The record-union., 1896-09-08
Addresses Large Labor Day Outdoor
Meeting at Chicago,
Held Under the Auspices of the Build
ing and Trades Council
No Part of the People of the World SO
Important to the Welfare of Man.
kind as Those Whose Labor and
Brains Convert the Natural Re-
sources Into Material Wealth.


sources Into Material Wealth.
CHICAGO, Sept. THE celebration
of Labor Day by Chicago's workingmen
centered mainly in the meeting ad-
dressed by William J. Bryan at Sharp
shooters Park. The street railway SER
vice was not of the best, and many peo-
pie We're unable to reach the park.
Every car that ran to the grounds was
packed from noon until after o'clock,
and those who came by that means suf-
fered much discomfort. The day was
all that could be desired in point of
weather, a little too warm for the close
contact of human beings, but practically
perfect for an outdoor assembly.
Mr.. Bryan spoke from a permanent
platform with a shell-shaped canopy,
and long before the meeting began this
was crowded with prominent members
of labor unions, a number of them ac-
companied by their families. The crowd
began to gather about noon, and those
who came early sought positions close
to the front Of the stand. The crowd
was not as great as had been expected
by the promoters of the event. Just
before Mr.. Bryan entered the park
about 5000 people We're clustered
around the central point of interest, but
after the appearance of the nominee
1000 or 1000 more entered the grounds
and waited to catch a glimpse of the
Democratic nominee, or stood on the
outskirts of the audience endeavoring
to hear what he said. The charge of 25
cents for admission unjustly served to
decrease the attendance.
The celebration at the park was under
the auspices of the Building and Trades
Council. The crowd which gathered was
essentially one of workingmen and their
families. The enjoyed the address Of
the nominee with unconstrained pleas
ure. and several times caused Mr.. Bryan
to break into a laugh which spoiled a
rounded period by their remarks and
cheering. The crowd was exceedingly
disorderly in a good-natured way. Two
or three times the jam near the stand
became SO great that several women
tainted and We're trod on before being
rescued and revived. Mr.. Bryan once
appealed to the people to stop crushing,
and stopped another time to hal4u glass
Of water TO be passed to fainting wo
man.
Mr.. Bryan was received with long
continued applause, and throughout his
address of an hours duration he was
treated with the utmost good-natured
familiarity.
1t was a few minutes after O'Clock
when Mr. Bryan's carriage reached the
park. followed by several others carry
ing labor leaders and their wives. Seated
with with Mr.. Bryan were Edward p.
Carroll. President Of the Building
Trades Council; J. D. Mckinley, Presi-
dent of the Carpenters District Council,
and ]. J. Ryan, a local labor leader
In another carriage was DR.. Theodore
Barth of Berlin, a member of the Ger
man Reichstag, who arrived in this
country four days ago to study the
politics Of a Presidential campaign. He
met Mr.. Bryan at the Auditorium Hotel
and was invited by him to attend the
meeting.
Mr.. Bryan's carriage was followed
from the roadway through the grounds
to the platform by a cheering. running
crowd of men and boys. There was no
rolce officers to restrain them. and
they almost fell on Mr.. Bryan in their
eagerness to grasp his hand and say
something complimentary BY dint Of
muscular work Mr.. Bryan was able to
reach the platform, and smiled his
thanks when the thousands cheered
him Justify.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Bryan's
speech, which was the only one made
there was a repetition of the unre-
stricted crush on a larger scale in the
rear Of the platform where the speaker
tried to get away in his carriage. Hun
dreds pushed forward in front of him
and grasped his hand whether he liked
II or not and there was a delay of fif-
could be cleared. Hundreds rushed on
the platform in their mad eagerness to
get near the nominee, and there was
imminent danger of a collapse Police
finally got around and into Mr. Bryan's
carriage and drove off the people who
clung to the vehicle until the road was
reached.
President Carroll, who acted as
Chairman. quickly saw the crowd was
I'm no mood to hear a speech from him,
and quickly presented Mr.. Bryan, who
said:
Ladies and gentlemen: / desire to
thank the Building and Trades Coun-
Gil for this opportunity which they have
extended me of speaking to the people
assembled on Labor Day Labor Day
has become a fixed event among our
institutions, ana III is Wen tHdl IL IL SO,
because on this day all over this Ma
ton those who are engaged in the pro-
duction of wealth meet in order that
they may commune with each other,
discuss the questions in which they are
especially interested and emphasize be-
fore the world that there is nothing dis
honorable in the fact that one earns
his bread in the sweat of his face
Il am glad to stand on this day in
the presence of those TO whom this Ma
ton is so largely indebted for all that
IL has had for all that ii has now and
for all that it can hope to have ! am
not indulging in idle fiattery when say
to you that no part of the people or the
world are so important to the welfare
Of mankind as those whose labor and
brains convert the natural resources of
the world into material wealth i
might quote to you what Mr.. Carlisle
said to these people in 1873. when he
described them as struggling masses
who produced the wealth and who paid
the taxes of the country. He did not
prise them too highly. The struggling
masses not only produce the wealth and