Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

3064 GEORGIA AND GEOEGIANSwhich at this crisis began to assume the colossal proportions of the People'sParty. Mr. Cleveland was in the presidential chair. By reason of hismonetary views, the democracy was divided and the country was demoralized.In this condition of affairs the new movement gathered strength. Eefusinglarge fees and declining lecture engagements, Mr. Watson began an educational campaign at his own expense in the interest of Jeffersonian principles;and among other things he undertook to edit the People's Party paper inAtlanta. If he abandoned the flag of democracy to quote in substance hisown words it was because the old party had drifted from th^ancient moorings; and, under the banner of populism, he claimed to be fighting for thesame eternal principles. In the opinion of Mr. Watson both republicans anddemocrats were the political allies of Wall Street, and upon the hustings hescored them with equal warmth. Some of the best speeches of his life weremade during the progress of this campaign. The vicissitudes of early experience were bearing fruit in magnificent pleas for the common people, andMr. Watson became the acknowledged leader of the great uprising whichreceived the name of populism.In time the new political organization embraced 2,000,000 voters, and thiswas the party strength when the campaign of 1896 arrived. The democracywas still divided. But the majority faction advocated radical reform, andbetween the democratic and the populist parties an alliance was formed thatyear, the former, like the latter, advocating a return to bimetallism for therelief of the financial stringency. Under the terms of this agreement, thedemocratic ticket was Bryan and Sewall and the populist ticket Bryan andWatson. To this combination of banners, which was an excellent strategiccoup for the divided democracy, Mr. Watson yielded reluctant consent; butsubsequent events showed that he misconceived the spirit in which the proposed plan of fusion was made, and that nothing short of the completeabsorption of the populist party was intended. This disclosure prevented theco-operation which was necessary to success, and defeat ensued with suchresults that the democratic party was utterly demoralized, while the populistparty was almost entirely disbanded. In fact, no concerted effort to retrievethe disaster was made by the latter party for eight years.It was in the wake of this eventful campaign of 1896 that Thomas E.Watson turned from the disappointments of politics to the consolations ofliterature; and, while it was the iron hand of fate that thrust them into thegentle realm of letters, he found himself in this new land of enchantmentface to face with the crowning achievements of his life. Through the mediumof his trenchant and facile pen, he began to put into the most fascinating ofliterary forms the mature fruit of his philosophical investigations. It wasa labor of love; his inspiration and his theme were still the common people;and book after book leaped from the unwearied brain of the tireless tribune.First came "The Story of France." This work grew out of some occasional sketches written for his paper several years previously, wherein heundertook to show how the greed of the few, working in the interest of classlegislation, wrecked the French monarchy and precipitated the French Revolution. Next followed "Napoleon." To Mr. Watson the "Man of Destiny"has ever been the most fascinating figure in history, fighting his way from theobscure role of a charity student to the imperial throne of France, evolvingthe code Napoleon which remains today the enduring memorial of his statesmanship, and making all Europe tremble at the bare mention of his name.The author uses this great military genius to show what can be accomplishedunder modern conditions by giving intelligent direction to the democraticimpulse, and so long as Napoleon was content to represent the aspirationsof the awakened French populace, to quote the words of Mr. Watson, he wasirresistible. '' It was only when he united the church and state and divorcedJosephine to wed the stupid daughter of an imbecile Austrian emperor," he