The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1880-10-16
SATURDAY, OCTOBER Is, 1880.
THE GREAT MEETING.
ing-The Mixed Nultitude-The Ovation to
the Maine Senator.

A stranger dropped suddenly into
the business portion of the city would
suppose that either an epidemic dis
ease was raging, or that to-day was
some legal holiday that the people
we're spending in fasting and prayer.
Nobody is on the street, nobody in
the stores Everybody, young and
old, rich and poor, Greenbackers and
Prohibitionists, Democrats and Re-
pubEcans male and female, black and
white, yellow, dun colored and mixed,
has gone to the great meeting, Some
have gone in carriages Eve feel it
necessary to remark right here that
The SENTINEL man didn't go that way),
some on foot, some on horseback,
some on muleback. some on the backs
of the nondescript quadruped with
the emphatic name, some on animals
which Max Adeler would describe as
having only one "ped," and that
way that they could get there, they
have gone. We, too, drift with this
moving sea of humanity to the Lib
erty base ball grounds, the place of
meeting. 1t is motley crowd, a little
Babel, as it were. West State street
and Greenwood avenue are here, side
by side with Goosetown and the
swamp; Hong Wah jostles an ex-
Senator of Mercer "Pidge elbows
aside the mayor of the city, and
Dennis Moriarty firmly plants one of
his number fourteens upon the deli
cate toes of West End belle. That
indiscribable admixture of humanity
that we call THE PEOPLE are here, all
intent upon one purpose, all bent
upon one thing-to see Blaine, to
hear Blaine. 1t is monster gather
ing-an ovation, III honor of the one
nan whose craftsmanship and whose
worth have made his name house
hold word" the gallant, gifted, glo-
rious" Blaine, "the plumed knight "
of Maine, the man whose defence of
the weak against the strong, of the
right against the wrong, has lifted
him into place in the hearts of his
countrymen that Conkling or Bayard,
Hancock or Garfield, can never hold
the idol of the american people.
We push our way through the
surging mass of humanity toward the
platform. It is black with people.
Big functionaries and little dignita-
ries, two vice presidents and one Sec
rotary for every ward and township
in the county, the members of the
Republican County Committee, invi-
ted guests land some that are not in
n.ed), members of the press, and
everybody that can climb on it, is
there. The band plays patriotic
air. and the chairman of the county
committee steps forward and intro
duces the Hon. Barker Gummere as
president of the meeting. Mr.. Gum
mere arises and essays to speak, but
his voice is drowned in the applause
of the multitude, After awhile COM
parative quiet is restored, and the
speaker continues. We glance at our
ooAAoNCu WdUCA duO SCC UudO ~ 10
hurrying toward three o'clock. At
last we can see by the actions of the
orator-for we cannot hear him-that
he is about to introduce Blaine. His
lips move, and in common with the
rest of the multitude, we catch the
word Blaine" The Senator from
Maine arises, and the scene that fol-
lows beggars description. Ladies
wave their handkerchiefs and men
shout and yell, and throw up their
hats in spasm of enthusiasm that
seems to know no bounds. And he
who has evoked this torrent of ap-
plause, this spontaneous tribute to his
worth and his fame, stands silent and
unmoved, bowling his thanks.
Another glance at our borrowed
chronometer warns us that The SEN
TISEL should have long since gone to
press.
Aud thus we leave them, the crowd
sui cheering and the great Senator
patiently waiting to speak to them as
only he can speak-as never man
spake before.