The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-09-20
GRATIFYING INDEED
Unmistakable Evidence Of the Ap-
prOVal Of Bryan and His Cause.
SPEAKING IN A RAIN STORM
Ihe Crowd Listens to His Address
and Pays No Attention to the
Dlsagreeable Elements
He's In Washington.

Washington. Sept. ia heavy wind
and rain storm seriously interfered
with the arrangements which had been
made by the local committees for a
grand reception to Candidate William
j. Bryan at the old Capitol baseball
park this afternoon. The crowd was
considerably below expectations. but
there was no lack Of enthusiasm.
When Mr.. Bryan appeared on the plat
form he was received with such a
demonstrate as Is rarely accorded
public speaker. For fully five minutes
the cheering continued. Mr. Bryan
standing bareheaded and evidently
much gratified at receiving such un-
mistakable evidence of approval of
himself and his cause. For some time
before his arrival dark rain and wind
laden clouds from the west gave GER
tain promise Of a downpour, and he
had not spoken more than 40 minutes
when the rain came down in torrents,
drenching everyone exposed to 1t. Still
the great crowd kept up their places
and cheered and called to the speaker
to go on. The scene was a remarkable
one. After waiting some time. how
ever. Mr. Bryan left the platform and
drove to his hotel Almost every sem
tence In the speakers brief address
was wildly cheered.
The nominee opened his speech by
reference to his four years Of official
life In Washington, which provoked
the cry, well make II four years
MORE" from his audience. Then when
he strongly indorsed the home rule
plank In the Chicago platform, the au-
dience was especially vociferous. but
there was still greater applause when
he said the democracy stood opposed to
life tenure In the public service and In
favor Of appointments based upon
merit, and In favor of such an admin
istration Of the civil service laws as
will afford equal opportunities to all cit
liens of ascertained fitness. Continu-
ing, he said: my friends, we are in
favor of the civil service reforms that
mean something. and not a civil serv-
Ice law that permits the president to
suspend the civil service law until he
can get his friends into Office and per-
mits another president to extend the
service just as he Is going out to keep
his friends in. We are In favor of
fixed terms Of ONCE In the civil depart
ment of the government. We want II
SO that when a man goes In he will
know how long he Is going to stay and
when he Is going out. We do not want
to build up an office-holding class and
fill our offices for life. A man when
he gets his appointment will then have
no more concern about his country ex-
cept to draw his salary when 1t is due.
We believe the life tenure which re-
lieves a man from all further care Is
destructive to the highest forms of
citizenship and should not be tolerated
in country like ours.
II want to call your attention to one
other subject. Our opponents are do
ing as much for us In this campaign
as we are able to do for ourselves.
And of all the public documents re-
Gently issued, the most important one
Is letter given to the public writ
ten by the secretary of the treasury,
from which desire to quote one SEN
tence: IT is the duty of the secretary
of the treasury and all other public
officials to execute in good faith the
policy declared by congress- and
mark these words: But whenever
we shall be satisfied that silver dol
lars cannot be kept equal in purchas-
ing power with a gold dollar, except
by receiDting 1t in exchange for a
gold dollar, when such exchange is
demanded, IL will be his duty to adopt
that course / want you to mark
those words. because in those words
the secretary of the treasury tells you
when the secretary is satisfied ID is
necessary, he will commence redeem
ing silver dollars In gold. ] can your
attention to 1t. my friends. because l
want to emphasize the deception that
has been practiced by this admins
tration on the money question. When
this administration advised the re-
peal Of the Sherman law, you We're
told the repeal of the Sherman law
would remedy the difficulty. and as
soon as the Sherman law was re-
pealed, the same authority which
promised relief as soon as that law
was repealed, came to congress with
demand that the greenbacks and
treasury notes must be retired by the
issue OF gold bonds in order to stop
the drain on the treasury gold. and
now the secretary informs you that
even II the greenbacks and the treas
ury notes were all retired. Il would b.
his duty. whenever In his opinion IL
became necessary, to redeem silver
dollars with gold, and thus start an
other endless chain that would drain
the treasury.
According TO the doctrine laid down
in Mr.. Clrlisle's letter you cannot
stop the decline OF gold from the treas.
ury until you retire all the silver dol.
lars and silver certificates and leave
everything but gold as the money In
this country. | am glad this deelara-
tion has been made. / am glad oul
opponents are. step by step, revealing
10 the public their hcartless, merciless
criminal policy. | denounce the pol
icy as more cruel and heartless than
political Nominations OF a foreign pow
er. Does the administration know that
when II starts TO redeem silver dollars
ir gold that 1, will start another end
less chain that will drain the treasury
Indefinitely and increase the bonded
debts without limit unless they retire
all the silver dollars and substitute
bonds In their place. IL they do not
know. my friends. they must confess
themselves ignorant of the finances nj
this country, and II they know and
will not tell the people. then we have
a right TO distrust their candor ant
frankness when they deal with tn,
people of this country"
Mr.. Bryan then read from a messae,
| delivered loo years ago to-day by
| George Washington. in which h
| warned the people against foreign IN