The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-01
THE ENTHUSIASM INTENSE
BEAUTIFUL AND NOVEL FLOATS REP
RESENTING THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS.
The Arm - Peace and Prosperity
Made Il the Grandest Sights
Ever Viewed I'm Indiana.

The parade last night of Marion county
Republicans was almost beyond exact
counting. 1t was the most mammoth af-
fair ever known in Indiana. Over 250OO
men were in line, and, the head of the col
umn moving off at o'clock, it was after
IL o'clock when the last tired marcher COW
cred the route. which was about two miles
long. The railroad demonstration several
weeks ago was the only affair of the kind
that can be compared to this huge rally of
last night, and even that occasion was far
eclipsed. The Republicans kept to the east
side of town, with Meridian street as the
dividing line, while the Popocrats, with a
parade hardly one-fourth the size of the
Republican affair, were in the other side of
the city; and al no point was there q clash
nor trouble of any serious consequence.
The Popocratic procession, strung out by
having most of the marchers two abreast,
reached Monument place long before ali
the divisions of the Republican procession
had got under way, and, in accordance with
the agreement the Republicans diverted
their divisions TO East Ohio street instead
of making a way to the east around the
northeast segment of the plaza and into
East Market street.
The Republican procession was two hours
and twenty nine minutes in passing q given
point and the men marched I'm close order
and four and six abreast, while the Popo-
Gratis, mostly two abreast and with strings
of undecorated express wagons hired for
the occasion, were only one hour and two
minutes passing. From this it can be read
lily seen that the sound-money parade was
four times as long the fiat money affair.
Then there was no comparison as to size of
crowds gathered i'll the street; it seemed
that everybody wanted to see the Repub-
licans go by. Pennsylvania and East
Washington streets were so densely packed
with people that the marchers at times had
to wedge their way through.
1t was fitting that flag day should close
with the greatest Republican parade that
has ever been seen by the thousands Of
citizens of Indianapolis, for the parade with
thousands of alert, bright and happy Re-
publican voters in line, each shouting for
Mckinley and occasionally breaking out
into songs of triumph, was splendid finale
to a day given over to proofs of patriotism
love for national honor and hopes for re-
stored prosperity. Hour after hour tens of
thousands of people stood along the lne of
march, over miles long, ntently interested
in the great spectacular pageant intended.
primarily, to prove the devotion and loyalty
of Republicans to Mckinney and incidentally
for the enjoyment of the spectators. And
every one, from the thousands of march
ers to the tens of thousands of onlookers,
was full to overfowing with Republican
and Mckinley enthusiasm. When some
happy marcher cried out Whats the mat
ter with Mckinley" back from the great
throngs came the response, Hes all
rightr Not once, but hundreds of times.
were such instances of devotion to the
party's leader observed.
EVERY INDUSTRY THERE.
1t is hard. in brief words, to point out
the great features of the parade. Perhaps
the most striking fact was that every in
dustry Of indianapolis with, perhaps. one
exception, was represented, employers and
| employees marching side by side to the
martial music from scores of bands, drum
corps and fife clubs. The only industry not
| represented was that of the undertakers
| and funeral directors. One of them who
was marching with another organization
| remarked that the undertakers were get
| ting ready to lay out the Popocratic ca
| daver next Wednesday," Wholesale men.
jewelers., retail clerks, men from factories
| and foundries, teamsters riding In gravel
| wagons, druggists, grocers in fact every
| business and industry turned out its hum
| dreds of employees. There was not dull
| spot in the whole great pageant. Numer-
Gus wagons were used for fireworks. and
nearly every organization carried lights of
| some kind either the tin torches of long
ago or the brilliant and multi-colored fuses.
From the top of the Majestic, the tallest
builcing in Indianapolis, firew works were set
| off every moment, and colored fire lighted
| I'D the sky off in the south. There We're
flags everywhere. Horses were covered
| with them. marchers carried them in their
| hands. and half the people in the crowds
| had flags with which they waved a salute
| TO the paraders.
| At the lowest estimate there were % 900
| people in the parade, nearly all Of whom
| are voters it was two hours and twenty
| nine minutes passing the corner of Pennsyl-
vania and Washington streets, and the men
| marched four abreast. People wondered
last night where ali the horses came from.
| Company after company of men were
mounted. Perhaps the feature of the pa
rade that called for the widest enthusiasm
were mammoth pictures OF the Republican
standard bearer, borne by number of
clubs. Not man in the crowd but seemed
proud to wear the emblems of honest dol
lars. Mckinley medallions, as large as
saucers and flaming like bright gold from
| TIE HlutS, ycho" pdueSo with SohS
taxable sentiment printed on them, gold
bugs as big as your hand and hundreds OF
other devices indicating the wcarers pref
| erence for Mckinley and the St. Louis
platform were seen cleaning on the breasts
of the army which took up its march tc
| the polls last night. Bryan was anathema-
tized on every transparency. There
| were gibes of ridicule at his
senseless utterances and their true
meaning was set forth in pro.
nounced terms. Bryan swings around the
circle. but the circle swings around Nc.