The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-06
HAD SEATS TO SPARE
REPUBLICAN MEETING AT THE
AUDITORIUM LAST NIGHT
WAS A FROST
TALKED TO EMPTY BENCHES
William Henry Eustis, Oar Reese
and Man From wisconsin
Named MCGEE Tried to Thrill a
ThriIIess Audience-SafIOr From
the Oregon Waved the Flag,
Too.

The mass meeting of Republicans at the
Auditorium last evening was just what the
Dispatch predicted it would be-a record
breaker. 1t was the frostiest mass" meet
ing ever held in this city, and Weeping Will
liam Henry Eustis. the Republican candidate
Tor governor, entered the hall and saw the
array Of empty chairs before him he was
dumb with amazed disappointment
To the managers of the Eustis campaign the
spectacle was by not means inspiring. All
day band had been driven about the city
TO drum up an audience that would fill the
auditorium. and SO confident were they that
the hall would be more than filled that ar
range1nents We're made for a great overflow
demonstration in the street.
: The programme which was planned was cal
culated to make halt lame and blind Repub-
icans hobble to the Auditorium on crutches
20 20 near tne matchless eloquence that was to
flow from silver lips. Not only Weeping
William but Oar Reese Victor Dolliver and
Charles MCGEE, Of Milwaukee were to de-
liver speeches calculated to set the hall on
fire and the whole town afame with Repub-
lcan enthusiasm. The great Lind meeting Of
Thursday night was to be double dis
counted in the matter of attendance. 1t was
to be such meeting as would strike the
Democratic hosts with terror and inspire the
whole state with the popularity and invinci-
bility Of the Guaranty Loan candidate.
But greater even than the meeting was to
be the torchlight parade OF the hosts of Re-
publicanism. There were to be thousands of
enthusiastic Republicans in line with bands
and banners and stream of Republican
fame was to illuminate the Sanity City.
1t was conceded by the Republican man
ayers that the meeting ought to be equal to
Saturday night as the one most favorable for
a big crowd. They calculated that there
would be more idle people abroad that night
than on any other, and that 1t would be an
easy matter to fill the Auditorium.
But alas for the reality
The doors Of the Auditorium were thrown
open early, and squad of policemen was
stationed there to prevent the crowd from
crushing each ether in their eagerness to get
within hearing Of the orators. Elaborate
preparations were made to handle the I'M
into the building, and the hospitals were
asked to hold ambulances in readiness to han
die accident cases that might arise during
the excitement of the occasion.
By haif-past there were at least twenty
five persons in the hall. and their excuse for
being there that they wanted to- see II
this meeting would be as large as the Lind
meeting. The hall was cold, so they got
as far as possible from the door and shivered
in their oyercoatS. BY and by some more
people struggled in and took seats. They were
bcdy of the floor was we'll filed. But at that
hour there was 10 one on the platform, and
the spectators thought they had made mis-
take.
The time passed and still no one appeared
with authority to say anything. At o'clock
the floor was filed but the chairs in the
vacant and the prospect was most discourag-
ing. Finally the crowd became impatient and
began to stamp feet, and after awhile num-
Der Of Republican committeeman and candi-
dates appeared on tie pltform.
Among them was Oar Reese. who rose ana
apologized for the slack attendance.
But wait while" said Mr.. Reese.
There are brass bands and thousands of en-
thusiastic Republicans coming down the
street now and in . few minutes they will
be here and the Auditorium will be filed to
overfowing. We will then have some of the
brightest orators in the Northwest to en-
terrain you"
Mr. Reese had hardly announced this when
a band was heard on Ninth street and a
moment later procession of torches passed
around the building and In a short tine the
band and procession entered the upper GAL
lery. But the new corners did not half fl the
seats. Then archer procession entered the
opposite gallery and tried to fill that section.
hut failed. A third procession fled into the
BODY Of the hall and heleed to reduce the
number of vacant chairs, but with poor sue
cess.
1t was nearly 8 O'Clock and not mora than