Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1896-09-10
THE OPENING GUN.
James Hamilton Lewis and Robert
Bridges Address a Throng in
the Acme Opera House.
Grand Torch Light Procession Severa,
BLOCKS Longtime Thousand Peo-
pie damned Into the Opera House.
and Hundreds Turned Away.

The first grand rally OF the campaipn
III Ohehaiis county was held in the Acme
opera house on last Monday night, under
the auspices OF the Bryan club Of This
city. Free boats were run from Hoouiam
and Montcsano, which were loaded to the
waters edge, ard many more came from
the surrounding country. The Aberdeen
Bryan Club formed in torch.light pro.
cession, headed by the Aberdeen cornet
band, and met the visiting clubs at the
wharf and escorted them TO the ooera
house.
The speakers were James Hamilton
Lewis, OF Seattle, candidate for congress-
on the union ticket, and Robert Bridges.
the candidate for commissioner of public
lands, and the largest audience that ever
gathered in Aberdeen packed the opera
house from pit to dome, and hundreds
more tried in vain to gain admission.
Between the speeches Mrs. $. A. Bright
delighted the audience with song EN-
titled Upon Cross OF Gold" the song
being the crystalization OF Mr.. Bryan's
closing words OF that wonderful address
in Chicago, when he said, "You must
not press down upon the brow OF labor
this crown Of thorns, You cannot cruelty
mankind upon a cross of gold" The
singers superb voice filled the hall to it's
fartll-rmost recess, and at the close she
responded to an encore with the "Star
Spangled Banner"
Mr.. J. G. Cross was the chairman OF
the evening, and his brief opening re-
marks were Il comparison OF the times of
ancient Greece, when, during troublous
times like the present, Augustus called
Virgil from the plebian ranks to council
with him for the betterment of the peo-
pie, and as Virgil talked to them in a
way they could understand, so the first
speaker, Mr.. Robert Bridges, coming
from the ranks of labor would address
the people in plain terms. In introduce
ing Col. Lewis the chairman continued
the happy reference by comparing him
to M@cenas. the orator who accom-
panied Virgil in his addresses to the
people.
Mr.. Bridges talked plainly to the peo-
pie; he is plain man and knows
thoroughly their needs his heart is with
them, for their experience has been his,
for, prior to few years ago he had been
a worker in the mines Of this state; then
engaging in merchandising on small
scale, and now earning a living on a
little ranch in King county. He dealt
wholly with matters pertaining to the
affairs of the state Of Washington, and
made copious extracts from the reports Of
the Republican state officials to show
how under their government Of this state
the people are being taxed, while the
corporations 60 almost scott free. His
argument pertained more particularly to
the question Of taxation and assessment,
he having given this subject particular
study for the reason that If elected to
the office OF commissioner of public lands
he will be ex.officio chairman OF the state
board of equalization. The figures which
he gave were astounding; not only from
the fact Of the small assessment OF cor
porate property, but also in showing that
what assessment had been made was
largely in the rural counties and not in
the populous centers where corporations
are supposed to exist.
We quote some of the statistics pre-
sented, and bear in mind that the figures
are taken from the official documents OF
the state.
The moneys of banks, as shown by the
assessment rolls for the counties OF King
and Lincoln for five years was as fol-
lows-King county at all times having
more than three times the number OF
banking institutions in Lincoln, each
with larger capitalization