The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-19

August 1S.-The second notable demon.
stration of the political campaign in New
York city was held tonight under the
auspices of the Democratic Honest Money
League of America in Madison Square
Garden, where Hon. w. Bourke Cochran
addressed an immense audience with n
speech entitled I'm Opposition to Repudi.
ation.'
Mr.. Cochran had been selected to an
swer Mr.. Bryan's speech because of his
opposition to the Chicago platform and
because of the reputation rs an orator
which he had earned by his participation
in the tariff debates of two Congresses
and by his famous protest against the
nomination of Mr.. Cleveland. delivered
at daybreak in the Chicago convention of
four years ago The elements were
kinder to Mr.. Cochran than they had
been to Mr.. Bryan, for an afternoon
shower had cooled the air and made the
night an ideal one in pleasant contrast to
the sweltering atmosphere which on
pressed the Bryan shouters. The police
arrangements were better also and the
ticket holders found no difficulty in secur-
ing admission.
The doors were opened two hours and
half before the meeting was to begin
and as the people filed in it was noticea.
bic that ladies composed large propor-
ton OF the crowd. They found the hall
deliberately decorated with banners and
bunting of the national tri-color festooned
from the ceiling and -draped about the
four TERED oval of galleries.
In place of the small platform from
which Mr. Bryan had spoken was erected
Il big stage wherein were seated many of
the vice-presidents of the meeting whose
names made list 800 strong, and in
whose ranks were included many of the
most prominent business men, financiers.
bankers and railroad presidents of New
York and other cities. Among them
were Charles S. Fairchild and William l..
Trenholm, officers Of the first Cleveland
administration; Congressman John X.
Cowen, of Baltimore, president of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad; ex. Governor
Flower, Senator Gray, of Delaware: ex
congressman John Dewitt Warner, of
New York city; Cultivate, of Ohio: Ira
cy, of Albany, and Everett, of Massachu-
sets; Carl Schurtz, Abram S. Hewitt.
James G. Carter, President f. NJ. ingalls,.
OF the Big Four railroad; William Sim
gerly, a. X. Mcclure, f. L. Godkin. St
Clair Mckelway and Oswald Ottendorfer.
eighteen thousand seats had been
placed in the garden and all of them were
nlled when Mr. Cochran advanced to the
front OF the platform and was greeted by
NhCSi, lllcll CllmDlnR uDOn
their chairs and waving little American
flags, which had been strewn through tbe
hall. Three hearty cheers were given for
Mckinley, and there were Kisses when
man III the gallery yelled whats the
matter with Bryan?'
Major John Byrne, the president of the
league, called the meeting to order adj
dressing his hearers as democrats who
love their country above party" and ex-
horting them to save the party from re-
quotation, anarchy and socialism, and
then presented Hon. Perry Belmont, who
made short speech by way of overture
to Mr.. Cockrans effort.
There was second outburst of cbear-
ing-and of flags when Mr.. Cochran was
init oduced, which lasted several min
utes, and while it was in progress sixty
singers sang the" Star Spaneled HAM, ,,
the vast audience swelling ito -,
with thunderous effort, Mr. ConIona US
was smooth shaveh Wien he confrontad
the audience, and mis- first words rolled
to the further ends of the hall. FREQUENT
outbreaks of cheers followed his periods.
MI. Cochran spoke in part as follows:
MIR. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Fellow Democrats: (Applause.) With the
inspiring strains of that national song
still ringing in our ears, who can doubt
the issue of this campaign? (Applause).
Stripped of all verbal disguise, it is an
issue of common honesty, an issue be-
tween the honest discharge and the dis
honest reputation of public and private
oDllgatlons. 1t Is question as to
whether the powers of this Government
shall be used to protect honest industry
or to tempt the citizens to dishonesty.
On this question honest men cannot
differ. 1t is one of morals and of Justice.
1t involves the existence of social order.
1t is the contest for civilization itself. A
Democratic convention may renounce the
Democratic faith, but the Democracy re.
mains faithful to Democratic principles
Democratic leaders may betray a conven-
ton to the Populists, but they cannot Sc
duce the footsteps of Democratic voters
from the pathway of honor and of JUS
tice. A candidate bearing the mandate
of Democratic convention may in this
hall open canvass levelfed against the
foundation of social order and he beholds
the Democratic masses confronting him
organized for the defense. Fellow Dem
ocrats, let us not disguise from ourselves
the fact that we bear in this contest a
serious and grave and solemn burden of
duty. We must raise our hands against
the nominee of our party and we must
do 1T to preserve the future of that party
itself. We must oppose the nominee of
the Chicago convention, and we know
full we'll that the success of our opposi-
ton will mean our exclusion from public
life, but we will be consoled and graft
fled by the reflection that it will prove
that the American people cannot be di-
vided into parties on a question of simple
morals or of common honesty. We would
look in vain through the speech delivered
la.ataa IL