The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-19

and People at Madison Square Garden,
New York-The Decorations Were Not
EIabor ate but In Good Taste.
New YORK, August II That the
interest of the whole city of New York
was focused today upon Madison
SQUARE Garden where Wm. j. Bryan
of Nebraska and Arthur Sewall of
Maine were to pe formally notified Of
their nomination by the Democratic
party of the offices of President and
Vice President of the United States,
was proven by the groups of sovereign
ell. cto,s which early as the middle OF
the afternoon began to come under
the trees in Madison Square which by
5o'clock had been reinforced by hun
dIeds, and at & o'clock was multiplied
to expectant thousands and before Z
swelled To a straining clamorlng
army.
The Garden had been the stage for
other events of the same character,
political meetings had bet n held in It's
walls without number. Eight years
syo Cleveland had been there notified
of his selection to lead a second time
the campaign OF the Democray, but
the speculation attached to all these
events had been but shadows compared
with the fierce light of curiosity which
beat upon this night. President Cleve-
land had been parsonage familiar to
New York but the younger leader
who had come out from the West to
plant his standard in the field CT the
enemy, as he called it, and there to
open the battle OF his campaign, was
only a name in this city Therefore
the assembly awaited eagerly to dis.
cover what manner of man he was OF
whom they had read so much and
what manner of speech was his which
had such power over great party con-
vention.
Cn this sultry night the wide oval
OF the Garden wasa furnance III which
twenty thousand were to suffer tiery
torture for enthusiasm's sake. The
glass bad been removed from the acre
of skylights in the roof and sheets OF
canvas hung below. The platform
was a small affair erected at the North
side of the hall in the centre Of one OF
The broad arcs of the oval, hardly
more than twelve feet square and
draped simply with American flags.
The decorations we're simple and lot
elaborate but in good taste, consisting
entirely of the national tricolor.
The hands of the clock marked Z
when the main doors down at the West
of the Garden swung inward and an
nounced their opening by the inrush
of yelling war cry. Then with a
roar came people pouring through
the entrance and spreading over the
floor like the unchaining OF Hood oil
water. Men and women swept down
to the centre of the hall, climbing over
chairs and distractions like an infan.
try charge.
Two or three times as the crowd
rushed in some enthusiast rose in the
gallery and proposed three cheers Tor
BRYAN which exhortation brought the
expected shouts. But the first real de
monstration of the night was given to
the wife of the Presidential candidate.
1t was s o'clock when Mrs. Bryan was
seen climbing the steps that led to the
first box rallied of at the platforms
right. She was on the arm Of lion.
William =. st John, Treasurer of the
Democratic National Committee. AS
Mrs. Bryan swept her eyes across the
hall they had weary look and her
face st emed very pale. 1t Lighted with
a bright smile 1t the roar which swept
across the floor and onward through
the galleries and which grew into a
swelling cheer and rose and fell IL
half dozen waves Twice MIS-. Bry-
all bowed 10 the rig Int and left and
then she was seated.
The cheer for Mrs Bryan had not
ended when the foremost parsonage Of
the hour, the Demo crAttic candidate
Tor President, in The midst of small
group of his chief support rs, appeared
and pushed through the same door
way. The first glimpse was of a black
coated, broad shouldered man, with
roll OF manuscript held at his side,
stepping with quick light stride up the
short flight of stairs. AT his side and
lowering over him was the strong lig-
ure, clad in gray, OF Senator Jones OF
Arkansas, The chairman OF The Demo.
cratic committee.
AS the smooth shaven, slrong-fsced
young statesman from the West
slood at the front OF the platform a
flag WAS raised and waved just above
hun in the gallery SO that its folds
swept down us background for his
form and made him the one figure OF
the whole assemblsge.
The cheer that broke forth was OF
tremendous force. Certainly its re-
cipient had never heard its like but
once before and that other was the
cheer which followed the close of his
now famous speech before The hicago
convention.
The cry was Bryant Bryant" re-
peated until the great crowd wearied.
1t was only when he had sat down at
the rieh of the stand that the people
took notice Of the men who accom-
panied bim. Foremost among them
was Arthur Sewall, candidate for
Vice President There was Cover
nor Stone of MISSOURI, and the presid
ing officer. Hon. Elliott Danforth, ex
Treasurer of the State OF New York.
There were no vacant chairs in the
hall when the nominees mounted the
platform and all standing space was
filled. Among the prominent Demo
erals arrayed back of the platform
were Senators Blanchard of l. Iuisiana,
German of Mary yland, Roach OF North
Dakota, Tillman of South Carolina,