The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-10-16
PALMER BUCKNER.
A Twice Told Tale, by the Two
Old CrOnies.
A Fairly Good Sized Audience Lis
ten Patiently to Their Tedious
Recital.
REPORT AND EDITORIAL COMMENT.

REPORT AND EDITORIAL COMMENT.
Messrs. Palmer and Buckner, the
Boltocratic nominees for President and
Vice Observation-Disclosures known as
McKinley's decoy ducks, spoke two
mortal long hours at the Opera House
last Wednesday afternoon.
They were met at the depot by re-
ception committee composed of DR..
Robt. Pillow, Col. j. W, S. Ridley,
Messrs. Robt. Mckinney, T. N. Jones,
j. C. Wooten, w. w. and Peyton Moore,
j. D. Wright and d. Lazarus. When
the distinguished gentlemen unloaded
themselves from their special car, not a
sound was heard, not even a funeral
note, as across the platform they sham
bled. Not counting the visitors and
drivers of the vehicles, there were
eleven people who followed in the pro-
cession to the Bethel House. The Co
lumbia band that was to head the pro-
cession failed them at the last moment.
The leader raised the price five dollars,
and the committee refused to see the
raise.
Generals Palmer and Buckner were
accompanied by their wives; also
Messrs. Frederick Howe, j. w. Rich
ards and Thomas Donovan of Chicago
Judge Watkins of Kentucky, J. A.
Cunningham of Kimmins, Tenn, and
Mike Savage, Esq, of GAINESVILLE.
Thaca oanflau1an with ca,raro1 IF tba
reception committee, occupied chairs on
the stage. General Palmer was intro
duced by Mr.. Killheffer. Gen. Buck
ner by Mr.. Savage.
An audience of perhaps four hun
bred greeted them, and perhaps one
hundred of the four applauded their
appearance. Fifty of the hundred were
negroes in the gallery and Republicans
in the pit.
Those of the audience who had the
endurance to stay the ordeal through,
gave the distinguished visitors most
patient attention. Indeed the silence at
times grew oppressively heavy; it hung
in the atmosphere for time and then
settled upon the audience with a chill
altogether discomfiting. 1t was quite a
relief therefore, when, after Senator
Palmer had been speaking fifty min
utes, he took an attitude and tragically
exclaimed "no Democratic convention
can dictate to me how to vote," and APP
plause followed. During this applause
the Senator collected himself and con-
cluded to, quit; whereupon there was
a second applause, even more hearty
than the other.
Mr.. Palmer seemed to be laboring I'M
der disadvantages. The evident trouble
was that he was sans ideas and minus
words. And in addition to this mental
worry, he appeared to be pestered with
| feas; for whenever thought or argu-
ment came passing his way, before he
could frame it he would have to scratch,
and behold like meteor in the night,
it was gone.
Between scratches he hazarded the
statement that the silver dollar could
not be advanced above the commercial
price of the bullion, and further that
free coinage had never been able to
make silver equal to gold. In nearly
the next breath he berated the western
silver mine owners for attempting to
so legislate as to pay their debts with
fifty cent dollars.
The old gentleman had doubtless for
gotten that silver was at premium over
gold, when it was demonetized, and that
Chicago platform now demands. And
the further inconsistency of bullion re-
naming at fifty cents when it could be
made to pay dollar debt, never oc-
Cured to him. He was wildly APP
plauded at Detroit, he said, for suggest
ing that gold would go to a premium if
Bryan was elected, and that everybody
would be withdrawing their money
from the banks and converting it into
gold The applause was so great that
he dared not push the point, he said,
but somehow the Columbia audience
never took the hint and the applause
was not forthcoming.
The utter nothingness of the speech
renders a synopsis impossible. 1t had
neither the force of logic, the charm of
oratory, the fire of enthusiasm or the
rythm of easy flowing English. 1t was
the most utterly tiresome talk ever de-
livered in this town, and his committee
on the stage looked infinitely relieved
when the end came.
Genl. Buckner.
| General Buckner did better than his
"comrade," as he chose to term him.
He referred to the days gone by when
he had left home and friends and for
tune to take up arms for patriotism.
His "comrads," for reason that was
obvious, had refrained from any such
reference to that period in his life.
Gen. Buckner said that patriotism to
serve his country had nerved him then,
and like patriotism moved him now.
He differed from his "comrade" when
it came to wearing party robes too
4 loosely. He was so strong a Democrat
that not even the voice of its National
Convention, regularly assembled, could
cut him loose from the old mornings or
drive him away from the old land
marks. He represented the pure aud
unda61ad nanocracv as handed down