, 1896-07-13

If William Jennings Bryan had
stepped into Roots opera house Satur-
day evening his heart would have fail
ed him.
After flooding the town with cirCu-
lars, getting out the band and shooting
off a lot of fireworks. the hall was not
more than half filled with a curious
crowd to heal what the speakers could
possibly have to say in defense of de-
mocracy. If they expected anything
new they were disappointed. Constan-
tine p. Arnold was the chief orator of
the occasion. and his remarks were not
calculated to educate anybody upon the
silver question. or anything else. He
did not even know the name of the
presidential candidate, repeatedly call
ing him william f. Bryan"
The meeting was called to order by
VI. c. Jahren. who stated that he had
chung to the apron strings of the repub-
lican party until it had repudiated sill
yer land himJ and 10Y he proposed TO
follow Bryan.
As the first speaker of the evening.
Mr.. Jahrcn introduced Mr.. j. NJ. In
| g~ersoll. who made a speech entirely
characteristic Of the man.
MIR. Arnold was the second speaker,
and most of the time a given up to
his address. He spoke of LinColn's
nomination &c years z in the same
city in which Bryan had been nomi-
mated and of course drew the Conclu-
sion that Bryan would also be elected.
He then dramatically asked. Who is
| William Z. BRYAN" For his benefit
we will answer that William e. Bryan
is William J. Bryan. Mr.. Arnold spoke
at considerable length Of the curse OF
the falling prices which has been oc-
C~asioned by the sugar trust tariff of the
democracy, saying that the decline had
been caused by reason of the fact that
the finances of the country are out. OF
joint. He made the statement that the
price of labor had fallen 80 per cent in
| this country since 1873. when meas
| ured in gold. Mr.. Arnold knows that
this statement is not in accordance
with facts. He knows that the price
| of labor has advanced and that the Ia
Dor of the United States had been well
employed up to the time that the Cleve-
land administration took hold of the
reins of government and attempted to
cheaper everything in the nation.
DR.. A. A. johnson addressed the
meeting. saying he favored the election
of the democratic ticket. He had writ
ten a couple of articles upon the silver
question some time ago which eluci-
dated his views. He was for the cleo
ton of Bryan. II will be remembered
that DR.. Johnson IA a short time ago
very active in the distribution of Nc
Kinley pictures and buttons. and that
| tip that he was in the race for a promi-
nent cabinet position. His candidacy
has probably been given the marble
heart. hence his flop to Bryan.
President Reese of the Standard
Plaster company made a few remarks.
saying he believed the nomination of
Bryan marked a new epoch in the his
tory of the nation. Old party lines
would be severed to a large extent in
the country and he thought Bryan IA
the man for the people.
Mr.. W. r. West of the Carbon Coun-
ty Mining and Milling company spoke
much in the same vein.
Mr.. J. r. Holiday then made a few
painful remarks. The audience appre-
ciated his feelings and suffered with
him. 1t is generally understood that
Mr.. Holidays heart is not in the silver
movement. and perhaps this accounts
in a large degree for his embarrassment
Saturday evening.
Then OFT sawed the air. He was load
ed right up to the muzzle with his OPP
position to Mckinley and said that
Bryan was the man. He was in the
predicament which Corthell found him