The record-union., 1896-09-02
BRYAN'S RECEPTION At
COLUMBUS, Ohio.
Continued from First Page }

saying until Allen w. Thurman, the son
OF the "Old Roman" stepped forward
and acknowledged his introduction by
Mr.. Ross.
Mr.. Thurman said ne should not
waste words. He knew what the peo-
pie wanted, and in lew brief sentences
presented Mr.. Bryan.
The cheering was more intense than
it had been after Mr.. Rryan's first ap-
pearance, and it was several minutes
Before it ceased. So great was the con-
fusion caused by those who could not
hear that the first words Of the orator
were lost to all but those near him,
and he was obliged to stop until quiet
could be secured. But this was not ac-
Complished until Mr.. bryan announced
that he would speak upon all sides OF
the platform. The assembled thou
sands gave a shout Of qualification at
this and tried to keep as quiet as their
enthusiasm would allow for the rest
of the speech.
Mr.. Bryan spoke as fcllows
Ladies and gentlemen: This is the
largest audience to which I ever tried
to speak. l have had occasions to
speak where the audience filled the
house, but l never had occasion to talk
where the audience filled all out doors
Uaughter) If you all vote as you are
now shouting (voices, I'VE will!'o | do
not see how there can be any question
about the triumph of free silver in this
State. (Cheers.) We have entered on a
campaign which means much to the
American people. If our opponents
speak truly, when they describe what
will in their judgment be the effect of
free coinage, then the success of the
Chicago ticket will surely be calamity
to the country. If, on the other hand,
we speak the truth when we describe to
you the effects of a gold standard
then the maintenance of a gold stand
ard until foreign nations come to our re-
lief is an evil which cannot be contem-
plated by those who love their country.
We have begun an unceasing warfare
against the gold standard. The Repub-
ican party, without declaring that the
gold standard is a good thing, has de-
ciared that the gold standard must be
maintained. l call your attention to the
fact that no party in the history of this
contry has ever in a national conven-
ton commended the gold standard. It's
effects are 50 bad that no party has
dared to uphold it."
AT this point Mr.. Bryan, who had
been facing west as he spoke now
turned to the south front Of the plat
form, and said he would speak for
while to the people on that side He
continued:
The enemy whom we are fighting in
this campaign is an enemy who has
never gone into an open battle. The
advocates of a gold standard. have
never dared to submit the gold stand
ard to the arbitrameHt of the people.
Every step has been taken by stealth
and without the approval of the Amer
lean people. (Cheersl When silver
was demonetized in 1878 the people had
rot discussed it; and persons who were
members of Congress, and who voted
on the measure, testified that they did
not understand that the bill demone-
tiZed silver. When the crime was dis
covered, and the American people at
tempted to restore silver to its ancient
place by the side of gold, the opponents
of free coinage forced the Bland Act
upon Congress as a compromise, and
q soon as the Bland Act went into
force the enemies Of free silver sought
to repeal the Bland Act and leave moth
ing in it's place. But the silver senti-
ment grew until 1890, and in that year
the opponents of free coinage, being
afraid Of the passage of a free coinage
bill, secured another compromise which
was known as the Sherman law.
Let me call your attention for a mo-
ment to that law. In the support of
that measure Senator Sherman made a
speech, and in the course of that speech
lie went to show that we required
fcrty-two millions new money every
year to keep pace with the population
and industries, and he defended that
measure on the ground that it gave the
people more money. And yet in his
'Recollections,' published only a few
months ago, you will find that Sena-
tor Sherman says he was in favor of
the Sherman law simply to prevent
free coinage, and that he was willing
to vote for it's repeal the day after it
was enacted, if he could prevent the
substitution of free coinage" Cap
plause)
Mr.. Bryan then addressed the people
on the east side, being received with
loud applause. He continued:
THE free coinage of silver is not
new doctrine One of the prominent
Republicans said the other day that it
had flashed upon the country like a
lightning flash out of clear sky. oh.
no, my friends; the free coinage of sill
yer is not a sudden idea sprung into life.
The free coinage Of silver is an ancient
doctrine. When we ask for the free
coinage of silver we simply ask that it
shall be given the same treatment at
the mint that gold now receives. That
is all. Great applause) We have the
free coinage of gold now. All we ask
is to just add the word silver to the
law, so it will mean free coinage to
both gold and silver. When we ask for
unlimited coinage we simply want the
mint to open to silver as it is to gold,
because there is unlimited coinage of
gold now. You can take to the mint
all the gold you want from any place
you like, and it will be coined into mon
ey and money handed back to you We
want to amend the law by making it
true of silver, too, so there will not be
one ounce of silver in all the world that
will be excluded from the mints of the
United States"
Mr.. Bryan was greeted with great ap-
plause at the conclusion of his ad-
dress.
During the year 1895 there We're ex-