The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-19
BIG RALLY ATCANTON
GREATEST CROWD EVER SEEN IN
THE LITTLE OHIO CITY.
Hosts of Republicans There Yester-.
day from Pennsylvania, West Vir-
ginia and Other States.
TRIBUTE TO MAJOR M'KINLEY
FROM ARTISANS, FARMERS AND
PEOPLE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
street Parade and Two Meetings in a
Tent, in Which Were Packed
Twenty Thousand People.
SPEECHES BY THE NOMINEE
IN REPLY TO GREETINGS FROM THE
VISITING DELEGATIONS.
Addresses by Senator's CullOm and
ThurstOn and Governors Hastings
and Bushnell and Others.
street Parade and Two Meetings in n
Tent, in Which Were Packed
Twenty Thousand People.
SPEECHES BY THE NOMINEE
IN REPLY TO GREETINGS FROM THE
VISITING DELEGATIONS.
Addresses by Senators CullOm and
ThurstOn and Governors Hastings
and Bushnell and Others.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CANTON, o., Sept 1S.-The 18th of Sep
tember, 1885, will forever be a memorable
day in the history of Ohio politics, and it
will never be forgotten by any resident of
Canton, whether he or she be Republican
or Popocrat The Canton schoolboy of to-
day, when he becomes the oldest inhabi-
tant,'' can truthfully say that he witnessed
the greatest political demonstration ever
seen in the Buckeye State, and he might
further say to-day, probably without
stretching the truth very far, that no like
demonstration has ever been seen in the
United States. Since noon there has scarce
ly been moving-about room in this Mecca
of Meccas, the streets and sidewalks being
thronged with hosts of Republicans from a
half dozen States, drawn here by the an
nouncement of the formal opening of the
campaign at the home of their nominee.
At early dawn people began to arrive in
the city, afoot others in carriages
and vehicles of every description, many Oh
bicycles built both for one and two, and.
later on, the steam railways, with SEEM
ingly endless professions of special trains
poured thousands and thousands of en-
thusiastic shouters from a distance into the
city. The railroads alone brought 65 900 peo-
pie in eighty-one well-loaded trains and
half the population of Stark county also
came here by one means or another. A
conservative estimate of the crowd that
was entertained here to-day is 110 000 State
Republican Chairman Charles Kurtz to-
night estimated the crowds present on the
streets, in the afternoon parade, at the big
tent meeting and about the Mckinley home
at 100000. and his estimate is far below
others. Congressman Stephen A. North
way, of Garfields old district, said the
m Iar
memorable Western Reserve Garfield meet
ing that addressed by Grant and Conk-
ling. Hon. Sylvester T. Everett of Cleve-
land, said the memorable Grant-Conkling
meeting at Warren could not compare with
the meeting to-day. Special excursions
from Cleveland and dozen other points
added to the crowd after the afternoon pro-
gramme had been finished.
IN HOLIDAY ATTIRE.
Canton made great preparations for her
visitors and decked in holiday garb.
The streets were strung with streamers
banners and flags; arches with welcoming
notices spanned prominent thoroughfares;
buildings public and private, We're draped
with flags and bunting, and portraits of
Mckinley and Hobart were displayed in
thousands of windows. Nature lent her as
sistance to the demonstration with a day
approaching the ideal. 1t was bright and
sunshiny. but cool enough to prevent pros
trations or serious discomfort to marchers.
Many shops and factories closed for the en-
tire day. Some of the business houses
opened only for a few hours of early morn
ing trade; others closed at noon. Offices in
general did not open and the banks also
suspended business for the day after the
luncheon hour. So far as Canton was con-
cerned it was largely nonpartisan dem
onstration, people of all parties uniting in
decorations and in giving the day over to
the eelebrat ton
Bright and early there came from Little
Sandy township club of two hundred uni
formed nen and nearly the whole populace
of the township At the square they met
similar parties from other directions in
the county. Then came four hundred farm
ers from Carroll county. BY this time the
special trains began to arrive and the dele
cations from outside the county poured in
almost faster than they could be counted
The notable uniformed delegations pres
ent were the Young Mems Tariff Club and
the American Club of Pittsburg; the Ell
kins Cadets. of Wheeling; the Tippecanoe
Club. of Cleveland and the Wheelmen's
clubs, from Toledo and Detroit who left
their train at suburban station and rode
into the city in parade order.
THE PARADES
At noon the hustle and hurry of parade
organization began. The parade moved in
four divisions of footmen and with a large
contingent of wheelmen and horsemen
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other
States formed the first division: Ohio, out
side of Stark county the second; Stark
county. outside of Canton. the third and
Canton the fourth. Each of the notable del
egations was assigned the position of honor.
Major Mckinley, the visiting speakers the
in open carriages at the head of the parade.
and it was a wel-organized and compact
parade, too, the men marching eight and
sixteen abreast.
short march brought the parade to
monster tent. with accommodations for
twenty thousand people. Here the first
meeting was held. Governor Bushnell pre-
siding and making short Introductory ad
dress. There was music by the combined
bands and campaign songs by the Pittsburg
Tariff League Quartet and the AeoIian
Quartet. Addresses were made by Sena
tors Cullom, of Illinois, and Thurston of
Nebraska.
Some of the organizations left on the
early evening trains. but many others ar
rived after the first pirade and in size and
general appearance the parade to-night
which prefaced the second tent meeting
was a reproduction of the one in the aft
ernoon. There We're score or more OF
bands in line and the number of uniformed
organizations has never been equaled in
the State Tonight the parade made
through streets brightly Illuminated with
Japanese lanterns. transparencies and coll