Thomas E. Watson & "The Jeffersonian"

The Jeffersonian June 7 1917 Combined.pdf

The Jeffersonian, June 7, 1917 edition, included Tom Watson's five-page opinion on the Great War and the constitutionality of the draft. Watson believed it to be unconstitutional.

THOMAS E. WATSON AND THE JEFFERSONIAN 

The Politician

                First elected to political office in 1882 as a member of the Georgia General Assembly, Thomas Edward Watson’s (born Edward Thomas Watson) political influence ebbed and flowed with the political moods of the state of Georgia. In 1890, Watson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat but switched to the Populist Party in 1892, he served two terms and was then nominated by the Populists in 1896 as the running mate of William Jennings Bryan.1 

The Publisher

                Other than holding political office, Watson was known for his publication of The Jeffersonian, more of a personal opinion piece than a newspaper. The Jeffersonian became popular during the Leo Frank Trial, expanding from approximately 25,000 weekly issues to over 87,000 within a short time period in 1913.2 

                As The Great War spread across Europe, Watson turned his editorial attention to the conflict. Beginning in January 1915, Watson started to criticize any attempt of America to take sides in the “European War,” often with a 1-1/2 to 2-page diatribe against the potential of President Woodrow Wilson declaring war.3 In his first edition after President Wilson’s war declaration (April 12th) Watson boldly criticized the President’s action.4 The June 7th issue of The Jeffersonian included a five-page tirade of anti-war, anti-draft vitriol.5 

                Ultimately, the Wilson administration was able to halt the publication of Watson’s work, along with similar papers, through the enforcement of the Espionage Act passed June 15, 1917, which prevented any publication that promoted interference with military operations or recruitment for the war effort. The Jeffersonian published its last edition on August 30, 1917, Watson continued to criticize the federal government and shared anti-war/anti-draft petitions submitted by various Georgia counties.6 

  1. Ralph McGill, “Tom Watson: The People’s Man,” New Republic, August 23, 1948, pgs. 16-20.

  2. Steve Oney, And the Dead Shall Rise, (New York: Vintage Books, 2004), 543.

  3. ”The European War and the Farmer,” The Jeffersonian, January 7, 1915. Georgia Historic Newspapers.

  4. “Short Notes on the Great War,” The Jeffersonian, April 12, 1917. Georgia Historic Newspapers.

  5. “War Questions and War Issues,” The Jeffersonian, June 7, 1917. Georgia Historic Newspapers.

  6. The Jeffersonian, August 30, 1917. Georgia Historic Newspapers.

Thomas E. Watson & "The Jeffersonian"