The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-02
ID. II. Smith Predicts a Reign of Ter
xor Unless the Country Puts Bry-
an I'm the White House.
E. V. DEBS FAILED TO APPEAR
a BIG SUNDAY AUDIENCE HAD GATH
Erred TO HEAR HIM.
other PopOcratic Orators, Who Were
of Reputation and Riot.

1.-THE condition that confronts the Ameri-
can people to-day is no different from the
condition that confronted the people OF
France before the Freneh revolution, and
If you will not have a reign OF terror, you
must put in power this man, William Jen-
ninSs Bryan.
The above threat was made last night at
the so-called labor mass meeting held at
Tomlinson Hall, arranged by Tom Gruelle
and a committee of kindred spirits. at
which it was advertised that Eugene V.
Debs would speak. AS Debs did not put in
bis appearance. two lesser lights were SUBJ
stituted. The words above quoted were
uttered by an agitator who calls himself
ID. r. Smith. He is one of the $50 young
men who have been educated by the BIZ
metallic League and crammed with free
silver doctrine. Several weeks ago he came
here at the instance of the Popocratic COM
mittee and registered at the Grand Hotel.
where he has since boar died.. all his ex-
penses having been paid by the committee.
He has with him a companion. Together
they have started street corner arguments,
and. after attracting crowds. Smith has
dealt out free-silver arguments. In this he
is obeying the orders of his masters. the
silver mine owning syndicate, otherwise
styling itself the Bimetallic League. Smith
dubs himself travelling man. Sometimes
he says that his home Is in Chicago; other
times that it is San Francisco, or Cincin-
natl. Last night in his speech. cut short
on account of the rapid exodus which fol-
lowed the announcement that Debs would
not appear at all. he said that his home is
in New York.
Although it was known on Saturday that
Debs would not be here, or at any rate that
his coming was exceedingly improbable,
that fact was carefully concealed from the
big audience that assembled In Tomlinson
Hall, and the crowds were given to under
stand that Debs had not arrived, but was
expected on the 8 o'clock train. The COM
mittee knew that there is no train from
Chicago between clio o'clock in the evening
and o'clock IN the morning. Some Of the
men in the crowd who knew this fact went
away, declaring that the announcement
that Debs would be here was fake. pure
and simple. and that it had simply been
made for the purpose Of getting laboring
men there to listen to such revolutionary
and infammatory utterances as that made
by Smith. The Central Labor Union
washes it's hands of the whole affair. Rob-
ert E. Croft. of that body, says that it had
no hand in arranging the meeting as an
meeting. BUT he explained this fact by say
ing that he simply came as spectator and
consented to preside at the last moment
Beside tho infammatory Smith, lengthy
exhibition OF word luggiery was given by
Seymour Stedman, said to be men,
Der of the American Railway Union, and
one OF the telegraph operators VINO went
through the long strike. He is youthful in
appearance, but has good voice and
command Of words almost as howery as
n ha f.r ~ hnr hn oil
10 emulate in every respect. The reSem-
blance is even more striking when ii comes
to facts and arguments, OF which Sted-
mans orations are barren and sterile as
the Sahara desert, to which he had oc-
casion to refer in trying to answer Gen.
Harrisons assertion that a double standard
cannot exist. Stedman came here Saturday
with Vice President Hogan, of the A. X.
L.. and remained over for the express pur-
pose of filling Mr.. Debs's engagement.
Stedman let the cat out of the bag at the
close OF his talk, when he said that Debs
had decided to remain in Chicago TO
shadow" General Harrison.
You know he's good at that sort of
thing, said Stedman with a silly Simper
intended to be facetious. but which fell fiat.
Another explanation for Debs's nonappear-
ance was made by a member of Tom
Gruelle's committee, who said that the
labor leader remained in Chicago, where
he could do more good. 1t was while SIR.
Croft explained to the audience that ne
himself had been disappointed by not hav-
in the pleasure of listening to Debs. that
Smith pushed hlnSef 10 the front and be-
gan a TRADE against the general order of
things which ended in the startling words
given at the head OF this article. Before
reaching that point he paid his respects
to the Republican party. Smith. IL that is
his name. has u husky voice and had al
most to scream to make himself heard
above the noise OF the hundreds of people
who were leaving In disgust after they
found they had been befooied into believing
Debs was TO appear before them. To en-
phasiZe his fiery words Smith hobs down
and up again like jack-in-a-box. That
he has made the most of the time he spent
in the Bimetallic Leagues school, from the
mine owners standpoint, the speaker made
plain.
Amidst the noise and cornmotion made by
the audience that rapidly deserving
him. Smith made the threat that carries
with it the inference that he and other
agitators of his ilk will go about the coun-
try further infiaming and engaging the an
archistic spirit if his idol is not set up in
the highest seat of the Nation. The senti-
ment was met with some applause, but
some of the older men. who seemed TO
comprehend the full horror masked under
those words. s-avely shook their heads
and seemed about to hiss.
Stedman was less revolutionary than the
speaker that followed him. He INDUCES in
catchy words and was interrupted by fire.
quent applause, especially when he
mouthed Bryan's name. made thrusts at
the Republican party or heaped abuse on
Cleveland.