Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-08-19
BRYAN is NOTIFIED.
Democratic Nominee Accepts
the Place.
Immense Gathering in Old Madison
Square Garden. New York.

city OF New YORK was focused touuy
upon Madison Square garden, where Will
liam j. Bryan of Nebraska and Arthur
Sewall of Maine were to be formally
notified of their nomination by the Demo
cratic party for the offices of president
and vice-president of the United States,
was proven by the groups of sovereign
electors which as early as the middle of
the afternoon began 80 come under the
trees in Madison square, which by D
o'clock had been reinforced by hundreds,
at o'clock was multiplied to expectant
thousands, and before sweHed TO
straining, clamoring army.
On this sultry night the wide oval of
the garden was a furnace in which 90
600 people were to suffer a fiery torture
for their enthusiasm's sake. The glass
had been removed from the acre of sky
light in the roof, and sheets of canvas
hung below. Radiating from this ceiling
were swaying electric lights outlining
the sweep of the rafters which rose over
solid acres of heads. The platform was
a small affair erected at the north side
of the hall in the center of the broad
arc of the oval, hardly more than II feet
square, and draped simply with Ameri-
can flags.
The galleries, rising tier on tier to the
roof of the arena, gave the hall the like
ness of an ancient coliseum, wonderfully
bright with light-hued dresses and gleam-
ing shirt fronts Of coatless men. Over in
far gallery a band played, unnoticed
and almost unheard, all the national
airs, while the crowd gave cheers for
the local favorites and studied the Dem>
ocratS of national reputation who walked
into the gallery back of the platform.
Two or three times some enthusiast
cheers for Bryan, which exhortation
brought the expected shouts. But the
first real demonstration of the night
was given to the wife of the presidential
candidate. 1t was 8 o'clock when a
policeman in the doorway under the
stand was heard calling, Make way for
Mrs. Bryant Those nearest heard
the call and climbed on their chairs.
Others did not hear, but they saw that
a sensation was af1oat and they prompt
ly followed suit, leaving their seats,
rank after rank, as though answering to
word Of command. Mrs. Bryan was
seen climbing the steps that led TO the
first box rallied off at the PLATFORM
right. She was on the arm OF William
z. St. John, treasurer OF the Democratic
National committee and host of the
organs during their stay in New York.
She stepped down into the box in the
back and faced the mammoth audience,
giving New Workers look, and her face
seemed very pale. It lighted with Il
bright smile at the roar which SWEPT
across the floor and onward through the
galleries, and which grew into a swelling
cheer and rose and fell in half a dozen
waves. Twice Mrs. Bryan bowed to the
right and left, and then she was seated
To the masculine eye her gown was q
Hnen-like material, striped with jet black,
and she wore a small bonnet Of jet and
green.
The cheer for Mrs. Bryan had not end
ed when the foremost parsonage of the
hour, the Democratic candidate for Pres
ident, in the midst of a small group of
his supporters. appeared and pushed
through the same doorway. The first
glimpse was of a black-coated, broad
shouldered man. with a roll of manu-
script held at his side, stepping with
quick, light stride up the short flight
of stairs. At his side and towering
over him was the strong figure, clad in
gray, of Senator Jones of Arkansas,
chairman of the Democratic committee.
As the smOoth-shaven, strong-faced
young statesman stood at the front of
the platform, a flag was raised and fast
ened just above him in che gallery so
that its folds swept down as a back
ground for his form, and made him the
one figure of the whole assemblage The
cheer that broke forth was of tremen-
dous force. Certainly its recipient had
never heard its like but once before, and
that other was the cheer which followed
the close of his now famous speech be-
fore the Chicago convention.
1t was twenty minutes after s when
Senator Jones stepped to the front of the
box and lifted his hand for order. The
response came in the form of calls for
Bryan. After a moment the senator was
able to hear himself introduce Mr.. Dan
forth as the chairman of the meeting
Mr.. Danforth pounded with a gavel on
the rail and IN his turn was ShOwered
with calls for Bryan. Mr.. Danforth's
speech was a brief one, a mere formal
introduction of Gov. Stone. Gov. Stone
read his notification from printed strips,
but his voice carried to almost the ends
of the hall. His statements that the
last national convention was convened
under the call of the Democratic nation
al committee, was a truly Democratic
convention and evolved a platform of
Democratic policy, were received with
applause, while his reference to the Re-
publican platform an as upnolder Of for
eign policy called forth Kisses.
Ten minutes of chaos followed Bryan
stood alone at the front of the stage
with outstretched hand asking for 81
lence while his audience stood on their
chairs, cheering fercely and repeatedly
shouting his name in chorus. After three
or four minutes of this scene, Bryan,
tired of waiting for an opportunity to
speak, sank into his chair and the band
broke into a patriotic air. Then Mr..
Danforth came to the rescue with his
gavel, and finally the speech was begun.
Talking from railroad trains had told
plainly upon the candidates voice. its
huskiness was apparent and it could not
begin to fill the hall until he warmed up
to his task Unlike his Chicago speech
Mr. Bryan read this address from the
manuscript He spoke slowly and was
interrupted with volleys of cheers.
Mr.. Bryan spoke for one hour and fifty
minutes and the hands of the clock point
ed to thirv41ve minutes after 10 when
he finished the eloquent peroration adj
dressed to the citizens of New York
speaking with uplifted arm and with
manuscript thrown aside. The terrific
heat had made the upper galleries al
most uncomfortable and before Mr.. Bryan
had finished a majority of their occu-
pants had defled through the doors.
Candidate Sewall was very heartily
cheered when he stepped forward after
he. with "Silver Dick" Bland and other
leaders on the stage had grasped Bryan's
hand in congratulation. Mr.. Sewall
makes no pretensions to oratorical ability
anu aIUnougn MS voice might MI an or
binary hall, it was hardly equal to Mad
ison Square garden with hundreds tramp
ing about the floor. His words were