Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-09-19
Hon. William yenninos Brvon.

Hon. William Jennings Brvon
voice for the trio of speeches here. and
his vocal organs were consequently in
pretty good condition. Reacbing st,
Louis from Kansas City at G:l5 in com.
pany with Gov, Stone, Lon V. Stephens.
the democratic candidate for governor
OF Missouri, and other prominent pol
iticians, Mr.. Bryan was greeted at the
Union station by crowd of several
thousand people, who made the spa
cious train shed ring with their shouts.
After quick supper at the Plant
er's hotel, Mr.. Bryan, at eight o'clock,
started out on his round of speech
making, doing the jumping from place
to place in special trolley car.
Concordia park, the Auditorium and
sportsman's park were the places
where he spoke. Concordia park has
n great open amphitheater, its terraced
sides forming the seats for the multi
tudes that had gathered there. Last
night every bit Of space on the floor
and on the terraces was taken by
spectators, and when the democratic
candidate arrived he found an audi
ence of between $4,000 and 10000 peo-
pie. The scene was picturesque, with
the solid lines of humanity along the
sloping banks of the arena, each
slightly highly than that below, while
Chinese lanterns suspended from many
trees threw soft light over the as
semblage.
Mr.. Bryan was received with round
after round of applause and after an
introduction by Ii. }. Brady, chair.
man of the state central committee,
made an address half an hour long.
The distance between Concordia
Park and the great Auditorium, where
Maj. Mckinley was nominated by the
republican convention, is more than
three miles, and when Mr. Bryan ar
rived there he found the interior
packed from floor to ceiling with peo-
pie anxious to hear him talk. 1t is
stated that $1,000 chairs had been
placed in the hall, and last night not
only did every chair have an occupant
but at least five thousand people
crowded stage, aisles and the spaces
back of the galleries The heat was
enervating and several women tainted.
Private John Allen, congressman from
Mississippi, entertained the vast audi
ence until Mr.. Bryan arrived and kept
them in roars of laughter by his sal
lies, particularly those about Gen.
Palmer, the gold democratic nominee
for the presidency.
1t was intended that Mr. Bryan
should be introduced by Virgil Rule,
but Mr.. Rule could not still the tumult
of enthusiasm that ragged '~hen the
democratic candidate anreafed Men
ard women stood on chairs nnd waved
hats, handKerchiefs and fans. The
applause lasted ten minutes and ceased
only wien Mr. Bryan, takiug matters
into his own hands, waived the intro
duction and began his address.
1t was the same story over again at
Sportsman's park, which Mr.. Bryan
reached at lO:l5. The crowd there
was equal to that at the Auditorium
and was quite as enthusiastic. The
introduction was made by President
Wickard of the Travelling Mems club.
Mr.. Bryan's most important speech
was that at Concordia park, while
that at tho Auditorium had a local
significance in Mr.. Bryan's remarks
about statement of st. Louis banks
published in the afternoon papers as
to why they do not pay out gold.
Mr.. Bryan reached the Auditorium
at 9:l6 p. m. and following an inter
esting address by ex-Lieut. Gov. john
son, SAID:
II tho REPUBLICAN party had declared In favor
Of n gold standard It's orators might nave
gone before the people md advocated the gold
standard as q good thing TO have done SO
they would have had TO close their ears to the
cry of distress which comes up everywhere
But had they declared for gold standnrdthey
would at least have had something to advo-
cate. But they did not 40 IL
The advocates of gold standard did not de-
clare for n gold standard. Whyi Because
those who favored a gold standard never fought
nm omen fpht In their lives. Gold is coward
I, VIII moi meet its enemies in nm open field,
nnd those who advocate u gold standard have
never been willing to face their enemies before
the American people. Let Inc give you an evil
dence of the fact that our opponents are not
viJline 10 take the American people into their
cnnadsncc md declare before them the policy
which they desire.
This night recalls my last visit to this hall
,,tlo less than three months ago. attended
n national convention held In this hall saw
here adopted The first platform ever adopted
nv a national convention In all the history OF
,ha Trnited States, which declared that the
ITn,ted States must depend upon foreign ma
tIons for permission to do what our people DC i
sired to do. ,,,,,o,
saw adopted In this hall PLATFORM whien
n,edced the republican party to get rlu oi
rold standard and substitute olmetall'sm as
soon as the leading nations of Europe wouio
helm us TO do So Before an audience tnaV a''s
not equal this, / saw this platform made, anu
T am delighted that an audience greater In
s,va Gathered not from all the Union, butfrom
a single CITY. has met In this same hall to pro-
nounce condemnation upon that platform,
Politics. nv friends. is at times serious ousi-
mass and politics this year is more serious
business % than in any through which We who ars
assembled here have ever passed. whenever ,,i ese
.,rant narlv solemnly declares that The con-
,.ni y, onr financial policy shall be transferred
srom nor the American people over into The hands
~ NJ foreign nations. It raises serious issue
which must be settled by the people Tap
| plausc. !. aa,n,rv ,,,,e ours. mi
tation is the only means py wncn snU p'Sp,r Spr
san n 1yN sront H. they would make It . penal Of
Wy wy "y ;ar man TO raise his voico against the
snsncjs us lS system which they would tas,sn upon
uSsIslW ne American people Applause. They "a, Icy
1T to agitation, and what DO they tel, you! cor
why, IN their Judgment there gan ncatIcs " u0s
| rect settlement OF tho nnano'a' u'A'D'"'''
IL rspsss sv sass these men rhq tell you that