Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-09-21
MR.. BRYAN IN WASHINGTON,


ington accompanied by large number
of Alexandrians. Arriving at Wash
ington at FIVE minutes after four, the
train being twenty-five minutes late,
Mr.. Bryan alighted amid the cheers of
his fellow-passengers at the far end OF
the train shed of the Baltimore & Poto-
mac station.
The fifteen hundred people VINO
wedged in behind the bars of the train
shed took up the cheers, and their
echoes were heard from the Threats of
thousands of people congregated in the
streets outside. It Was only with the
utmost difficulty that the police force
was able to keep back the enthusiastic
crowd, every man Of which, and many
women, sought to reach and shake the
hand of Mr.. Bryan.
Surrounded by the local committee
and the delegation of the Congressional
committee, Mr.. Bryan was conducted
to his carriage and hurriedly driven to
the Metropolitan Hotel. After a brief
rest and luncheon, carriages were again
taken and the party proceeded to Capt.
| tol Park, where it had been preceded
some two or three bours by g crowd es-
timated at 10000. Two-thirds OF the
crowd were apparently Washington
ians and the other third were from the
surrounding country, including clubs
from North Carolina, Virginia and
Maryland. Among those in carriages,
VINO escorted Mr.. Bryan to the park,
was Mr.. J. F. Rixey, the democratic
candidate for Congress from this dis
trict.
Col. J. G.. Berrett presided ut the
meeting and speeches We're made by
Mr.. a a. Lipscomb and by Congress
man McMillin, OF Tennessee.
When Mr.. Bryan appeared on the
platform he was received with such
| demonstration as is rarely accorded a
public speaker. For fully five minutes
The cheering continued, Mr.. Bryan
standing bare headed and evidently
gratifed at receiving such an unmis-
taxable evidence of approval OF himself
and his cause. For some time before
his arrival dark rain and wind laden
clouds from the west gave certain
promise OF downpour and he hadn't
spoken more than twenty-five minutes
when the rain came down in torrents,
drenching every one exposed to ii.
Still the great crowd kept their places
and cheered and called to the speaker
to 60 one. The scene was & remark
able one.
Mr.. Bryan's speech was cut short.
He tried 10 talk against the wind and
rain, but after 8 few minutes brave
fighting he had to give up, and the
managers who had intended TO keep
the meeting going for an hour or two
after Bryan got through, dismissed the
people who had stuck it out while the
others had been going away.
Mr.. Bryan was cut short. just "a he
began to read from Washng.on's fare
we'll address, which was to have been
the dramatic feature of his speech, and,
although he mad been speaking for over
twenty minutes, he felt as disappointed
as the managers and the crowd at the
sudden ending of the meeting which he
had looked forward to with such expec.
tations because it was to be in the ma
tional capital, where he served his four
years in Congress, and where he ex-
poets to serve his four years in the
White House.
When the rain began forest of UNI
brellas rose in the audience, and one
chiyalrc spectator took off his coat and
threw it about Mr.. Bryan's shoulders,
standing himself iu bare sleeves in the
pelting rain. This elected cheers from
the crowd, but nevertheless the grounds
began rapidly to be Invested of specta'
tors.
Mr.. Bryan locked tired and older
than he did when he was making his
famous speech in the Chicago conven-
ton. Still, when he smiled at the lit
tie girl dressed in silver gray, who
handed him a bunch Of white roses just
before lie began, or at the crowd as it
applauded, the man who, when Bryan
alluded to bis four years service here,
said: "And we'll give you four more"
ne looked like his old self His voice
was strong and clear for the most part,
and he could be heard by most OF the
audience for the first quarter of an
hour until the storm struck the park,
and he began his Intellectual struggle
againstit.
Almost every sentence in the speak
er's brief address was wildly cheered
and the crowd was specially vociferous
when Mr.. Bryan declared himself in
favor OF home rule and opposed to life
tenure in public office.
His attack on Secretary Carlisle's re-
cent letter and the "cruel, merciless,
criminal" financial policy OF the ad-
mnistraton seemed to arouse the most
enthusiasm.
nralk about monopolies, talk about
trusts" he said, Il denounce the poll
cy as more criminal, more heartles than
the political domination of foreign
power. | resist it as l would resist an
invading army coming to take our
homes"
President Clevelands name had been
Kissed when it was mentioned by the
speakers who preceded Candidate
Bryan, and that seemed to be charac
teristic of the noisy part of the crowd.
Like all the rest OF the people on the
platform, Mr.. Bryan was drenched
with rain in spite of the umbrellas, but
he was quickly driven in close car
riage to the hotel, where he held an ex
reception to the local committee. He
was then driven to the residence of Mr..
Bride, with whom he lived while a
member OF Congress. Under an escort
of EIGHT mounted police. the Journey to