The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-02
He Spoke to an Immense Crowd
There Last Night.
A GREAT DEMONSTRATION
The Fair Grounds Filled With a
Mass OF Humanity.
MONSTER PROCESSION FORMED
Pickpockets Who Had Been Following
MIR. Bryan Tried to Have Him
Detained as Witness
af CLARK chtgrp
at Clarksburg.


Wheeling, w. Va, Oct. 1.-The great
est demonstration given VIM. j. Bryan
in the State of West Virginia was paid
him in this city At the Fair Grounds
tonight he spoke to crowd, the size
of which was only limited by the space
in front of the speakers stand and
the distace his voice could be heard.
Neatly uniformed marching clubs,
bands of music and citizens in car
riages and mounted on horses made
up procession, the equal of which
the nominee has not encountered in
many long day.
The train bearing the Bryan party
arrived at the Twenty-third street sta
ton OF the Ohio River Railroad at
1880, and there it was left and the pro-
cession formed. In front was a platoon
of police. following these were mem
bers of the reception committee mount
ed on spirited horses. Then came the
Opera House band, playing Hail to
the Chief" The William J. Bryan
Silver Club, dressed in spotless white,
with Captain Geo. Wisgerber at its
front, came next and acted as an
escort of honor. Then came the Young
Mems Marching Club and following
that organization were people in car
riages, forming the rest of the pro-
ceSSion.
Passing the crowds of shouting hui
manity the procession moved to the
Fair Grounds mile and a half away
There were cheers for Bryan every
where. but here and there were little
KNOTS of admirers of his opponent
clustered, wearing in their hats yellow
badges on which were printed the name
of their standard bearer, and as Mr.
Bryan passed, these people cheered the
Republican nominee
At the grounds the grand stand in
front of the platform erected for the
speaker was packer, the racing track
was crowded as far as the candidate
could be heard and the speakers stand
itself was surrounded with the adj
mirers of the Democratic nominee. He
was cheered and app1auded literally
and on account of the vast throng had
to speak from three sides of the plat
form. He spoke as follws:
ssMr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men: We are engaged in a campaign on
(which much depends. | have heard
since ] came into the State that prom
inent member of a corporation had
boasted that they had 100000 TO spend
in this single State to prevent the cleo
toral vote being cast for the Chicago
ticket. (Cries of ''They won't do it,"
and applause). My friends, in time Of
quiet, in times when people feel no
deep interest, money may possibly be-
expended in such way as to affect the
resnl t of an election abut in times like
these, when the people are in earnest,
Z money cannot change the result of an
election. Great applaalse). As against
a corruption fund, however much, we
place the manhood of the voters of the
United States. Great applause). And
they are helpless to secure any remedy
through legislation, because every time
intimidation is successful, it encour-
ages them to try intimidation again.
(Applause). Every time corruption is
successful, it encourages them TO try
corruption again, and when they win
by corruption, they then enact leglsla-
5ion which secures for them out of the
pockets OF the people of the country
vastly more than they expended in Sc
curing the election. (Applause).
II rejoice that such demonstration
as has been made tonight is possible
in the State of West Virginia without
any money being spent TO secure 1t.
Tremendous applause.) The fact that
you are willing to give your time and
the contribution even at sacrifice
what ever was necessary to have pre-
pared this magnificent demonstration
shows that your heart is in the work
and that YOU mean business in this
campaign. Great applause.) My
friends. we have declared the money
question to be the paramount aues-
ton of the campaign. Ordinary ques-
tions may be settled at any time, but
we have reached crisis in our financial
affairs where it becomes necessary Tor
the United States to take decided
stand and what that stand shall De
must be determined, not by few finan-
ciers, but by the American people, sit
ting in judgment upon this question.
"Our opponents are apt to think that
only a few people are able to under
stand the money question. Whenever
YOU find man who thinks that the
masses of the people are not intelligent
enough to act for themselves, you
generally find somebody who wants
TO act for them and you may rest as
sured that if you let some one act for
all the people on the theory that all
the people have not sense enough to
act for themselves then those few
who assume the right to think and act
for others will be careful not to neg
Iect their own interests while they
are looking after Others" (Applause.)
Mr. Bryan then made an argument
for the free coinage of silver, follow
ing closely the lines of previous
speeches.