The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-09-10
ICharlotte Observer.l

lCNafIOttS OOSefSer.l
A hasty, though not very thorough,
review of the past Month may no, be
amlss as we enter to-day upon Il new
month. We are living IN fast times.
We are making history every day that
passes. We are facing crisis in the
political life of the country, as inIpor-
tant in Its results, we must believe, rs
that in which, thIrty-s six years ago the
making or marrlng OF slavery was the
chief issue. We are in the midst of
great popular uprising, as little as the
tact appears to be realized in some of
our great cities and by some of our
great thinkers. A peaceful uprising
so far, and We have no reason 10 be
lieve it will continue to be otherwise,
even though injudicious men have oc
casionally made threats. But this is a
good time to read up on the political
conditions of the campaign of 1860,
and compare them with those of to-
day, when, as then, political parties
are SO rapidly marking out new align
menis.
The month just passed found the
political campaign fully under weigh
tor the first time, all the ships launched
by the various parties for the presiden-
tial race for the first time being we'll
out to sea under full head of steam,
and full complement of sail. 1t is
true that the gold standard Democrats
have yet to nominate d ticket, but the
confession of the crew Itself is that it
is political afterthought, and has no
hopes Of catching up in the race The
event Of primary significance was the
acceptance speech of William Jennings
Bryan in Madison Square Garden,
New York city-a verltable carrying
of the free silver war into gold stan
dard Africa. While this speech was
much beli'tled and ridiculed by the
gold standard papers Of New York, it
is nevertheless significant from the
fact that it was attended by an i'm
mense and enthusiastic lhr0ng COM
posed chiefly of the laboring people OF
| New York and Brooklyn-an elemen,
which comprises the larger halt of the
voters of those cities. The meeting
can in no sense be regarded as a fail
ure, and the only criticism Of it worth
notice is that which claims that Mr.
Bryan made tactical error in deliver
ing free silver speech more suited to
an agricultural audience than to city
working men, to whom a defense oi
the income tax or anti-government by
injunction planks Of the Chicago plat
form might have been more effective
This notification meeting was soon
after followed by a much advertised
and large and enthusiastic gathering in
the same place in which ex-Congress-
man Bourke Cochran made an elabo
rate speech in behalf Of the gold stand
ard, and addressed, as was the Bryan
speech, mainly to the working men,
although this element was in reality
CONSPICUOUS by its absence from his au
dience. Mr.. Bryan has spent some
time since his Madison Square speech
campaigning in northern and western
New York, and has confirmed the sus-
piCion that there is growing tendency
towards free silver in the rural portion:
of that State and doubtless elsewhere
in the East. Perhaps of equal impor
tance with Mr.. Bryan's speech is the
letter of acceptance of William Nc
Kinley which appeared the latter par
of August, and which is remarka bic
from the Republican standpoint, bo,f
for the clearness Of its statement and
for the vigor of its argument. A polil
ical meeting which attracted the pub
lie eye was the opening of the Repub
lican campaign in Ohio in which Sen
ator Sherman and Senator-elect For
aker were the principal speakers. The
political battle of 1896 is fully joined
but the issue thereof may not at The
beginning o! this present month be &C
curate;y predicted.
The month of Angus, has been re
markable for hot wave, continuing
from about the first until the 18th, ths
like of which for duration and inlensl,,
has never before been known in this
country. The mortality in the grea
cities was fearful, and horses dropped
dead by hundreds in the streets, 81
that, by reason Of the dIfhcultv o
, rapid removal and the fact that tn,
mercury ran to I2o or thereabuuts II
T the streets where they lay, causn!
| rapid decomposition, they became ;
T serious menance to public health.
The news Of the most successful c
all Arctic explorations reached III
world on Angus, 18th, when it va
learned that DR.. Nansen, the Swedis
}. explorer, had returned to civlizatio
: after a three years absence, havin
penetrated 200 miles nearer the Mort
!. Pole than had ever before been reached
u and having come within 275 miles {
!, the Pole, when his dogs failed, con
q pelling his return.
d August chronicles the obituaries
0. some Of the earth's great and reput;
e. Bile personages. On the list are TO
found the names of Judge Samu
Shellabarger, aged 78; Baroness Tel
= nyson, widow Of the late Poe, Laurea
r. r. of England; Herr Quo Lilien,hs
>, builder of flying machines, killed viii
trying his lates, pair Of wings, age
46; Sir John E. Millais. president
J.. the Royal Acade,ny. aged 60; Mai
Abigail Dodge, "Gail Hamilton