The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-18
RAILROAD MEMS RALLY
MASONIC HALL COULD HOLD But
A PART OF THE CROWD.
Pennsylvania Company Speaks-An
Offer to the Sentinel.


yet held in the city was that of last night
under the auspices of the keystone Sound
money Club, club composed OF employees
of the Pennsylvania Railway Company. 1t
was neld in Masonic Hall, but the hall was
not large enough to hold half the people
who tried TO get in. More than enough
men to fill the auditorium marched in line
from the headquarters of the club on East
Washington street to the hall and 400 others
came in from along the line of the Louis
Vile division on a special train run to the
city for their accommodation
The keystone Club met at 7:30 o'clock on
East Washington street opposite the Pan
handle shops and at a quarter before
o'clock started on the march to the hall.
The procession was headed by drum and
bugle corps, and there were over a thou
sand men in line. All along the route the
procession was greeted by crowds which
gave it a royal reception. There were
cheers for the club and cheers for Mckin-
ley and sound money. Members of the club
carried in the procession several trans
parencieS upon which were printed such
notices as the following: What would In
dianapolis do without railroads." I'VE are
railroad men and cannot afford to bankrupt
the railroads of the country, Bryan,
brine, salty, salt river" "Other nations
have tried free silver to their sorrow
When the hall was reached the men filed
in in double column and We're seated by
sergeants-at-arms. Every seat in the house
with the exception of about $50, which were
reserved for the from the Louisville
division, was taken and hundreds stood
about the aisleS and around the walls. 1t
was $50 o'clock when the sound of band
approaching announced the arrival of the
delegation from the j., NJ. &1 I. railroad
The reserved seats were quickly taken and
still the visitors poured in. Upon the stage
every available place where a man could
sit or stand was taken, and not foot of
standing room except in the middle aisle
was left The hall was literally packed.
special train from Jeffersonville brought
the visitors in, picking them up from along
the line. It was not expected that so large
a number would come or larger hall
would have been secured. The visitors were
accompanied by band from Jeffersonville
The only decorations of the hall were the
national colors draped about the stage and
around the walls, and the portraits of
Washington, Harrison and Cleveland
While the crowd was getting itself as COM
Portable as the crowded condition of the
hall would permit, the band rendered some
rousing campaign selections, one of which
was especially fine. being a medley opening
with bugle call and beating of drums
continuing through several of the patriotic
airs and concluding with the military fife
ana drum music. Barney Logan president
or the Keystone Club, introduced j. r
sylvania Company. the speaker of the oc-
casion.. Mr.. Brooks is a Democrat, but, as
ne said last night, he believed free silver
put into practical operation, would bring
disgrace and dishonor upon the Nation and
ne could not therefore support party
which advocated it. He said further that
the crisis was so great that he could af-
ford to take no chances and would vote
directly for Mckinley.
AN OFFER TO THE SENTINEL.
Mr.. Brooks began his address by refer
ring to- an article which appeared in the
editorial columns of the Indianapolis Sen
tinel. and which, he said, indirectly stated
that threats had been made by the officers
OF the Pennsylvania Company for the pur-
pose of intimidating the employees to vote
Ter Mckinley. Said Mr.. Brooks:
have served, as many of my associates
ceIore me have, the employer known as
tbe pennsylvania Company for long num-
Der OF years and never have ] heard one
word of approval of a course which tended
10 10 dbompei one person to vote except as he
you please, and if anybody over you tries
to make you vote otherwise, kindly report
the matter to me. And as the Sentinel has
referred to a statute in this State provid-
ing penalty for the employer who tries
to coerce an employe and that the Sentinel
may not misunderstood / hereby offer TO
engage Mr.. Dunn our agent with power
to hire an attorney to prosecute anyone
illuminating an employe of the Pennsylva-
MIA road. We ought now to have a. rest
from that source with the subject in his
hands. me company Will pay all costs in
every case where he secures a conviction"
Mr.. Brooks said it was not intimidation the
Popocrats were afraid of, but it was the
unanimity of sentiment among the railroad
employees that alarmed them. Nor was it
intimidation that the employees feared; they
were afraid they might be compelled to
take fifty-cent dollar for dollar.
Mr.. Brooks then went into a discussion of
the money question, taking up many of
Bryans arguments and settling them with
an ease that showed great familiarity with
the ISSUE He said that many of the argu-
ments used by Bryan were those of the
demagogue. He would not call Mr.. BRYAN
demagogue, he said, but somehow when
he read things which Bryan said he could
not help thinking of a demagogue. On the
Bryanic theory that labor and capital are
and of right ought to be enemies Mr..
Brooks argued that they are nat;
prosper without the other. 1t was
just as fair, he said, to condemn men
owning capital as money grabbers and
slave drivers because some capital is tyran-
mic it would be to condemn every wage
Garner of being a lawless person because
fed the law.
Mr.. Brooks spoke in the highest terms of
the spirit among Democrats which
prompted the holding of the National Dem
ocratic convention in this city two weeks
ago. He said that was the real Demo-
cratic party which could trace its geneal-
ogy back to Jackson and jefferson. He
thought it was beautiful that in the NOM
nation of that ticket the North and South
were brought together so tremendously.
and for these reasons he would like to vote
for Palmer and Buckner, but the crisis
was too great to risk the loss OF vote, and
he would urge all his friends to cast their
ballots straight for the Mckinley electors.
There was too much at stake to fire blank
CARTRIDGES Through his remarks there was
the closest attention and frequent applause
The audience was made up of Republicans
and Democrats, the club being nonparusan
MIR. BROOKS's SPEECH.