Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-10-10
HARRISON SPEAKS
AT THE AUDITORIUM.
A Conspicuous Absence of
A Large Crowd.
NO COLORED Represent
1ATION.
Bryan And Free Silver Kissed
LIGHTS GOES OUT-GENERAL DIS
TERMINATION
The Oolored State Committee Compelled
To Take Seats in the Audience.

The Oolored State Committee Compelled
To Take Seats in the Audience.
Elk President Benjamin Harrison,
former president of the United States
spoke at the Exposition grounds last
Monday night in the behalf of McKin-
ley and Hobart.
Several hundred white people turn
ed out to hear the ex-president
through curiosity. 1t has been gener-
ally estimated that the crowd which
gathered composed chiefly of colored
citizens, was any where between 5000
and 900. At an early hour people
were seen coming in by two's and
three's.
1t had been limited that the colored
people would be Disseminated
against and it was even SO. clothes
line had been stretched from the main
door to the front seats. One side was
assigned to the colored the other TO
the white.
THE DECORATIONS.
The interior of the building was
tsstefully decorated with large pieces
/ Of bunting. Above the orchestra gal
lery, suspended from nail, and oecu-
pying a position was the emblem OF
the state on which was Inscribed the
| motto-Sic-Sempe -Tyrannis-an on
either side hung the life sized por-
trait OF Mckinley and Hobart. Around
the stage on which the speaker sat, the
folds of the American flag were en-
! twined. A band OF music snlivened
the occasion at intervals.
ONLY ABOUT HALE FILLED.
BY e:l5 the spacious edifics was less
than half filled, portion of the gal
lery on the left being occupied exclu-
sively by white people whose presence
seemed to freeze the very marrow N
ones bones. To say they were cold
= and unappreciative expresses II mild
ly
The speaker greeted two extremes
the warmth of the colored people, not
e withstanding they were in the MAORI
ty was not enough to counter act tn
frigidity in the other. Ii was soon evi
dent that the majority of the white
were there only from curiosity
Mr.. HARRISON ARRIVES IN RICHMOND.
. The following COMMITTEES from thu
'e republican state headquarters consist
ing of Messrs. Otis b. Russell, A. u
s. Sheppard, Judges l.. l.. Lewis and Ed
% mund Waddill, Colonies James ID
Brady and James Lyons we're sent g
~ Ashland. Va. to act as escort to Mr.
Harrison and his party among whom
D. we're Mrs Harrison, her maid and Nh
N Murat Halstsad. The committee W.T.
~ the Ex-president in charge arrived Il
IN the city Monday afternoon via Chesa
n peake and Ohio in the private car Q
ne Mr. M. E. Ingalls,, president of =. u
40 Company. From the Byrd street sta
~ ton the party was driven TO the Jei
ferson Hotel where they were receive
nd by a committee of ladies.
n At THE AUDITORIUM.
L. Promptly at $3.50 m the distir
TO guished ex-President made his al
gs pearance, amid prolonged applaus
ee from the colored people, but cool II
difference by many OF the whites. l
appearance Gen Harrison is ageln
no considerably his hair is much white
i'll than formerly his beard had bee
=, neatly trimmed and his form is begiI
nlng to take that position which d.
notes old age. His voice though Pc
nd ceptibly weaker retained much OF /
ed former power.
mi He was interrupted quite frequen
ly by shouts for Bryan; and when Il
u' Brvanites got too obstreperous. Il
We police interfared, and cries of ''p
him out'' were heard all over Il
building.
BRYAN KISSED.
Some of the Silverites, and Dem'
cratic hoodlums commenced to siI
= out Three cheers for Bryan Hip Hi
Tia but the effectual way they were silen
lie ed by the Kisses from the Republical
las soon reduced them to q state of cor
Die parative quietude.
asst On another occasion when they a
,en tempted to cheer for Bryan, the spea
S. er was compelled to plead with the
rt, to give him order that all who wish'
to might hear him.
Ell NO ooLoRED REPRESENTATION.
lpe Conspicuous among other things "
? it the fact that there was not a sing
ed Negro on the stage.
in Mr.. w. &. Singleton, coming in sto
md up in front of the platform until
one caught the eye Of Mr.. ] w. Southwa
err who Immediately approached. and 1
the ter whispered consultation Mr. 81
as gleton was assigned a seat On the fro
ers bench in the audience.
There were other colored men "
ara on the State Committee who we
not accorded the priveledge of sc
on the platform
A colored gentleman approached t
. PLANET man and whispered that
thought that Mr.. w. W. Brow
the should be accorded place.
eat 1t was currently rumOred that G
rk- ored delegation headed by Messrs.
thy w. Harris and Armistead Wall
IN would be present to give Mr.. Harris
lrs an introduction and extend to hin
ee welcome to this city but nothing
ou that description occurred and
'eu whole thing was managed exclusive
by white republicans thus entirely
----- noring the black man.
Through all this the cOlored vote