The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-09-24
OPEN[D THE CAMPAIGN
AfORMAL OPENING OF REPUB-
M LICAN CAMPAIGN AT THE
M'KlNLEY HOME.
! THE CROWD ESTIMATED At 100000
THE RAILROADS BROUGHT 10000
AND THE REST CAME FROM
THE COUNTRY.
A PARADE THROUGH TUT STREETS OF CANTON.
4 1t Was Grand Affair-Prominen
Speakers Were on Hand to Address
the Multitudes-The Spacious
Tent Was Entirely
Too Small.
A PARADE THROUGH TUT STREETS OF CANTON.

Canton. o., Sept. 1S.-rhe formal
opening of the campaign today gives
Ohio new mark in political demonstra-
tions Future comparisons will be
made with September IS, 1896, in Can
ton. That is the consensus of opinion
expressed here tonight. The opinions
are from oldtimers in political warfare
from men accustomed to big crowds and
familiar with the history of campaigns.
The city, since early morning, has been
jammed with visitors from distant cities
and nearby towns. The parade this
afternoon was an hour and thirty min
utes passing given point 1t was Il
well organized and compact parade, too,
the men marching eight and sixteen
abreast, but the marchers were only Il
fraction of the crowd and when, in re-
Spouse to bugle calls, they assembled at
points assigned, there was scarcely any
appreciable diminution in the crowds
which lined the streets along the pro-
posed line of march. Railway men
claimed at noon they had hauled $4,000
people into Canton. Seventy-five train
loads came. State Republican Chair
man Kurtz tonight estimated the crowds
present in the streets in the afternoon
parade and at the big tent meeting and
y about the Mckinley home at 100000 and
= lar ahead of anything in Ohio's history.
Congressman Stephen A. Northway Of
Garfield's old district said the meeting
was the largest meeting that was ever
addressed, either by Grant or Conkling.
Congressman Merritt of Cleveland
said the famous Grant-Conkling meeting
could not compare with it.
Sixty thousand is given as a conserva
tive estimate of the number of visitors.
OF the $4,000 inhabitants of Stark
county probably half were at the Canton
meeting.
The. delegation from Unity township,
Columbiana county, marched to the Nc
Kinley home during the day, and in re-
spouse to their greeting Mai. Mckinley
said:
y "Fellow Citizens-It gives me great
N pleasure to meet you mt my home and in
a my home city. | recall with grateful
recollection the relations which we sus-
tanned for so many years, when you did
me the honor to keep me in the national
a house of representatives. | think |
Shave met many of you in your homes,
and l think it only fair after these years
that you should return my call. This
year the principles of republicansm are
'dearer to the American people, more in
dispensable to the American people, if
that be possible. than ever before. and
/ am glad to receive from your spokes-
man the assurance that the people of
Unity township now as in all the years
past. will stand faithfully by the doc
trines of the republican party. Cap
plause) l thank you for the pleasures
land honor of this call. | will not under
take to speak to you. as you have the
richest of rich feasts before you today.
Some of the most prominent men of the
country will present to you the leading
issues which divide the two great par
ties | thank you from the bottom of
my heart for your assurances of support
and good will (Applause.)
Some of the organizations left on the
early trains, but many others arrived
after the first parade and in size the
general appearance of the parade tonight,
which prefaced the second tent meeting,
was a reproduction of the one in the
afternoon. There were score or more
of bands in line and the number of uni
formed organizations has never been
equaled in the state. Tonight the
parade was made through streets
brightly ilumined with Japanese Ian
terms, transparencies and cOlored fire.
The enormous tent, large as it is, fell
far short of the demands made upon it
during the speaking. Many more than
were admitted were turned back dis
appointed. Beside these a crowd never
less than 10000, and often double that
size, surged around the Mckinley home
from afternoon early until late at night.
Many of the visitors came to call on
Maj. Mckinley with their spokesman to
offer their congratulations, and to them
he made brief responses.
Maj. Mckinley rode in carriage with
some of the speakers during the first
parade. When his home was reached
he, with State Republican Chairman