The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-25
They Met Before a Large Raj
eigh Audiance Last Night
sTRoWD is oUTcLAssED
The Young Giant From john
ston Handles Him With
Perfect Ease.
HIS INCONSISTENCIES EXPOSED
Raleigh Greeted the Young and Fear
less Champion of the Fourth
District and Gave Him
An Ovation
An Ovation

An Ovation.
The biggest crowd that has assem-
bled in Raleigh during the campaign
met in Metropolitan Hall last night to
hear the joint discussion between Pou
and Strowd. But it was not joint
discussion, there can be no real joint
discussion between these two men.
There is too much difference III the
men. Ed. Pou is a strong debater, an
eloquent, entertaining speaker. Strowd
is neither, and it is only fair to say
so. Pou is leading cause in when MS
best energies, his earnest convictions,
his perfect candor and adj his best eff
forts are enlisted. Strowd is treading
about in room full of eggs afraid to
step for fear he will break either a
Republican egg, or a Populist egg. Pou
appeals earnestly, eloquently, power
fully and fearlessly to those who sim
cerely and honestly desire the success
of the principles he represents, Strowd
is after votes, gold bug votes, free sill
yer votes, negro votes, or any BODY
else's votes, just so they are votes.
pou can and does make convincing
arguments for the principles he rep
resents, scores Strowd for his incon-
sistencies, strips him of his Sleeps
clothing and shows him up in pitiable
plight Strowd throws up his hands
and beg his crowd to clothe him again
in the same old garb.
Pou would make an able, a valua BILE,
a useful Congressman, because he is
built that way. Strowd did not and
cannot make an able, valuable, and
useful Congressman, because he is not
built that way.
Pou is a brave, strong young giant,
and defender of those Democratic prin-
ciples that Strowd followed for sixty
years, but has now turned his hoary
head against. These are the impress
sions that any fair minded listener
would have gotten from the joint de-
bate last night. Mr.. Strowd made the
opening speech, half an hour of it was
devoted to what might have been term
ed, but for its tediousness prosiness
and drowsiness, conlmendable effort
to show how the country through the
manipulations of money sharks and
shylocks had been placed up
on gold standard and
its currency contracted. This was for
the benefit of his Populist friends, he
then after beating the atmosphere a
few times in an awkward sort of way,
and after looking at his watch three
times in seven minutes, and taking four
drinks of water proceeded to strike
taek-hammer ticks at his old and hon.
ored mother, the Democratic
party. He said he left the Democratic
party in 1891, because Speaker Crisp
had killed free silver bill.
He acknowledged that no Southern
Democrat had anything to do with the
demonstration of silver and that no.
body seemed to know anything about
it, but John Sherman, and while this
declaration was beingdigested by the
anti-Republicans, he threw some
crumbs to the negroes and other Re-
publicans present by blazing away at
the Democratic party for enacting
what he termed unfair election laws,
and trying to get back into power that
they might enact some more. he lam
med away at the Democratic House
in the Fifty-second Congress for not
passing a free silver bill for President
Harrison to veto and raised just lit
tie suspicion of applause by declaring
that the Fifty-second Congress spent
more of the peoples money than the
famous billion dollar Reed Congress,
but this suspicion of applause grew in
to a storm when Pou made him admit
that the last Congress to which he,
Strowd belong, spent more money than
any Congress ine1thel history of5abhe
government. Str0wd declared that the
Populists were due the credit for pass
ing the income tax, then he got mighty
close to the Republican eggs when he
declared that the Republican party
and the Democratic party were equally
responsible for the vicious legislation
that had been so disastrous to the
masses. He saw the colored voters eye
ing him so he Sided off of that subject
and declared that the Democrats did
not want Bryan elected. He criticised
the Democratic party for not fusing
with the Populists all the way down,
and declared that such fusion would
have been honest and honorable, and
then he WINGED awfully when Pou
asked if in view of that statement fu-
sion with the enemies of Bryan and
silver was not inconsistent and dis
honorable.
He then got close to the Populist
eggs by declaring again that if the
election was thrown in the House he
would vote for Republican President
but coated the statement over with
the condition that he merely meant
a gold bug Republican as against
gold bug Democrat.
He declared that he would vote fol-
Tom Reed before he would vote foI
Crisp any time and this tickled
McKinley's crowd. His speech was char
acterized with lameness, tameness an6
saneness, and it is not unfair to Mr.
Strowd to say that it was weak anC
fimsy.
Pou followed in strong, forciblt
speech of an hours length. 1T is nc
trouble for Ed. Pou to make a speech
because he is speaker. Tt is nc
trouble for him to expound the prin
ciples of his party for he is one Of the
party's brainest and most forcible adj
Yocates.
His reply to Strowd last night was
complete.