Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-16
Rain Doesn't Dampen Enthusiasm.

Frankfort, KY, Sept 15.-At Eminence,
where the train arrived at 9:12 o'clock,
banners waved in the streets and a brass
band was on hand. Mr.. Bryan was in
the midst of his remarks when the clouds
broke A yell went up from the crowd,
numbering at least $500, and some ran
for shelter but the majority held their
places, huddled close together under a
sea of umbrellas Mr.. Bryan said he
would stop talking until the rain ceased,
but the crowd would not let him, and he
went on. Among other things, he said.
'If any man in this community would
offer to buy all the eggs produced at $3.50
a dozen, and was able to make good the
offer, nobody would sell eggs for less. no
matter what the cost of production,
whether cent or cents dozen; so with
silver. Free coinage would establish the
market price for silver at $129 and no.
body would sell it for cent less. Dur
ing the last five years the production of
gold has increased more rapidly propor-
tionately than the production of silver,
and yet gold has advanced, owing to our
present financial system"
A few people only braved the rain to
get peep at the candidate at Christian
burg AT several small stations crowds
cheered the train as 1t went by.
Rain did not suppress the enthusiasm
of the throng that heard Mr.. Bryan speak
during his short stop at Frankfort this
l.
tracks run directly in front of the state
capitol, and the open space in front of
the quaint old building was packed with
a solid mass of umbrella bearers when
Mr.. Bryans train drew up there, after a
run of two hours and forty-five minutes
from Louisville, at 1890 o'clock A stand
covered with bunting and Autographs of
Mr.. Bryan had been erected on the edge
Of the capitol grounds, and Mr. Bryan
was escorted to this, few steps only
from where the train halted. Mayor
Julian introduced Mr.. Bryan, while the
crowd cheered with vigor. When he was
permitted to talk he said:
Ladies and Gentlemen: / am in hear
ty accord with the declarations contained
In the Chicago platform. (Cheers)
Sometimes people have described party
platforms as like the platforms of rail-
road coaches, made to get In on, but not
to stand on after you get In. Qaughter)
But that is not my idea Of party plat
form. / have been reared in that school
of democracy which taught that the Of
ficer who for a short time exercised the
authority conferred by law was the SER
want of those for whom he labored and
that they had a right to prescribe his
course of conduct. (Applause.) The
adoption of platforms is the recognition
of the right of the people to instruct their
public servants. 1t Is recognition of the
fact that public officers are elected not
to think Tor the people upon the great
issues, but to act for the people after
they themselves have thought. (Ap-
plause) If am elected / will take 1t for
granted that the people are in favor of
the policies for which l at this time
stand, and the people shall never have
cause to complain of my desertion of the
cause which I advocate. Cheers and a
voice: Whats the matter with Joe
Blackburn?'D
Mr.. Bryan--Joe Blackburn is where he
always Is, in the front of every fight.
Great applause.) 1t seems to me that
this campaign demonstrates more than
any recent campaign the power of the
people to govern themselves. Cheer
ing) In ordinary times people let the
machinery of the party control but in
times Of great emergency the people
themselves assert their sovereign right
to conduct public affairs. (Cheering)
The democratic party has proved in the
recent campaign the capacity of the peo-
pie 10 do what they please In a measure
which concerns them. We enter upon a
great contest in the democratic party, in
which dernocrats differed. Some believ-
ed in gold standard "a voice: And let
them go'p, and some believe In the free
coinage II silver. and these classes of
democrats went before the primaries
Throughout the states to determine be-
fore the people themselves what should