The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-08

te Bryan as Political Padrone.
South Portland once Democratic is now
one of the strongest Republican towns
in Maine if one may judge from the
crowd which turned out to attend tne
meeting there last evening. IL
was an enthusiastic meeting ana
the speakers were cheered again ana
again. Hon. E. g. Reynolds presided ana
introduced Richard Webb, Esq., as the
first speaker in brief speech. Mr.. Webb
discussed the currency question speaking
for half an hour or more and was fire.
qeuntly interrupted by applause. Gen.
John 8. Wise Of New York was the next
speaker. He simply electrified the audi
ence and kept them in an uproar all the
time. He said in substance:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow OFT liens
1t is with genuine satisfaction that pre-
sent myself before q Maine audience Tor
the double reason that being stranger
to you must address myself to your IN
telligence, and unsupported by anyssen-
timental favor and that cannot hope TO
influence you, save by such arguments
| AS convince your Judgement and satisfy
| your own sense Of what Is your best
| interest. This is no time tor wild ap-
peals to passion. The voters have little
their time in hyperbole.
Strange times in politics are indeed
upon US. In the Last national eleotion
| the Republican party were defeated Dy
| its old antagonist the Democracy which
charged it withU.responsibility for hard
times and promised an ora of great pros
perity. think ! need not dwell at
| kox 70 . n
cracy has remdeemed its promise OF re-
lief. Whatever else it has failed to re-
lieve US of it has relieved US of itself.
(Laughter.)
For whils it triumphed In Its last con-
test 1t has virtually ceased to exist.
Another struggle is coming on US IN
which the old and tried Democracy has
no part
Hill, once the invinoible leader OF
New York Democracy has been spurned
and humiliated In a national con vention
Of his own party. Carlisle has been
repudiated. Whitney, Dickinson, Villas,
Eairohild haze become SO poor politically
that there is no one to do them reverence.
And Grover Cleveland, erst while the
Moses Of latter day Democracy descri hes
himself as the "spitto0n alike Of the
Republicans and the apostles of the new
dispensation that proposes to supplant
what was once Democracy" (Laugh-
ter.
The platform adopted at Chicago is
something absolutely new in American
politics enthusiastically different from any
thing heretofore known as Democracy. VI,
Every proposition It contains favors an
utter disregard Of public fait h and pri-
vate contract. And It's zeal for a forced
coinage deprecated metal is carried to
the point of advocatning legislation
which will prevent any individual from
| r. inc in
anything else but its favorite metal.
The platform makes revolutionary utter
ances against the supreme court and in
favor of government control Of the rail.
roads, expresses sympathy for riots and
slurstho President of the. democracy whose
best act of administration was the sup
preston of those very riots.
Bryan in his eastern speeches seems tc
have taken it upon himself to defend
his platform rather than to advocate IN.
The speaker said that he believed that
there were many honest people support.
Ing Bryan but many of his supporters
were dishonest.
lido not accuse Mr.. Bryan . went on
Sen. Wise, with plagiarism but do say
that he has taken many OF his speenhets
, directly from Senator Jones. Senators
Stewart and Daniel and from a boob
J known as Coins Financial School,"
Whoever answers MIR. Bryan answer.
, two parties and three candidates.; tina,
is the nominee Of the st. Louis conven
tt on and Chicago convention.
IT the vulgar clown in a sawdust rinl
can balance successfully upon the bare
backs Of two hOrses running side by side
and jump backwards through series OF
paper hoops alighting alternately on ont
horse and the other, making eaot horse
feel that he is bearing his full weigh
the performance. what is the trouble
about a youthful statesman like Mr.
Bryan using both Sewall and Wat
son on the national arena as he turns hi
! somersaults through every safe economic
, maxim, smashes every conservative con
dition of our government, shouts for ap
| proval OF the peanut gallery and land
upon the head of the old ringmaste
Groyer?' (Laughter.)
An ordinary party could not give suo
an exhibition and an ordinary man coul,
. not do such things. But this a nov
party and new leader and great thing
. are expected from thiss Populistic conf b
. nation. Great revolutions find their ex
. ponents in great men. The new repul
Z lilo which is promised and which is t.
a lie built upon q reversal of every Inaxir
:. heretofore deemed sound and the dc
~ struction of every safeguard deemed SAT-
! is preached by an evangelist which
q described by his followers as ombinin
= within himself the attributes of me
whose parts were in their day unrt
! concileable. Mr. Bryan within hi
g brief two months Of prominence ha
n been discovered to possess by his arder
followers. who have no doubts whatever
L all the attributes of eloquence, learning
b patriotism and philosophy.
q If he can bring about all that he prom
:, ises I am more than inclined to thi n
that now light has arisen to guide I
a # =