The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-29

Tribute to William Jennings Bryan.
At the Academy of Music last night
Hon. John w. Daniel, Virgnia's peerless
orator, was given an ovation that was
never surpassed on any occasion in the
Magic City of Roanoke. Long before 7
O'Clock the crowd began to gather, and
within ten minutes from the time the
doors were opened the house was damned
full OF people Hundreds were turned
away, being unable to get III. Hundreds
OF ladies were in the audience, many be.
lnG-compelled to stand. More than II hun
drcd representative Democrats were seat
eli upon the stage and improvised seats
were arranged for many Indies thereon.
Between 300 and 600 people were on the
stage, ann every foot OF available space
throughout the house was filled The
Machine Works Band arrived half an hour
before the speaker, and the crowd oaled
for "DXie," which was received with
tumultuous applause Bryan was CON
tinucdly cheercd before $50 O'Clock: when
MAJOR Daniel arrived. lie was brought
III from the rear. and it was not until the
curtain arose that he came in full view
oil the most magnificent audience that
ever assembled in Roanoke to hear Il p,b-
lie speaker When the curtain arose the
vast crowd checred with one accord, but
when Roy b. Smith arose to Introduce
thc-spcakrr, Il silence that was death-like
IN Its intensity came over the audience
When Major Daniel arose it was the time
for repetition of the applause which
naturally bursts forth in round after
round Of cheers The Senator compla-
Gently folded his arms and smilingly
waited the subsistence of the thunderous
applause which came from the thousands
of throats surrounding him.
He began his speech by referring to the
fact that on Tuesday next this, the
youngest nation on earth would show
that it is capable of self government by
elccting that peerless man, w. j. BRYAN.
and endorsing his free silver ideas, and
that too, without the aid or consent of
any other nation.
Hard times and reduced prices for'labor
are not the result Of silver legislation.
but are due to worshipping ut the shrine
of the golden calf and trying to put this
great nation into gold straight jacket.
He said the Populist, Republican and
Democratic parties all endorsed. bimetal-
lism. Cleveland said in 1892: eve held
to the use of both gold and silver as the
standard money of the country" All
parties declared for the double standard
i'll lS92, though some of them preferred
to wait for international agreement be-
fore they embraced it in their platforms
They call it the dishonest dollar If
our proposition is dishonest no interna.
uonal agreement on earth can make it
honest, and if it is honest why should we
wait for any international agreement. -
The speaker ridiculed the international
agreement idea, which he pronounced as
international humbugn
lie said land and labor are the sources
OF all wealth, but no country can succeed
When the land decreases in value and
when labor gets cheaper and cheaper In
speaking of the scarcity of money the
speaker drew some very apt illustrations
and showed to his audience that 't,yo
dollars are better than onen
In giving II history OF the silver dollar
he began by saying that tcontains 371 | 4
grains of pure silver; was born in the
year 1913 of poor but respectable parents
and for eighty wears was the standard
money of this nation. In 1878, when sill
yer was demonctzcd, it was worth 3 per
cent more than gold.
The Republicans want to reduce the
worlds circulating medium and make
money scarce and property and labor
cheaper. Judging the silver dollar by the
service it has rendered the American peo-
pie and by its parity with gold you will
find it is not only an honest dollar, but
that it was the only honest dollar, and he
would explain in the words of the law:
what nature and the constitution have
put together let no gold bug put asun-
der" The gold bugs talk of 53 cent dol =.
lars, but the speaker said that he would
give his check for 90 cents for every one
of the dollars which they would bring
him. The advocates of the gold standard
do net believe in % cent dollars and they
Know that it is farce, but the million
ARES and Shylocks come forward and say
that they feel IL great interest in the poor
mans dollar and want 1t to be rs good rs
any mans dollar the world over. The
speaker showed by Il practical illustration
that the gold dollar, the money of the
rich, is superior TO the silver dollar, which
Is recognized rs the money Of the poor
therefore the money of the poor is not rs
good as the money of the rich. The Dem
ocratic party favors a measure which will
insure the making of the poor mans dol
lar as good as the rich man 5 dollar