The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-13
BRYAN SPEAKS
TO 10000.
An Immense Crowd Present at
the Notification.
Bryan Greeted With 10 Minutes
Of UprOariOus Cheering.
WOULDN'T BE QUIET.
Crowd Wouldn't Cease Cheering
Till the Band Played.
Bryan Then Began His Speech
Which He Read.
THE HEAT INTENSE.
The Speech Was Argumenta-
tive Rather Than Eloquent.
1t Closed, However, With a
Glowing Eloquent Appeal.

New York. Aug. 13.-William Jen-
nings Bryan of Nebraska and Arthur
sewaI of Maine, were last night for
mally notified of their nomination by
the Democratic party for the offices
of president and vice president at
meeting in the big Madison Square
Garden, which was a notable event and
the remarkable climax of tour of the
presidential candidate across half the
continent. An army of unnumbered
hundreds filled the streets for several
squares about the building in the vain
hope of securing admission.
In the hall. which was a fiery furnace,
Mr. Bryan spoke to $1,000 people nearly
two hours. His speech was more argu-
mentative and less eloquent than his
historic Chicago speech and only in a
closing appeal to the citizens of New
York did he speak in the strain in
which he had captured the Chicago
convention He was surrounded by
many of the silver leaders. The Dem
Ocratic leaders of New York, with the
exception of former State Treasurer
Elliott Danforth, who presided over
the meeting, and Congressman viii
liam Sulzer. who organized the first
Bryan club in the state, were not pres
ent
Mr.. Sewau spoke briefly after Bryan
and was heartily cheered. Governor
Stone of Missouri delivered the nOtifl-
cation speech which declared the work
of the Chicago convention had been the
work of the people and that Bryan was
the candidate. Bryan was driven to
the Hotel BarthOldi from Madison
Square Garden, wher he spoke to thou
Sewau and Mrs. Bryan, who shared
with her husband all the honors and
attention of the day. This second au~
dienCe seemed to be composed mostly
of workingmen and Mr.. Bryan ex-
horted them to support the cause OF
free silver. Lesser lights of the party
and single tax men were also present.
The police lines were formed about
5 O'Clock by 1000 picked men. As the
hours rolled on the crowd increased so
rapidly that this large force was almost
pOWerless to handle it. Twice the
thousands of men. women and child
rem who were cheering and surging to
get near the Garden broke through the
ranks. Only one person was reported
injured-a marvellous fact, as the enor-
nous crowd damned the streets for
many blocks.
That the interest of the whole city of
New York focused in Madison Square
where Vim. J. Bryan of Nebraska and
Arthur Sewau of Maine, were to be
formally notified of their nomination
was proven by the groups of sovereign
electors who, early as the afternoon be-
gan to come under the trees in Madi-
son Square and which by 4 o'clock had
been reinforced by hundreds and at
O'Clock were multiplied to expectant
thousands and at Z o'clock had swelled
to a straining clamoring army.
The Garden had been the stage for
other events of the same character
Eight years ago Cleveland had been
there notified of his selection to lead
second time. But the speculation at
tached to all these events had been
small President Cleveland had been
a parsonage familiar, but this young
leader. who had come out from the
west to plant his standard in the field
of the enemy, as he called it, was only
name in the city. On this sultry
night the wide oval of the Garden was
a furnace in which 5000 were to suf-
fer a fiery torture for their enthus-
iasm's sake. The glass had been re-
moved from the acre of skylights in
the roof and sheets of canvass hung
below. The platform was a small a.
fair occupying the north side of the
han, hardly more than u feet. and
draped simply with American flags.
The decor atoms were simple. con-
sisting entirely of the national tri-
cOlors festOOned on the galleries above
the stand, with mammoth crayon por-
traits Of the nominees on either side.
The center of the pit was furnished
with several hundred chairs for the
leaders of Democracy and the boxes
rising in triple tiers with the chairs
were reserved for the many chiefs of
the city's thirty-five election districts
The first corners to the hall were po-
lice patrols who marched in at the
main entrance and dispersed into every
aisle and corner. After them came two
or three hundred privileged and en-
thusiastic Democrats who piled into
the front rows of the chairs in the Dit
and proceeded to divest themselves of
coats.
The hands of the clock marked z
when the main doors on the west side
Of the Garden swung inward. Then
with a roar came the people pouring
through the entrance and spreading
over the floor. This first contingent
were the holders of reserved seats and
they scattered thenselvee through the
aisles and swarmed through the boxes.
Over the gallery a band played the ma