The Portland daily press., 1896-09-01
BRloa7oN TOWN HALL FILLED.
An Enthusiastic Rally AT Which Messrs.
Frye and Emerson Were the Speakers.

Blidgtcn, August 3l.-Bridgton town
hall was filed to the doors this evening
by residents of this and surrounding
towns to listen 10 the Hon. William p.
Frye and Walter C. Emerson of Portland.
Among the audience were noticed large
number Of prominent Democrats of thin
section many of whom are finding it
| utterly impossible to swallow free silver.
The speakers were introduced by Judge
A. Fl. Walker who in q few graceful re-
marks stated it had always been very
much against his inclination to preside
at q meeting of this kind but that he
was glad to take part at this time in the
discussion of the principles tn Q most i'm
portant that he had known In his OK
perience. Mr.. Emerson as the first
speaker. He said:
In this endless chain Of talk, in which
little attempt is made to maintain history
ana logic at parity, a private citizen
VIII be pardoned if he gets into the con-
versatlon. Some of us have got to talk
this thing down now and all of US have
got to vote it down in November,
There IL good deal of uncertainty in
the air. When one of the old stock leaves
"a Democratio national convention, ex-
claiming that he Is n Democrat but not
fevolutionist, while the Presidential
nominee of that same body insists that
he is reyolutionist and not a Democrat.
ne are inclined to wonder with Mr.. Wat
son where we are at. But one thing
seems quito sure. Some sort OF q
crisis is at hand. The revolutonist
threatens something. Many peoll, say
that it il the honor and credit of the gov
ernment. II that Is SO the history of an
other crisis is but repeating itself, not
that part that involves blOodshed to pre-
serve the Union, but that part that in
wolves discussing and voting to preserve
the Unions honor.
This sounds wild. We who believe In
the progress Of the world, and especially
the progress Of this splendid new world,
We who believe in the advancement of
the ruce. the civiliziug influences of
modern psuple, say impossible Certain
ly such history cannot repeat itself. If
any one told lis year ago that one of
the two great parties of this country
would today lie actually attempting to
undermine the credit of the national gov
ernment we would have said again
impossible. If any one had told us
year ago that the party that boasts OF
Jefferson would today be resting by a
large majority, ii not calmly, on the in
sue VI tH6 phFty uHdb EOtsGS OIL Al1gclQ,
we would have said, not impossible, but
beyond the confines of the imagination.
And yet all this has happened.
Tie Chicago platform MS edited in the
hcmess of it's friends spells reputation. 1t
is with such statements as this that ME-
Bryan, and Mr.. Frank, and Mr.. Staples
appeal Tor your votes. Why it's the very
farce comedy of politics. 1t lacks digni-
ty. 1t carries no weight Ia hardly worthy
of sta teemnnlike opposition. And yet
you have To fight it.
This Question of currency, taken as a
whole, is an extremely Intricate one. It
is full q. al sorts CT difficulties. Scratch
fact ard you finu theory. Mr.. Reed,
VIII om ycu havo sent to Congress for
matters, Comes home and tells you there
are many hsses of the question which
he cannot Er del stand.
But Mr.. B,yf Ii, who was sent to Con-
gress for !wo wears, goes home and tells
his people that he knows all about it,
There is no phase OF it that be cannot COM
prehend, 20 detail that he cannot grasp.
There are no theories TO him, oil facts,
plain as the morning sun. l suppose
that is because Mr.. Bryan was news
paper editor for few years while Mr..
Reed WAS Speaker of the House.
/ want no better arguments in this
campaign than the personnel of the two
paf0loS. Ineie is popular impression In
the land that John Sherman knows more
about finance than Benjamin Tillman.
Ths pen is mightier than the pitchfork
Who profits first by making q dollar
out of fifty -one cents? The owners of
silver bullion, and other large capitalists
Who suffers first and lsst? Every body
in this country except the owners of silver
bullion. and capitalists who can buy it,
There are certain elementary principles
about this question that man can learn
for himself.
Mr.. Emerson then won't on to demon
strate the selfishness and lack of patriot
ism of the men already enormously
wealthy who are disturbing. values, in
trade and industry for the sake OF max
ing themselves enormously richer.
In discussing the effect of unlimited
coinage on the wage standard the speaker
asserted that the Populists show, by
their own words, that IL there is any bene-
fit to come from their policy, the wage
Garner is the last to fesl ii. No one
denies that if we suffer, she wage earnor
suffers first.
Mr.. Frye on being introduced was
crested with applause lasting some mo-
ments and his speech which was states
manlike and conv incing was listened to
for an hour with the closest attention.