The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-09
Tom Dixon's Congregation Be
comes a Body of Partisans.
WALKED OUT IN DISGUST
One Hearer Challenged the
Preacher ito Joint Debate.
CRIES OF "rLL VOTE FOR BRYAN
A Prominent Jersey City Citizen Tells
the Sensational Preacher "'ts not
True" and Exchanges Cards
With Him.


Rev. Thomas Dixon, Jr., preached a
sensational sermon at the Academy of
Music yesterday morning on
.sThe Political Crisis" He said
many unlxind things of Will
liam Jennings Bryan, the Democratic
partv and the free silver movement.
In doing so he stirred up hornet 5
nest, and created a scene in which
cheers and Kisses were about equally
mingled.
Professor Edwin V. Wright, who
founded the Autobiography League
and the Bimetallic Association, was
IN the audience. He had just returned
from stumping tour for silver with
George Fred Williams, through New
England. He listened quietly to Mr..
Dixon's excoriation until the Republic
can party stood for all that was good
and pure, while the Democratic party
was the champion of all that was the
absolute reverse Then Prof. Wright
Jumped to his feet, shook his fist at the
pastor and exclaimed
THE DENIAL DIRECT.
'eWhat you say is false, absolutely
false. You don't know what you're
talking about"
.yl1 were dismayed for a moment, and
then a shout of applause arose, follow
ed by a storm of Kisses.
The Rev. Mr. Dixon hadn't expected
all this, and it took him several min
utes to discover his own location. Then
he proceeded calmly with his disserta-
ton. He complimented the Populists,
and said the Peoples party had been
much maligned.
THE Democratic party was In he'll,
said he, ''when III pulled itself together
by tieing to the Populists in the Chi
cago convention. Don't you believe that
all Populists are ignorant. The lead
ers of the party are men of brains and
of education. And they are fine-lookng
men, too. Many of them are hand
somer even than Theodore Roosevelt.
This, of course, scored laugh, and
Mr. Dixon continued:
"In such crisis ais now confronts us,
it is the duty of every patriotic citizen
to vote the straight Republican ticket.
/ voted for Mr. Cleveland, and now,
before God, / acknowledge my sim"
..PLL VOTE FOR BRYAN"
I'm going to vote for Bryan some
one shouted; 'and"-
Here. too" came from another.
However, Mr.. Dixon was not taking
straw vote, so he paid no attention to
the Interruptions.
1.-THE proposition of Mr.. Bryan and
his party" said he, ITO pay off the
bonds of the United States, on which
100 cents on the dollar were raised,
III coin worth only SO cents on the dol
lar, is downright rascality. 1t is moth
ing more nor less than bunco-steer-
ing
II won't stand this any longer" said
patr.iarchial looking gentleman with
a long flowing white beard, and he left
the building. Fully one hundred Others
followed. Then Mr.. Dixon scored Mr..
Bryan for advocating policy which,
he said, would permit insurance COM
panies to pay widows and orphans in
deprecated coin. He predicted disas-
ter in case of Bryan's election, and said
that fully 100000 men would be inn
niediately thrown out of work. Every
one to whom dollar was due would
get only SO cents.
ut is not true" shouted James T.
Madden. Then there was more APP
plause, and more Kisses. Mr.. Madden
went TO the speaker, gave him his card,
and left the place, followed by many
more.
After the discourse Prof Wright de-
clared his intention of challenging the
reverend gentleman to a debate on the
silver question.
81 have always held Mr. Dixon said
Professor Wright, sin the highest es-
TEEN, but his talk yesterday was IRA
6ional and inhuman. The only expla-
nation, to my mind, is that he has been
Hannaized."
MR.. MADDEN EXPLAINS.
James r. Madden is a lawyer, with
offices at No. rs Montgomery street,
Jersey City. and was at one time a
practising physician.
II did not go to the service with any
idea of creating scene" said he. 81
had read that Mr.. Dixon was to speak
on the financial question, and / decided
to go. Two friends Of mine who live
in Jersey City went with me.
81 am a believer IN silver, but want
to hear what its opponents have to
say.
"At first DR. Dixon's arguments were
much what had expected. He went
through the usual list. But after
little he became so bitter, and, as it
seemed to me, SO prejudiced and lilo
gical, that became greatly excited,
and when he said that if Bryan were
elected every man would get only SO
cents for every 81 due him, / jumped up
and shouted:
"It's not true
4 "Of course, there was great deal OF
excitement. There was good deal of
applause, too. DIR. Dixon stopped
sneaking. and after a moments hest
tation said that if / would send him
my card he would give me any satisfac-
ton might want.
walking up to the platform | hand
ed him my card and told him that ! had
made a careful study of the question
and challenged him to public debate
...,ygs -