The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-08
Thousands Journey to the Wooded
Pleasure Resort to Listen
to a Speech
TAFFY FOR WAGE-EARNERs.
VIE lie, ""Billy. Old Boy" and Hon.
orable Bill" Are Terms Applied
to Bryan by the Crowd.

ton of Labor day by Chicago workingmen
conferred mainly in the meeting addressed
by William ]. Bryan at Sharpshooters
Park, wooded pleasure ground situated
at an inconvenient distance from the city.
The street railway service was not of the
best. and many people were unable to
reach the park. Every car that ran to the
grounds was packed from noon until after
2 o'clock, and those who went by that
means suffered much discomfort The
day was all that could be desired in point
of weather, a little too warm for the close
contact of human beings, but practically
perfect for outdoor assembly.
Mr.. Bryan spoke from permanent plat
form, with shell-shaped canopy, and
long before the meeting began this was
crowded by prominent labor unonists,
many with their families. The crowd began
to gather about noon, and those who came
early sought positions close to the front of
the stand. Many men and boys climbed
trees overlooking the platform and were
able to see and hear the better from their
exalted positions. Occasionally the limb
of a tree broke and added to the fun and
excitement of the occasion. Other men
climbed to the roof of the stand, and
lying fat/on their stomachs peered over
the edge on those below like so many
human squirrels.
The crowd was not as great as had been
expected. Before Mr.. Bryan entered the
park about 5000 people were clustered
around the central point of interest, but
after the appearance of the nominee 5000
or 1000 more entered the grounds and
waited to catch a glimpse of the Demo-
cratic nominee or stood on the outskirts
o + the audience endeavoring to hear what
he said. The charge of % cents for adj
mission unjustly served TO decrease the
attendance.
The celebration at the park was the
annual picnic of the Building Trades
Council, representative organization of
men employed in building trades. The
crowd which gathered was essentially one
OF workingmen and their families. They
enjoyed the address of the nominee with
nstrained freedom ana made FREQUENT
comments of an amusing character that
several times mad the effect of making Mr..
Bryan break into laugh which spoiled
rounded period. The crowd was exceed
ingly dlsorderly in a good-natured way.
Frequent appeals were necessary to OBJ
tain quiet. Two or three times the lam
near the stand became so great that sew
eral women tainted and were trodden
before being rescued and revived. Mr.
Bryan once appealed to the people to
stop crushing and stopped another time
to hand glass of water 10 be passed to a
fainting woman.
Mr.. Bryan was received with lon g-con-
tinued applause, and throughout his ad-
dress OF an hours duration he was treated
with the utmost good-natured familiarity.
The crowd called him willie" BILLY,
old boy" and Honorable Bill, " and told
him to ''Hit 'em again" and to "Giye
them another" whenever he caught the
fancy of his audience.
1t was a few minutes after 9 O'Clock
when Mr.. Bryan's carriage reached the
park, followed by several others carrying
labor leaders and their wives. Seated
with Mr.. Bryan were Edward P. Carroll.
president of the Building Trades Council
]. d. Mckinley, president of the Carpen-
ters' District Council, and J. J. Ryan, a
local labor leader. In another carriage
was DR.. Theodore Barth of Berlin, a mem
Der of the German Reichstag, who ar
rived In this country four days ago to
study the politics OF a Presidential cam
paign. He met Mr.. Bryan at the Audi
forum Hotel. and was invited by him to
attend the meeting.
Mr. Bryan's carriage was followed from
the roadway through the grounds to the
platform by a cheering running crowd of
men and boys. There were no police Off
NOAS W tCSbid ln bncl1 dIlQ lueY utmost
feIled Mr.. Bryan in their eagerness to
grasp his hand and say something COM
pIimentary. By dint of muscular work
Mr.. Bryan was able to reach the platform
and smiled his thanks when the thousands
cheered him Justify.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Bryan's speech,
which was the only one made, there was a
repetition OF the unrestreined crush on a
larger scale in the rear of the platform.
where the speaker tried to get away in his
carriage. Hundreds pushed on in front of
him and grasped his hand whether he
liked it or not, and there was delay of
nfteen minutes before passageway could
be cleared. Hundreds rushed on the plat
form In their mad eagerness to get near
the nominee, and there was imminent
danger of collapse. The police finally
got around and into Mr.. Bryan's carriage
and drove off the people who chung to the
vehicle until the road was reached.
resident Carroll, who acted as chair
man, quickly saw the crowd was in no
mood TO hear speech from him and
merely presented Mr.. Bryan, who said:
Ladies and Gentlemen: desire to thank the
Guiding and Trades Council for this oppor-
tunlty which they have extended me of speak
ing TO the people assembled on Labor day
Lepor day has become fixed event among our
institutions, and 1t is well that it is So be-
cause on this day all over this Nation those
VINO are engaged in the production of wealth
each other, discuss those questions in which
they are especially Interested and emphasize
before the world that there is nothing dishonor-
able in the fact that one earns his bread in
the sweat of his face.
am glad to stand on this day in the pres
ence OF those to whom this Nation is so largely
indebted for all that it has had, for all that it
has now and for all that II can hope to have.
am not INDUCING in Idle hettery when say
10 you that no part of the people OF the world
are 80 important to the welfare of mankind as
those whose labor and brains convert the nat
ural resources of the world into material
wealth. might quote TO you what Mr. Car
isle said to these people in 1873, when he de-
scrlDed them as the struggling masses who
produced the wealth and who paid the taxes
OIL the country. He did not praise them too
mighty. The struggling masses not only pro-
duce the wealth and pay the taxes in time OF
peace, but the struggling masses have ever
been and must ever be the Nations surest pro-
lection in time of peril.
The speaker then took from his pocket
the copy OF an address by Abraham Lin
coin, delivered in Congress, from which
he quoted certain paragraphs, one of
which called attention to an effort made
to place capital on an equality with If not
above labor in the structure of Govern
menf and fnlfnuinC uvifh bo