Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-10-02
A REPUBLICAN MEETING
At the Opera House Addressed By Hon.
BOurke Cochran.
The Building was Crowded and
the Speaker Worked Up Great
Applause by His Bloquence-Re-
publicans on the Stage and in the
Audience.
Audience.

Hon. Bourke Cochran. the eloquent New
Yorker. who was formerly a Democrat,
and who is said TO be receiving an I'M
usually fat fee for his services to Mckin-
lev during the present campaign, ad-
dressed an audience which crowded the
opera House yesterday afternoon. Mr..
Cochran came in from Pittsburg in a pri-
vate car. and was entertained at the Fort
Henry Club. He rode up street in an open
carriage, but there was marked absence
Of that enthusiasm which greeted him on
the occasion of his last visit to Wheeling.
The audience was large. Few more per-
sons could have been crowded into the
Opera House. 1t was sympathetic. Every
point made by the eloquent speaker was
applauded. 1t was Republican. The yell
low badges predominated in the audience,
and on the stage were such well known
Republicans as Hon. W. p. Hubbard Col.
George b. Caldwell. Col. Alex. Mitchell.
City Receiver John w Kindelberger, AL
fred c. Davis, Mr.. Whitaker Mr.. Hork-
heimer, VIM. Hare, Hon. VIM. l.. Hearne,
Andrew S. Hare, Sam Brubaker, Robert
Hazlett, Clarence Laird. Clerk T. c.
Monat, ex-Mayor Jacob w. Grub,
Hugo Loos. Hon. Augustus Pollack,
Ben Horkheimer, Henry Baer, John Frew,
Judge Thayer Melvin-these and half
hundred lesser lights. The gold Demo
Gratis on the stage did not amount TO more
than a score.
The Republican campaign committee is
fortunate in securing the services of such
speakers as Cochran and Adams, and
having the expenses paid by somebody
else. Cochran repeated the speech which
he has been making in the East. purport-
ing to be a reply to Bryan. The only point
of difference in his speech yesterday was
that he did not declare in his eloquent
manner that he intended to vote for Nc
Kinley This ne did state in several
cities in the East.
The meeting was called to order by
Major Ran Stalnaker who named Hon.
J. b. Sommerville as chairman of the
meeting. Mr.. Sommervile made few re-
marks in introducing the speaker as ''one
of the foremost citizens of the republic"
Mr.. Cochran was received with APP
plause. He opened by expressing regret
that he had been prevented from keeping
his appointment for the previous even
ing. 1t was not his fault that two meet
ings should occur on the same day in
Wheeling. but he asked a patient hearing
for the side which he represents. After
his Introductory remarks ne took up the
crime of 1873" and held it up to ridicule,
being frequently applauded by the audi
ence. He read from some statistics fur
nished by the local committee, to show
that Wheeling has increased in wealth and
population, and taxes have decreased
since 1873.
He then held up to ridicule the phrase
money power" saying it was a Populis-
tic expression which he could not under
stand. He said the day laborer and the
merchant are part of the money power;
there Is no separate money class. He ask
ed. how will the adoption of free silver
benefit the wages of the laborer and prom
Used If he got correct answer he would
come back and clothed in white sit with
n lighted candle, as a confession that he
was in error. He argued that the only
thing which affects wages is the amount
of product. Government cannot legislate
value into anything. Could a Populistic
Congress make two tables out of one?
Mr.. Cochran showed the difference be-
tween the meaning of the terms price"
and value" and argued that legislation
can add price but not value. There would
be no particular harm in changing the
standard of value. of measure or weight,
provided they would operate only on fu-
ture contracts. The Populstic pro-
gramme. if carried into effect, would
necessarily cheat some people to benefit
others. II is obviously impossible to raise
prices and thereby enrich everybody.
Further on Mr.. Cochran stated that
Democrats and Populists could not stand
together on a proposition which he
named a man in the gallery said: I'VE
don't want you in the Democratic party
Mr. Cochran replied and was enthusiast
tically cheered by the audience. He re-
ferred to the interruption as discourte-
Gus. and said it was an evidence that the
Populist programme means disorder.
'Hurrah for Bryan" said the voice.
THAT Is the most intelligent thing you
ever said in your life" replied Mr.. Cock
ran.
Continuing. Mr.. Cochran repeated many
Of the arguments on the gold side, cloth
ing them in excellent language, and de-
llvering them in a vigorous manner. He
spoke about two hours. and held his audi
ence until the close of the meeting.
-O