The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-18
THE CiMPAIGN RETfEUID.
Highly Interesting Article In Northern
Journal ON tue ,ItuntIon.

The Foxboro (Mass.) Reporter. in a re-
cent issue, mas q Mighty interesting re-
view OF the present political situation,
from the pen OF Mr.. ;. l.. Morse, OF thls
CITY. IL says ~ part.
1ho pOntlcaI situation here, Judging
from the daily conversation u intelligent
ana well informed men OF affairs, rather
than from the guarded Nttcranccs OF
professional politicians, presents most
interesting study, nothing less than
threatened brcaKlng up OF party lines
ana Affiliations. Southern politics are
unavOidaDiy complicated by thc race
problem. There can be no doubt ~ the
minds OF those whose homes ana interests
are in the old save belt, put mat the
white population must act as unit upon
ali local issues. such necessity having
been incurred by the victory OF RepuDi-
can ideas, the n aJOrlty OF the better class
OF white voters EdVe naturally 50 uhlted
and acted uEdcr the party standard OF
the Democracy. Heretofore no national
issue has presented itself upon when
the opinions OF these Southern Demo
Gratis nave been SO divided as TO severely
test their party allegiance. To-day such
an issue conlrCnts them.
The rural communities, which lurush
by FAR the majority of the voters. To-
sethcr with the iiiiterate masses OF whitc
voters I'm the centres Of population, ARE
wild with enthusiasm for ifee silver,
cheap money. and lots OF 10. chanse at
luded by the speciOus eNasiCns OF the irec
coinage orators. IL Is, however, Tar oth-
erwiso with the prosperous middle classes
ana the mC.cNcd interests, cspecldlly
with the thoughtful portion OF the urban
population. these latter are almost uni
Nersally convinced OF the heresy or the
free-silver craze, and are eager Tor sound
money.
In this city the sound-money sentiment,
embracing as II does majority OF the
!. fN.ln NJ Ira
population. together. OF course, with tho
regular cOlorcd Republican vote has been
champiOned by the Richmond Times, oS
far the most able ana respected sheet IN
this section, and has been presented p>
several notable speIkers-Senator Thurs
ton. President ingalls,. OF The great 9.
and O. railroad: Prof. Blackwell, ana
others. The addresses have been Soou
ones, weghty, logical. and CONVINCING
Al this crisis occurs very opportunity
the visit Of the apostle OF free coinase-
the boy orator of the Platte. All kich-
mond desired TO see Bryan-in SOON OF
curiosity no doubt in many cases, IN les
timony OF partisan zeal in others, out
very many It is believed noped 10 re-
ceiVe from the nominee speech decisive
influence in their minds upon the eiec-
ton day questiCn-"rhi5 ballot ior bISah
or Mckinley which
on the evening of September lsth the
vast auditorium of the Richmond Expo
sition grounds. capable oil seauns t"'lN'
thousand persons. was crowded 10 IT'S ca
pacity The aisles. the rostrum. every
available inch Of space. was possessed ny
a dense mass of humanity. haPpehiHo
TO bee seated By the gallery ran heaieSt
the DlatfCrm he writer could C;utluh9
observe tho vast sea of faces and detect
every wave of sentiment when swept
over IL. Perhaps the majority pir7en'
were strong Democratic partisans, OF IN"
unintelligent. bigOted type. these were
wildly enthusiastic Tor btyah. pue
among them. throughout the house was
heavy proportion Of men Of influence ana
sober Judgment. prepared 10 weigh arSu-
meut. and by-and-Dy TO vote as reason
shall dictate. Now note the scene.
After an hour of waiting. more or Tess
impatientiy the speaker Appeals ses~ trl.'i
by the senior United States Senator from
his State. John w Daniel. than whom
no sirginian Is more respected ana De-
loved For ten minutes pdhdeHoihui1i
reigus. Ordinarily, no men couiu coh.ioi
such an audience more easily than MI.
Daniel. Tonight he IL powerless. Ills
entire opening address IS lost 10 all pres
cnt. except. perhaps. 10 the nominee 10y
his side. in the mighty chorus OF ohe.i
in clapping, and NOciferOus calls lot bts
an. Clearly the crowd is in no mood Ter
delays. Trey have come 10 see ana 10
hear Bryan and him only.
Presently he rises and with dlfnculty
secures silence. What an inspiration IN
the immense sea OF human faces, what
am opuOrtunify to convince the doubling,
rally the wavering, and 10 crystalline ana
soldify the latent party loyalty IN the
heart of every souni-money Democrat III
the hail. But roi the opportunity Is
PASSED by unnOticed or unneeded' one u
those golden CHARGES lost when inahe OF
mar "A mans career. The speechy was
il the speech OF a statesman NO, vi Il
uatriot2 No OF an orator. No, IL was
The harangue Of a demagosue. spur 10
partisan bigOtry an appeal 10 pieJnulce
and 10 passion an attempt AT saIeaS'lo
repartee more or less witty, Dut Tar NOR
characteristic OF the street-corner pOnu-
clan than of a man worthy the highest
civic honor in the gift of any nation.
IL was "a short speech. But long before
its close the experience or Madison
Souare Garden was repeated in the heart
of the solid South, in the good old Demo
cratic State OF Virginia. and city or kich-
mond. At first by ones and tWos, lhcn
bv tens and twenties. men LETT the nan
until one-hfth of the pit was empty
Presently the speaker remarked No"
my friends. | must go, | 49, apparently
there were still several sentences to pre-
cede the perOratiOn. But before the ora
tor was ready 10 90 the people went.
Never was so vast an audience so sum
marily dismissed. IL seemed that the en-
tire pit was turned toward the entrance
when to catch his retreatlng hearers MI
Brvau pronounced his closing sentences
and retired.
IL is not difficult to forecast the result
Of such a disappointment. for disappoint-
ing the event certainly proved 10 tne
~reat concourse. the free-silver press Ia
tho contrary notwithstanding. No way
cring Democrat was recalled to the party
standard and fidelity. Even the most az,
dent pa-tisans were scarcely pleased and
many "a thoughtful Democrat VIII IN con-
sequence. though with regret ana mlssis,
d
Judgment dictate. T. g.. for Mckinley
The outlook for the Republican party
south of Mason and Dixon's line was
never brighter 10 may be that the rural
districts will hold together the eiectorai
,,otc ~ this section once more; but in
November the Solid South seems des-
tined to receive Il blow from which II
will not easily recover
4 Fool and His Money.