The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
REPUBLICANS
ENTHUSIAST
Local Leaders Gather in
a Monster Mass
Meeting.
M'KINLEY GREETED AS
STANDARD BEARER.
The Vast Auditorium Crowded
to the Very Doors Last
Evening.
THOUSANDS TURNED AWAY
DISAPPOINTED.
The Most Brilliant Opening of Cam
paign Ever Known in the
State of California.
THOUSANDS TURNED AWAY
DISAPPOINTED.
The Most Brilliant Opening of Cam
paign Ever Known in the
State of California.

Never in the history. of the Republican
party in California was more enthusiasm
shown than at the formal opening OF the
Republican campaign at the Auditorium,
Eddy and Jones streets, last evening.
BY o'clock thousands OF people had
crowded into the spacious building, and
by squad OF six policemen, under a
sergeant, had its hands full turning away
hundreds of people for whom there was
absolutely no room in any part of the
house.
Those who came early were fortunate,
for they secured seats, while their tardy
brethren were compelled to stand i'll the
sisles, Iobbies or in the wings on the stage.
A $50 o'clock admission was absolutely
denied on account of the crush, and
dozens of ladies were turned away with
the throng OF members of the sterner sex.
These ladies pleaded earnestly for admit
tance, but as there was positively no
room even for them to stand in the aisles
the guardians of the police we're obdurate.
The sergeant in charge Of the police
stated that his men had turned away, at
S:45 o'clock, more than four times as
many people as the hall would accom-
modate.
Inside of the hall the scene was impos-
ing. Pit, galleries and stage were crowded
to their utmost extent and in the Hobbies
ladies and gentlemen craned their necks
to see what was going on at the center of
attraction-the stage. Here were grouped
the lights OF the meeting, orators and
their wives and friends and dozens of the
leaders of the Republican party all bent
on doing honor to the National leader OF
the party, William Mckinley of Ohio.
Everywhere his portrait was in evidence.
In the center Of the stage near the foot
lights huge engraving. draped with the
National colors, met the eyes of the vast
audience and near each wing similar like
nesses were seen.
All around the gallery the familiar fea-
lures looked benignly down on his friends
and seemed to lend inspi ration to the
speakers as they were introdu ueed BY Chair
man George A. Knight. The stage was a
bewildering array of stylish bonnets, ami
mated and intellectual faces when Major
Frank Mclaughlin, as chairman of the
Republican State Central COMMITTEES. in
troduced George A. knight as the chair
man of the evening.
The majors remarks, though brief we're
received with enthusiasm, particularly
when he referred 70 the fair friends of the
Republican party present and glanced at
q box on the left of the stage where were
seated Susan B. Anthony, Rev. Anna B.
Shaw, Nellie Holbrook Blinn, Mrs. A. A.
Sargent and other prominent woman suf-
fragists.
Mr.. Knight was greeted with liberal ap-
plause. After returning the appropriate
thanks, he said that from the time the
Republican convention met at ST. Louis
there had never been question as TO the
result of this election. Much had been
said of the crime of 1878. but the crime of
1892 was greater, when good President
was let out of office to make way fo-
party which mad been convicted of every
crime from imbecility to grand larce nv.
The speaker paid a wel-merited compIi-
ment to the audience, when he remarked
that he saw before him one of the most
intelligent audiences it had ever been his
lot to face.
An intelligent man in the gallery
shouted. That's SO; every timer' and
the audience, being intelligent, applauded
the infnity of the suggestion.
Judge r. B. Carpenter was the next
speaker. His subject was "The Crime of
1873" and he poked considerable fun at
the claim of the Democrats that the
financial act of 1873 had been passed with
out the knowledge of Congress and had
been signed by the President without the
Presidents knowledge. He said that the
matter had been debated during three ses-
sions of Congress and that those debates
occupied 1876 pages OF the Congressional
Globe. Every Senator and every Repre-
sentative from the Pacific Coast had voted
for it Senators Sherman and Morrill,
voted against it because they did not wish
to concede the one-ffth of one per cent to
the Pacific Coast. Yet, In spite of these
undeniabIe facts, Senator from the Pa
cifc Coast had been going around the
country saying that thing was crime.
The speaker contended that there was
not civilized country on the earth that
did not recognize the value OF gold as COM
pared with the value OF silver.
''They tell US" he added, that silver is
the coin of the poor man, as they told Us
in 1892 that mutton was the beef of the
poor man. l don't know what they will
do with silver, but l hope that they will
treat it better than they did mutton.
They have destroyed one-third of the wool
crop of America, and 1t is to be hoped that
they viii succeed better with silver"
With reference to the phrase THE dol
Lar Of Jefferson the speaker said that