longer to deceive our selves about the supremacy of organized Democracy in Georgia! It is a myth, and everybody knows it to be so. The truth of the matter is that Mr. Watson has whipped his fight against the organized Democracy, and that is all there is about it! The political leaven that he planted years ago hag done its work, and to day the victory is his. The breaking of party lines for which he fought, and is still fighting, has come to pass. And the people of the state have thrown political creed and party organization to the winds and writ ten “late” before the one-time Georgia Democracy. There are certain things the people want and mean to have. They have begun to have them in the states; they have begun to have them in the nation In the accomplishment of these objects, party creed and party organization will be abandoned the mo* ment they get in the way. Under whatever banner the people may align them selves they will ultimately demonstrate, as they have begun to do, that regardless of the views of leaders, regardless of party lines and platforms and creeds, their voice and will are, at last, supreme. In the meantime, a toast “to the late Georgia Dem ocracy! It fought a good fight and did a service that will never be forgotten—but must it now go to the scrap heap?”—Hon. Clark Howell, in Atlanta Con stitution. , , WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. Mail All Letters to Thomson. Subscriptions, manuscripts, and all letters in reference to editorial and circulation matters should be directed to Thomson, Ga. Letters relating to advertising business may be directed to Gordon Nye, 608 Temple Court, Atlanta, Ga. Duns of all kinds should invariably be mailed to Nye. Writs, roajsts, levies, 'injunctions, manda muses, and libel suits are to be served on Nye. Parties who sign their names in such away that they themselves could not make out what it is after they get sober, will please keep such communications at home until they do get sober—and then write it over again. Parties who write communications with a blunt, soft pencil will please enclose a part of the pencil. It may aid us in reading the letter. All persons desiring to shoot, assault or otherwise maltreat the Editorial Department, are earnestly requested to deal directly with the Atlanta office. M H H BRYAN AND HEARST—AND WATSON! Th© rumor of a political understanding between Mr. Hearst and Mr. Bryan is exciting more than ordi nary comment throughout the South and the coun try. There can be no doubt that the rumor if true will have a large bearing upon the next Democratic con vention and upon the next national election. Whether this understanding revolves around the candidacy of Mr. Bryan for the presidency or of Mr. Hearst for the presidency, or whether the two are to stand behind a Southern candidate, the ele ment of essential interest in it is the union of two great forces that for twelve years have been either cool or antagonistic to each other. That Bryan and Hearst are the two great person alities in the Democratic party, no sane man will question and no honest man will gainsay. The great evangel of Nebraska has gone like a Peter the Hermit up and down the country arousing the people to a new crusade for liberty and purity. The great Democratic editor from the mouths of eight great daily newspapers has thundered day after day and week after week to an audience a thousand times as large, the principles of a real Democracy and an inspiration to a real government of the people beyond the tyranny of predatory wealth. Whatever the causes that swept Hearst and Bryan apart, they were causes that contributed most poten tially to the Democratic defeats for the last twelve years, and whatever the causes that bring them together they will contribute most mightily to the success of the Democratic party in the future. Mr. Hearst has a personal following as large as that of Bryan, although it will not be generally conceded. Mr. Bryan has his personal following devoted, in fluential and sincere. And these two multitudes catching something from the spirit of the leaders have either been loyal and co-operative or apathet ic and indifferent to each other. There lacks yet another element to make this combination potential and almost conclusive to Dem ocratic success. The missing link to this combination lives in Georgia and we do not need to name Tom Watson as the man. Mr. Watson is still the idol of the old Populist party whether that party remains intact or whether it has been gathered into the am ple bosom of its reformed mother of Democracy. Mr. Watson is also the friend and idol of the farmer, South and West and center. His magazine stands almost as one of the organs of that great body of' thirteen hundred thousand farmers known as the Farmers’ Union. His name is indissolubly linked with reform measures and popular liberty and the rights of the people. We have no abler man in the South than Tom Watson, and by the light of the records no cleaner, braver and more honest pub licist in all the country. He has been consistent against his interests, loyal without regard to pre ferment and true to his principles when he might have triumphed by the most casual deviation from their lines. Such a man can not fall to command influence and to deserve friends. We make bold to say that if Tom Watson would join his forces to those of Hearst and Bryan it would add to the strength of that combination a large majority of the thirteen hundred thousand members of the Farm ers’ Union. It would lend to the cause an incom parable advocate and an incorruptible statesman. We sincerely hope that Mr. Watson will fall into -: - 4 ■ Watson, Hearst and Bryan are natural allies. With slight and Inconsequential differences they have the same political convictions. They have fought in the main for the same reforms. They are each one pulsed through and through with a supreme consideration for the rights and liberties of the plain people of Ameri ca. Surely, no light and trivial circumstance, no small differences of opinion should separate men who see so much for which to fight In common and for which to hope in patriotic and unselfish ambition. The Georgian, awaiting with such patience as it can the confirmation of the rumored understanding be tween Hearst and Bryan, sends out the fervent wish that it. may be so, that it may be followed by the full co-operation of Thomas E. Watson. And with these three powerful and Incorruptible forces we have every reason to believe that the new and def inite Democracy of this better day will march to use fulness and victory.—John Temple Graves, in The Georgian. it at at Mr. Watson to Speak at Beall Springs. In explanation—due to those whose Invitations have been regretfully declined —I beg to say that Beall Springs, in Warren county, can be reached from my home without serious interruption to my work. Warrenton, Ga., July 22, 1907. Hon, Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga. Your Inflexible adherence to the principles and constant advocacy of the legislation necessary to advance the Interests of the wealth producers of ♦ America, as advocated by you in your congressional campaign of 1890, inspires us to seek counsel of you in the great work which the Farmers’ Educa tional and Co-operative Union have undertaken. As representatives of the P. E. and C. Unions of Warren county we earnestly beg you to address the farmers of Warren, Glascock, Jefferson, Washington and Hancock counties at Beall Springs (Warren county) August 22, 1907. ROBERT MATHEWS, President No. 928. C. M. SMITH, Vice President No. 928. GEORGE T. CLARK, President No. 552. FRANK TUFTS, Vice President No. 552. J. B. POOL, President No. 1033. C. F. JOHNSON, Vice President No. 1033. Thomson, Ga., July 28, 1907. Messrs. Robert Mathews, J. B. Pool, George T. Clark and others: Gentlemen —Your favor received. Be assured that I sincerely appreciate the terms In which your in vitation is extended. It gives me pleasure to accept Truly, THOS. E. WATSON. Please Send Me Your Name I think that new life can be put into our Circulation Department, and things improved generally, by giving my personal supervision to the work. , Therefore, The Circulation Depart ment Has Been Moved to Thomson. In a short while I hope to be familiar with all the details of the service. Every one who is now acting as agent for either or both of the two Jeffersonians is ear nestly requested to write me. I want to know who is working with me, and to keep in per sonal touch with these workers. Please Send Me Your Name If not too much trouble, do me the kind ness to tell me how many subscribers you have sent in, first and last. If you would, fur thermore, send me a list of those acquaint-* ances who could be reasonably expected to recognize and appreciate sound democratic doctrine when they meet it in the big road, I should be thankful and grateful. But be sure to send me your name, any how. Yes—send it to Thomson, Ga. Yes— that’s the way we spell it. THOS. E. WATSON. PAGE NINE