The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-23
He Writes of the Effect Of Bry-
ans Cleveland Speech.
THE LEAvEN WORKING
Workingmen Thoroughly I'M
pressed With Bryan.
DAILY OPEN AIR MEETINGS
Discussions in Rain and Shine Never
Cease in the Public Square,
Hanna's intimidation
Methods.

Henry GEORGE the DIllildnV duullot VI
Progress and Poverty" sends the
New York Journal, under date of the
goth instant from Cleveland, the esti-
mate that follows of Bryan from the
standpoint of the effect of his work
in Ohio:
/ met here to-day with the head of
an important bureau Of the National
administration, who has left his Wash
ington office to take a look through
this part of the country. His notion
about things political was that Bryan
would he beaten "out of sight" and
would make no better showing IN No
venber than did General Scott at the
close Of the campaign that ended the
Wing party.
one of the reasons that he assigned
for this was that Bryan was inlurlng
himself by his speeches. This going
around the country speaking anywhere
was. IN his opinion, most ln1udleaouS.
As 8 matter Of political wisdom. MIR.
Bryan, he said, ought 10 have rested
his reputation as an orator on the
laurelS won by his Chicago speech that
gave him the nomination, and with
that nomina ton To have retired 10 his
Lincoln home there 10 remain IN dig
nified silence, allowing Others TO stump
the country.
That was the course. this administra-
ton Democrat said, that astnte poll1-
cal managers would have recommend
ed him But then, he said, Mr.. Bryan,
while a very genial gentleman, would
listen TO no political management. and
II, h. seh1
/ had, of course, heard this before,
and, curious TO know what man who
had won a reputation as a campaigner
thought of it. asked Governor Altgeld
last week what he thought Of the effect
of Bryan's campaigning. His reply
was that Bryan was doing more for the
success of his party than any other
hundred of the ablest speakers could
possibly do, and that the effect on the
people of seeing and hearing the man
they were asked to vote for, and even
where it was impossible for them to
do that, of knowing that he was do
ing his utmost to get among them,
and talk to them face to face, was
counting for more than an elaborate
organization and an army of the best
speakers.
BRYAN A PHYSICAL MARVEL.
Bryan, Governor Altgeld said, was in
nothing more remarkable than in his
tremendous physical vitality, and had
excited the astonishment of Governor
Stone, of Missouri, who had accom-
panied him on some of his speeches,
by his tremendous ability to eat and
sleep, thus preserving his power I'M
der exertion that would soon wear
L
in the prime of health and strength.
And it was on the effect of the can
didate's speeches that Altgeld counted
as one of the elements that would
more than make up for any deficiency
in money and the sort of organization
for which money is necessary, and
which, in spite of these deficiencies,
would secure a Democratic victory in
November.
Now, in Cleveland, have had an OPP
portunity of forming my own opin-
ion as to whether the Democratic Fed
eral official, or the Democratic Gov
ernor, was nearer right in his esti-
mate of the effect of Bryan's speeches.
There are few Americans who have
had wider experience in public
speaking than has fallen to my lot, for
/ have addressed large and frequently
hostile audiences on three continents
upon subjects which call for thought.
have learned to know that thunders
of applause sometimes merely mean
that the speaker had said something
to which his audience was already
agreed, and that the really effective
work Ct arousing the thought of men
is usually accompanied by Silent at
tention. And the proof to me that /
had really accomplished something has
not been the applause of an audience,
but to see that audience break up into
knots of men, intently discussing the
subject of the speech.
EARNEST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS.
The public square of Cleveland af-
fords the most striking example of the
effect of a speech that / know of.BryaD
spoke in Cleveland on the first of Sep
TENDER. From that day to the present
moment, a sort of perpetual discussion
has gone on in this public square. 1t
begins in the morning and goes on
until day comes again. At no time
that they pass the square, car conduc-
tors and morning newspaper men tell
me, is there not crowd there discuss
ing the issues Of the campaign, and
particularly the money question.
It's components are constantly
changing, but at no time, day or
night. or at least for twenty-one or
twenty-five hours out of the twenty
four,is this crowd not to be seen. Some
times it has single centre, but more
often it breaks up into different cen
tres, spreading over the square like
stars. The square has become the rec
ognized place to go and hear politics
discussed.
Two men get to talking, passers by
gather around to listen and then as the
original speakers cannot be heard, dis
cussion begins on the outskirts anC
knots form around the new speakers
until there are many different centres
Sometimes when a speaker of partic
ular brilliance or force is heard and ;
larger audience is anxious to lister