The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-24
LABOR DEMONSTRATION
At Brooklyn I'm Honor of William
Jennings Bryan.


There has, perhaps, never been such
a significant demonstration for Will
liam Jennings Bryan, in the East, as
that given tonight in Brooklyn by the
combined labor interests. 1t has been
mooted question whether the labor
people of the East would respond TO a
call for mass meeting in favor of Mr..
Bryan. but there was no mistake about
the demonstration at the Clermont rink.
The capacity of the building was esti-
mated at 5000 and every available cor
ner was filled with good natured hu-
mainly, while thousands besieged the
doors and were refused admission.
Ii was typical labor gathering and
even the woman and children present
were filled with the enthusiasm of the
occasion. 1t was also meeting far
OUT or the ordinary in it's method of
procedure. Instead Of the formal in
PRODUCTION, nominating a presiding Off
GER introducing the candidate; a chair
man, a clean-cut man with gray hair.
stepped to the front Of the platform
shortly before 8 o'clock and said: .sWill
the audience please take from their.
seats the song that is there and Join
In singing 1T, and they responded so
heartily, that the refrain lyon shall
not press the crown of thorns unon the
tofler's brow" rang against the nm
painted rafters and re-echoed again
and again, and when it was finished
mighty cheer went up. And so it wa 3
throughout the meeting. While they
were waiting for the arrival of Mr..
Bryan, VINO was speaking at another
place, they listened to several sneakers
The meeting was presided over on.
tirely by labor organizations and the
stage contained representative from
each local organization. When the
meeting was called to order every
aisle and each corridor was crowded
and when letters Of regret were read
from Eugene v. Debts and John w
Hayes, secretary of the knights of
Labor. there were vociferous cheers
Debs said in his telegram:
Millions are with Bryan and will n,acp
him in the chair Lincoln occupied in snite
or BRUSH Toryism and corporation coercion.
Resolutions were adopted commend
ing the work of the Chicago conyen~
ton and proclaiming:
we DelfeVe the present contest to be much
more than struggle between the Democrats
ana so-caHeo Republican parties more than
silver against gold. 1t is not a fight of the
poor against the rich, nor of labor against
capital, nor OF the farmer against the arti-
san or mechanic, nor the creditor against the
debtor clsss; but when sifted and analyzed
and stripped from all sophistry Is A battle
OF the people against the oligarchy Of wealth
founded on special privilege, therefore be 1t
Resolved, That we pledge our services I'M
reservedly to the earnest and active support
of the able young tribune OF the people. VII
liam Jennings Bryan, for president of these
United States and we ask the support and
earnest cooperation of all the toilers.
President John McKetchnie annaunc-
ed that it would be $50 o'clock before
Mr.. Bryan would arrive, and the audi
ence cheered Justify his declaration
that eve will wait until morning if
necessary The time before the ar
rival of Mr.. Bryan was whiled away
by brief speeches. 1t was few min
utes after 10 o'clock when Mr. Bryan
appeared, and after the police had
fought way through the crowds at
the door for him, they had to repeat
the operation inside, the vast assem-
blage in the meantime standing upon
the seats and yelling themselves
hoarse in their adulations of the lead
err When the leader had secured or
der Mr.. Bryan made a speech covering
the same grounds of his previous
speech.