New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-14
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT 1T.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT 1T.
Republicans. sound-money Democrats bank
ers merchants and business men generally in
this city expressed a feeling Of relief yesterday
because the speech OF William Jennings Bryan
at the notification meeting in the Madison
Square Garden on Wednesday night had proved
to be a harmless effort Many were willing TO
admit Yesterday that they had been secretly
dreadirg the effect Of Mr. Bryan's alleged elo-
auence upon the puDlic of the metropolis His
fame as an orator was fresh that nobody
could guess how the man who became a Presi-
Dental candidate by the effect or single
speech in the Chicago Convention might move
a larger audi. nee His fiat failure to hold the
attention of thousands who left the Garden
while he was speaking was therefore surprising
to the great majority Of New-Yorkers who did
not hear him.
Ffnanciers and practical men Of business who
read his speech yesterday expressed surprise
also that a man who could do no better should
have taken the long Journey across the CONT
nent to exhibit himself in what he chose to de-
scribe as the enemy's country. They were
unanimous in the belief that he might better
have remained in Nebraska and received the or
fetal information of his nomination there He
had come East with the idea that he could con-
vert men or SOu1lu Nit"o ~ h'
silver theories by the power Of his oratory. md
he had failed utterly He had not been able
even to make a favorable impression upon the
Tammany men who had been gathered to thu
meeting in thousands by the distribution =.
them Of the tickets for the best seats in the
house.
Expressions Of opinion in the city showed that
people generally were convinced that as an ora
for MIR BRYAN had been greatly overrated. In
Justice to him. 1t was said that his desire TO
nlease New Workers might have induced him to
tone down his long speech too much and leave
ont passages Of the violent and exciting charac-
ter with which he had been accustomed to move
Western audiences He had been expected to
rant and appeal to the passions and sympathies
Of his hearers more than to their reason. and
the tameness Of his performance was disappont-
ing to many on that ground His power 1t was
said was more in infaming audiences by strik-
ing utterances than I'm convincing them by
sound reasoning While some Of the business
men Of the city hesitated to apply such word
as "demagogue" 70 a man who is Presidential
candidate they made no concealment of their
opinion that his arguments on the silver ques-
tion were feeble and stale and that he had ex-
hibited himself more in the light Of a vain
seeker after notoriety than az a man worthy 10
he political leader.
NOTHING ORIGINAL ABOUT HIM
His long flow Of words on the currency ques-
ton was spoken Of as proof that he was neither
an original thinker nor a careful student of the
question He had made statements about silver
with no facts to support them, and had ad
vanced old arguments which had been presented
in the same form substantially many times and
had been answered satisfactorily many times.
His speech was for the rest an attempt 10 apollo
gize for and explain away some OF the planks
Of the Chicago platform which preach anarchy.
mob rule and reputation. The effect Of his ut
terances upon the public was sure to be disap-
rointing to him and to the managers Of his cam
paien. it was agreed, and the business men Of
the country might take a more hopeful view Of
the political situation.
The advance in the price Of stocks in Wall
Street Yesterday showed that the financial bar
orneter had detected the change in the public
estimate of the Democratic Presidential candi-
date His power for harm was believed TO have
diminished Many had come 10 the conclusion
that he was not much above the ordinary Sill
yerites and Popusts who had been preaching
repudiation and initiation, and that the discovery
OF his limitations would very soon put an end
to his career as popular idol Ii was said
that when the people OF the country Vdiilc W
consider seriously the meaning OF the Chicago
platform they would surely repudiate the ticket
nominated on such a platform. and the country
would be saved from the harm Of financial
revolution.
SENTIMENT OF FINANCIERS
The opinion in the financial community was
that Bryan's speech had done his cause far
more harm than good. The speech was not con-
sldered even a good exposition OF the silver
ouestion. and IT disclosed lamentable ignor-
once Of ordinary financial principles The gen
eral expression was that nothing further need
no feared Of Rryan's candidacy.
Washington f.. ConnOr the capitalist ana wall
street operator in discussing the speech. said:
"In touching on the financial question Mr.. Bryan
showed that he did not understand II. and
oven with Mr. BANDS assistance he was not
ahls 10 nut forward any facts or figures to prove
that free coinage would be beneficial He simply
,,ada the assertion that II would be. In stating
,ha, silver would go 10 81 % an ounce. he used
tho old arguments that we heard the advocates
., tho sherman bill use. and then II proved that
.Io more silver the Government bought the
,ouar # went in price. Mr.. Bryan also charged
,ha, our present business depression was due
., tha gold standard. Here again he presented