Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-10-29


Debate FUNK The General Po-
htical News Of the Day.
Last evening the rival parties held po-
htical meetings in the suburban town Of
Fulton. The people of that town had an
opportunity TO judge of the relative
strength OF the two parties and estimate
as 10 which of the two was in the possess
sion of the popularity Of the people. Mr..
{. B. Hart. editor of the Intelligencer,
who is out stamping in the interest Of his
candidacy Tor the United States Senate,
held forth in behalf OF the gold standard
in the prize ring of the Metropolitan Ath-
letic club room. near NJ. Bunch's place OF
business, east of town. Here in the center
of this pugilistic arena, stuff met stun, e."
and for a considerable length of time the
editor of the Intelligencer pounded the So
called silver trust and denounced the ef-
forts of the people to re-instate the double
standard and the money OF the Consti-
tuition. Ii was certainly a spectacle for
the gods 10 hear the urbane editor of the
Inteligencer, as representative OF a
party of trusts and combines, wasting his
stored-up energy to bring condemnation
down upon something which not one man
in the audience ever heard about, and
knew did not exist. The reception accord
ed Mr. Hart was not one in keeping with
a gentleman who aspires to the high Office
of a United States Senator. The editor
had sole possession of the ring and about
hundred people were seated on the west
side of the building. Half of these We're
members of Wheeling clubs who accom-
panied the speakers and women. There
was comparatively little spirit manifested
and it was clearly evident that the audi
ence We're not over-burdened with en-
thusiasm for the ideas which the Repub-
bcan party are this year advocating. In
this respect there was as much difference
between darkness and daylight as there
was between the little goldbug meeting
and the loudly demonstrative free silver
gathering which was addressed by Col.
Z. L. Poorman and others.
The reception given the rival parties
along the streets was a forcible indication
of how Fulton will line up on next Tues
day. The Tariff Champions, of Wheeling,
escorted Col. Hart and they We're the first
TO pass through the town. The little burg
Of Fulton was brilliantly lighted up and
gaiy decorated with flags. bunting and
scores of pictures of the Democratic cam
didates and a few Autographs of McKin-
ley, 1t was certainly the intention of the
inhabitants to make it Bryan occasion
judging from the preparation made and
the ovation given the marchers in the
Democratic clubs. The Democratic
speakers were driven in a carriage TO Full
tonand were escorted by the members of
the W. J. Bryan and the Faulkner Silver
Clubs. of Wheeling, and the Fulton club.
When they passed through the town
nearly every man. woman and child were
gathered on the sidewalks. 1t seemed as
if every person wore a Bryan badge and
shouted for Bryan. Women Wed with the
men in their demonstrations of welcome,
and from all appearances. instead OF a
majority, it seemed as If all Fulton was
for Bryan. Everybody shouted for Bryan
and rockets and Roman candles added to
the spectacle. The silver meeting was
held in hail in the central part of town.
The room was filled with men who yelled
with delight and cheered continuously
whenever a goldbug assertion was ami
hilated. Annihilated they certainly were,
and Col Poorman. who has heretofore
always been an ardent Republican, and
has been prominently identified with that
party in Ohio. was the man who merciless-
ly slaughtered the fallacies with which
the gold standard advocates are endeav-
orfDer ~ 6alf,1a thp poOOlp.
The force of Col. Poorman's logic and
eloquent appeals to the patriotism of his
hearers was irresistible. The audience
testified their approval of his sentiments
in way that fairly raised the roof. At
periods the cheering continued so loud
and so long that the orator was compelled
to wait several minutes for it to subside
before he could proceed further. After
telling why he had left the Republican
party with scores of others from his own
community. and making a strong affirm
alive argument for the free coinage of sill
Yer. Col. Poorman took up the stock-in-
trade objections that are made against
the Chicago platform and demolished
them 10 the great satisfaction OF his near
ers. The assertion made by the gold
standard men that free coinage of silver
would drive out the gold was ably met
and proved TO be an absurdity and in con-
tradlction with established facts and the
financial history of our country. lie did
this by calling TO the memory OF his aud
fence the fact that with the passing of
the famous Bland-AIison bin that the
gold standard advocates, Jnen lew In num-
Der. predicted that the coinage of silver
under the enforcement of that law would
drive gold out of our country and contract
orr currency. Results did not bear ont
their predictions. for the gold which NJ
that time had ceased to circulate. was
drawn by the addition of silver and the in
crease of prices into the channels of trade.
During that period Of twelve years. gold
instead of leaving US, was drawn into the
country as was never known before. Up
on the repeal of this law which provided
for the coinage of the standard silver dol
lar. gold. instead Of remaining with us
and i'm circulation. as the goldbugs pre-
6icted it left the channels of trade ana
was exported in large quantities ana the
s,,,a predictions were nade by the gold
s,a,-ard advocates at the time of the pas
saga NJ the sherman bill in 1890. and the
..,,o reeults followed. Col. Poorman'
,,.itl, 7,,arciiess sarcasm, cut i'm twain the
,.,,5t,,e, 5allsion of "a So cent dollar. lie
declared that the gold conspira'o's were
the cause of the IS cent dollar ana s'''U
A TTEH