The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-10-24
- - a-l
BRYAN FLYNN.
William Jennings Bryan Pays Sec
Ond Visit to BeIIefontaine.


We don't mean to intimate that Mr..
Bryan's wings are sprouting, or that
Mr.. Mclean is cloven footed. Mr.. Bry-
ans flying is more like that of a flying
squirrel than that of an angel or a
rooster. He spreads himself out very
thin, and then descends through the air
by making a flying leap, and landing
wherever he is scheduled.
When he came to see us before, it
was at high noon, and the golden sun
looked down on a great crowd of Re-
pnblicans at the depot who were wear
ing yellow Mckinley badges, and he
told them that they had the yellow
fever, and he exhibited bad humor.
His reception then was an improvised
affair, and was so sudden that the
crowd could not do the subject justice
feel myself highly honored by this re-
ception rendered me by the Mckinley
club of Bellefontaine, and thank you
for this manifestation of the great over
turning of public sentiment that it
signifies;" and he would have showed
true wit, and have won great credit.
But he pulled out with the corners of
his mouth turned down, and went to
certain defeat.
This time he knows more than he
knew then, so he waited till the gold
en- sun had set, and darkness had COW
cred the earth, when the golden forests
could not wave their branches in de-
rision, the golden pumpkins could not
laugh at him, and the golden stacks Of
wheat and shocks of corn could not sing
to him of prosperity. His car pulled
in little before six, he was hustled in
to cab, and trotted up to the court
house, where stand handsomely deck
ed with flags had been built, made his
speech, and was hurried back to the
train, without giving the masses any
chance to shake his paw, or touch the
hem of his garments.
The evening was cool, and only the
most faithful ones from the country re-
mained till he came. From the city
and country, about five hundred-not
more-gathered to see and hear him.
A few rushed up onto the stand. Gov.
Marquis introduced Mr.. Mclean, and
Mr.. Mclean introduced Mr.. Bryan.
Mr.. Mclean made no speech, but in
introducing Mr.. Bryan spoke of him as
''the Democratic candidate for president
in 1896, and also in 19OO." This remark
was cheered; and then Mr.. Mclean got
behind Mr.. Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan stepped to the front. The
only light was benzine fakir lamp,
and as he stood with his broad soft hat
on, and the crowd of admirers, friends,
and curious onlookers surrounding him,
it was wierd scene. He was cheered
on his appearance, but the cheer was
not of character or volume, to wake
any of the sleeping or dead.
Mr.. Bryan is older than he was when
here before, and like the boy who
tickled a mule with straw, he is moi
so handsome as he was, but ne knows q
sight more.
The introduction given him by Mr.
Mclean, seemed to tickle him cleal
down to the bottom of his boots, ant
the smile he brought to the front, mani
tested the capacities of his mouth il
that line, to good advantage.
He said he would not make a speech
his time would not allow it. He hat
been speaking all day, and this woul'
make his eighth talk. He would no
have stopped here at all, he added
smiling, if it had not been that he hat
visited our city once before. Laughter.
He had come back now to tell thes
Republicans of Logan county what the
got and what they lost by voting TO
Nc Kinley. "a chit of boy on a steI
ladder, high up under the balcony, her
yell ed "Hurrah for Mckinley" an
was properly squelched.)
Mr.. Bryan then proceeded in fey
pl leasantries that drew out cheers an
4 lau ghter, to make talk of about twer
ty minutes.
He said Mckinley was elected bt
cause he told the country what a gres
disa ster free silver would be to th
country, and nearly the first thing h
u did after getting into power was to sen
commission to Europe to get the nj
y tions over there to adopt silver whic
u was to be such curse to our own coul
9 try. This was good enough to evok
u laughter, but it wouldn't have been
good point for him to have presente
in a debate. Mckinley said before tn
u election that our nation could not mail
u tain silver standard alone, and tt
U sending of the commission to Eurol
9 would touch it.
e Mr.. Bryan made no objection to tt
e Spanish war and its victories, but sal
't the fruit of McKinley's election ha
l. been, an increase of the army fro
s %, 900 to 100000 men, the purchase
10, 100000 PHILIPPINES at two dollars
head; treaty with the Sultan of Sui
e recognizing slavery under his dominic
e and giving big sum of money to mail
n tain his dozen wives in good styl
e These were all points that Willial
g smiled over, and the crowd laughed a
a but they were good deal more all
|. gorical than historical, and passed {
: pleasantries, that enabled him to avoi
d a serious discussion of public issues
: What he didn't say was ID good des
n more important than what he did sa,