The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-18
MEETING AT ARMORY.
II Wus a Powderly Instead q of Good &c
crumcut Meeting.

nWusa Powderly Instead q of Good GOV.
crnment Meeting.
\ Every election eve a big crowd comes
| up town. or down town, or over town
as the case may be. Last night was no
| exception to the rule and as the usual
| curb stone committees found that
| kicking their heels wouldn't keep the
blood In circulation. they adjourned to
the armory, where there was steam
neat, no admission charged and a prom
ise of entertaining speeches. The lat
ter card was quite as attractive as any
| or the others. many Drawing the cold
| weather simply to satisfy the average
citizens craving desire TO know what
one man is going to say in reply to an
other who has had something to say
about him.
| Between those who had no other
place to go to get in out of the cold and
| tnose who were attracted by the Pow
| derly-f1tZsimmons controversy. a fair
| sized crowd was present last night to
listen to the last desperate wailings of
| the Democrats. Inat they had been
misled into believing that there was II
\ great disruption in the Republican
party was evident in every feature Of
the meeting. and particularly in the
| fact that not a bakers dozen of Re-
| pupllcans were in attendance. Re-
| publican disruption was their last hope
| ana so certain We're the managers that
there would be evidence of it at the
meeting that they called it a good gov
| eminent meeting i'm order to open the
| doors to their disgruntled allies. But
| they failed to materialize and the dis
| consolation was great thereat.
Good Deal GrOwiing Done.
This being the case. the pre-arranged
| tactics We're deserted and the meeting
| was turned into a growing contest, in
which saturday nights meeting and
Mr.. Powderly came in for the greatest
share of the snarls. The fact that Mr..
Powderly had dared to hint that there
| Is nothing in the law of the land which
gives the Democratic party a mortgage
on lrishmen aroused the wrath of the
| unterrifed. and they took occasion to
vent their Ire in unbridled terms.
Select Councilman NJ. T.. Clarke was
selected as the most prominent Dem
| ocrat present outside of the speakers
| and was made chairman. In keeping
with his unbroken record. Mr.. Clarke
made no speech. but contented himself
with simply introducing the speakers.
Edward Merrifield opened the meet
ing with very eloquent TRADE against
corruption In politics. Cornelius Com
eggs tried to work up enthusiasm with
anarchial arguments and snarling ref
crences tn "people of wealth who live
h'uHVS. put tilS. lihP Ills STATE
ment that the generosity of Connell and
Ripple was the mere promptings of sell
fishness. was met by an OminOus silence.
Colonel FitZSimmons was introduced
as the Burke Cochran of Lacka wanna
Democracy. His appearance was greet
ed with long applause, punctuated with
cries OF "Powderly," Powderly." The
crowd came to hear what he had to
say about Powderly and 50 to crafty
them he confined himself almost en-
tirely to vindictive onslaught on
Scranton's most widely known citizen,
during which he made some intemper-
ate statements. which. while they did
not carry much logic or truth with
them, pleased the Democratic crowd,
and that was satisfactory to the elo-
quent colonel.
lie Had Accepted Gail.
Mr.. Roland was next introduced and
unreservedly informed the fellow -citi-
zens' that there had been "a great pub
lie demand for us and we only accepted
to satisfy the desire of the will of the
people. He made an excuse for the
Democratic defeat which today will
witness by stating that he had heard
that wholesale frauds were to be per.
petuated on the ballot boxes and the
like
Joseph O'Briens appearance was
hailed with more cries of ''Powterly"
and so Powderly was the subject of
his story. Among the many things he
said about Powderly was that he was
an importation as we'll as Mr.. Bailey
and that Carbondale Is no better than
Waverly. Chairman George $. Horn
next told the assemblaee tn cheer up.
that victory was staring them i'm the
face and the like.
Nathan Nidaver. following the spirit
of the occasion, also jumped on Pow
DERBY. He ridiCuled or rather attempt
ed to create laugh by referring TO
Mr.. Powderly's big glasses anu fierce
mustaches.' but the crowd. which was
made w mainly of men springing from
the same race as the great eX-labor
chief did not take kindly to a man Of
Vidavers weight ridiculing one of their
own who had brought such honor upon
them. and 1t not only refused to laugh,
but gave unmis.akable signs of disap-
proval.
Mr.. Mckinley closed the meeting by
leading in giving three cheers for the
ticket.