The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-10-08
ENTERS ILLINOIS.

| 81. Louis. Oct. o.-LOgoOte was reached
at 12:1J and large crowd had assembled
in the public square, near the depot. Mr.
| Bryan was escorted 10 the platform i'm
mediately behind the sheriff of Oul
country" who carried a large American
| flag. Mr.. Bryan spoke 10 an enthusi
astic audience.
The farmers had evidently been con
gregating az Washington all day. fol
when the train pulled into that place
there was a horde of them and they
were as enthusiastic as they wei
could be. Mr.. Bryan. when he could
obtain order. delivered a brief speech
following closely the lines of his other
speeches.
Probably the greatest crowd encoun
tered during the day before Vincennes
was reached was at that place. Ar
rangementS were admirable and Mr.
Bryan was conveyed through the crowd
without suffering the inconvenience
usually encountered in a town the size
of Vincennes. Short speeches were
also made at Lawrenceville and Olney.
The most enthusiastic meeting the day
yet saw was at Flora, where many OF
Mr. Bryan's bOyhOod friends helped u
make up the crowd greeting him. Ii
was continued ovation from the time
the train entered the city until il left
He was taken TO the band stand of the
city park. and when he assembled the
platform there were three minutes OF
continued cheering, which caused Mr..
Bryan TO remark: Il believe by the
time the campaign gets opened up you
will be enthusiastic down here
1t was a great reunion at Salem. the
town where Mr.. Bryan vas born. Old
men who had known him in his boyhood
and young manhood went to shake hands
with Billy" Old acquaintance
crowded about the car. all eager TO
grasp the hand of presidential nominee
who was born in their bidst. Many of
Mr.. Bryan's relatives We're at the depot
and these he met at the forward end of
the car after he had addressed the crowd
at the back platform. He was deeply
affected by the earnestness and express
sions of affection of the people. After a
general handshaking Mr.. Bryan said:
Friends, we have stopped here for
but a few minutes, but | was anxious
to stop not only to see you again. but
to tell you that if you had any rumors
of my failing health that they are from
the enemy. feel as well as when the
campaign opened. and l will be able
if am any judge of my strength. to
keep up this fight just as l have been
keeping it up, until the day before the
election; and, unless all signs fail. unless
| am a poor judge of indications, you
will have such a ratification meeting in
this town one month from tonight as
You never had before
Mr.. Bryan then introduced Congress
man McMillin of Tennessee, who told
the people that they had known Mr.
Bryan as a boy and had watched him
grow TO manhood. He said he had first
met him in the halls of congress, where
he was the representative of the state
which differed from him politically. He
spoke of Mr.. Bryan's work in congress
and he told the people that he hoped
they would do for Mr.. Bryan what the
people of Jackson, Polk and Johnson
would do, and help elect him president
of the United States. He predicted
| that when elected he would so reform
the evils of the legislation and admins.
tration as TO start his party and his
country into the twentieth century as
Jefferson had started it in the nineteenth
century and that history would place
him side by side with Jefferson. Jackson
and the most illustriOus of our country's
patriots and presidents.
The remarks of Mr.. McMillin were en-.
Enthusiastically received and he was ap
plauded TO the echo
The special bearing the Bryan party
arrived in East st. Louis at $50. and
MIR. Bryan was taken in a carriage tC
the grounds where he was to speak. He
was introduced to an audience which
contained more people than he could
make hear, by Col John |. Martin of st
Louis, and spoke at some length on the
financial question.