Evening star., 1896-10-28
he First Addressed a Gathering Com
posed Mostly Of Women.
APPEALS TO THE WIVES AND SISTERS
Battery D Packed Long Before the
Hour for Meeting.
S E ATS ALL TAKEN OUT

the democratic presidential candidate, be-
gan today's program Of nearly a dozen ad-
ditional Chicago speeches with a speech in
Polish hall, half across the city from the
one In which he spoke last night. Today's
initial meeting was a womans gathering
at st. Stanislaus Hall, on Noble street
Mr.. Bryan was greeted with an audience
of 5000 persons. the greater portion being
ladies. After the applause which greeted
him on his arrival had subsided. Mrs. Jennie
Barzynski assisted Mrs. Francis Kowalski
in introducing the candidate to the audi
ence, and he spoke follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: This campaign
has witnessed not only a great increase in
interest among the people, but it has wit
messed deeper interest among the women
Of this land than is usually manifested in a
political campaign. 1 have had the privi-
leSe Of addressing several audiences this
year composed entirely almost entirely
of women, and l am glad to be permitted
to talk to the mother and the wife and the
sister, because their interests are wrapped
up in the interests of the country. No
policy can injure this country without in1ur-
ing them; no policy can benefit this coun-
try without benefiting them, and in any
test where a question of right or wrong is
presented / believe that our wives and
mothers are as quick to detect what is just
we, because iH studying these questions a
man may be surrounded by influences
which rather prevent than aid his under
standing of a subject, and there may be
influences which pervert his judgment,
whereas the women may be able to eX-
anime the question and, with her instincts
detect where the wrong lies. And l know
this. that if woman's conscience Is once
directed against thing, that there is moth
ing that can overcome that conscience.
Great cheering).
IF, in this campaign, We can convince
the women that justice is on our side. l
know that in every household there will
be wife or mother who will say to the
father of that family, Coercion cannot be
permitted to interfere with the exercise of
the rights of citizenship tCries of You
are right, You are right and great ap
plause) If We can convince the women
of the justice of our cause, there is no
campaign fund, however large, that can
bribe the husbands and the brothers and
the sons who go forth with the inspiration
of the women behind him." loud and con-
tinuouS applauSe)
Continuing, Mr.. Bryan said: II want you
to distinguish between. the disturbance of
law and order-betWeen objection to gov
ernment itself and objections to the abuses
of government"
Mr.. Bryan then discussed at considerable
length the money issue.
business Mems Meeting.
A big MONDAY meeting of business men
at Battery D armory, on the lake front,
claimed Mr.. Bryan's attention as quickly
as he could be hustled through the sew
eral miles of streets from st. Stanislaus
Long before the hour for the meeting Bat
terry D armory was packed. The seats
had been removed from the body of the
hall, and the audience stood solid, shoulder
to shoulder. The great girders that sup
ported the roof furnished seats for num-
ber of venturesome admirers, and the gal
leries were packed. The hall was crowded
to its utmost limit.
Gen. c. H. Howard called the meeting to
order. Mr.. Bryan received an ovation that
lasted more than five minutes, and bid
fair to continue indefinitely
Gen. Howard obtained the attention of
the audience, however. by saying that Mr..
Bryan asked one question, whether those
present were all business men.
A thousand voices answered, yes" and
in the lull that followed one mans voice
rose clearly he said: We mean busi-
ness" (Cheering.)
Speaking to business Men.
Mr.. Bryan said: "Mr. Chairman, Ladies
and Gentlemen: l am glad that this meet
ing Is presided over by one who until this
time has been a republican and by one
who was soldier applause and cries of
'good), because in this double character
of ex-republican and soldier he illustrates
the depth to which society is stirred in this
campaign. AS an ex-republican he stands
as representative of that large and in
creasing number of our citizens who are
willing to burst asunder party ties and to
leave party associates and make their party
affiliations suit the convictions of the heart
(applause), and as former soldier he
stands as a representative of those who
having willingly offered their services to
make this nation one are willing today to
engage in this great contest to keep this
nation which they helped to save an in
dependent nation rather than province
or foreign empire. Great applause)
am glad to talk to business men. "a voice.
We are glad to hear you.) l have said
that those who so often assume to be the
only business men sometimes make a great
mistake in assuming that the prosperity of
our nation rests upon them, and l am COM
ing today to talk TO business men and to
say to them that in pleading the cause of
the farmer and the laborer I am trying to
lay substantial foundation upon which
the business of this country can be done"
Applause)
"If you are engaged in merchandise, en-
gagged in the exchange Of wealth, and sup
pose that the prosperity of these producers
depends upon you, you deceive yourselves
Wealth must be created before it can be
distributed. Those who create wealth could
live, although you went out of business
You could not live if the producers of
wealth go out Of business. CA oplause)
The Best Policy.
II believe that policy is the best for this
country which begins with those who toll
and gives them first the inspiration to work
and then protects them in the enjoyment
Of rightful shares of the proceeds of their
toll, and proceeds from them up to the up
per classes of society who rests upon them
And challenge you to find in the pages of
recorded history a single instance where
prosperity came down from the upper crust
Of society. 1t always comes from the mass
es-the foundation of society. applause
I want to talk to you business men for an
other reason. 1 believe that many of the
business men are being tyrannized over by
financial influences. "a voice. you are
right.'C
You point back to the times of war to
find your heroes. l tell you that the year
1896 has developed heroes in this nation
(Applause) l know business men who have
been summoned before their bankers and
told that If they insisted upon talking for
free silver their notes would not be ex-
tended.
Il know one man who was. summoned
into the bank and told that if he did not
stop talking for free silver he would have
to look elsewhere for accommodation, and
that man told his banker that he realized
that he was in his power, that If he had q