The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-04-16
One Of the Biggest Affairs in Point Of Num-
bers Ever Held at the Empire City.
Nearly Three Thousand People,
Including Both Sexes and Most
All Nationalities, at the Long
Tables in the Various Rooms at
the Grand Central Palace-W.
j. Bryan the Principal Speaker
Of the Evening.

NEW YORK, April 15.-The dollar
Jefferson dinner of the Chicago plat
form Democrats at the Grand Central
Palace Tonight in point of numbers
was one of the biggest affairs ever held
in this city. Nearly 3,U00 men and wo-
men sat down at long tables in the va
rious rooms at the big Palace. There
We're all kinds of people there, dressed
in all kinds of clothes. White men ell
bowed with colored men and white wo-
men with colored women. There were
four Japanese and three Chinese pres
ent, but the Chinese were merely spec
tators, and sat up in the second gallery.
They said they had come to see Mr..
Bryan.
The main hall presented a different
aspect from that of the Metropolitan
Opera-houSe at the ten-dollar dinner Of
the Democratic Club. There were no
flower embellishments, but just great
long avenues of tables covered with
plain white plates. The only ornaments
were punches of celery and graniteware
coffee pots.
The boxes about the hall were fas-
TONED with flags silken banners being
festooned between the stages. At the
back of the stage were two American
flags draped, one bearing the portrait of
Jefferson, and the other the portrait Of
Bryan. Small portraits OF Mr. Bryan
were interspersed between ,he Jlags on
the balconies.
On the stage was an immense floral
horseshoe of carnations, roses and hello
trope. 1t had, worked in flowers. the
words "Vomen's Bryan League" Be-
low in red carnations on white roses
was the name Bryan" Surrounding
all We're the numerals ''16 to l." Back
on one of the cane bottom chairs was
magnificent bouquet of roses, Ameri-
can Beauties. But not even on the
guests table was there a single flower
The women to the number of AIS
dined in the long hall, just off the Sec
ond gallery. They sat down to the
tables at $50 o'clock.
There was no concerted attempt to
seat the 5000 diners simultaneously
All were told to go in and sit down.
About { o'clock nearly every seat of
the mems table was occupied and the
dinner began.
The menu included SOUP fish. roast
beef, turkey, ice cream, coffee and ei-
were gratuitously served by a wine
company.
w. ]. Bryan did not arrive until
shortly after { O'Clock. Crowds on the
outside signaled his appearance by ire
mendous cheering. He came in a cab
and was escorted through a tremendous
crowd to the waiting room outside the
main hall. Here he shook hands with
the committee. Then he was escorted
to the guests table, in front of the
platform.
Following came the speakers of the
evening. There was tremendous cheer
ing and waving of napkins as Mr.
Bryan came in. The demonstration
lasted for five minutes. Among those
who sat at the guests table We're:
James r. Brown, presiding; on his
right w. j. Bryan; on his left, Charles
A. Towne of Minnesota; O. II. p. Bel
mont, VIM. S. McNary, Minneapolis:
Mayor j. L. Rhymoor, Covington. XIV.
Bolton Hall, George Fred Williams. ex-
Congressman VIM. F. Ryan, Rochester;
A. S. Townson, Virginia; Colonel
Thomas Smith, Virginia, and John
Clark Ridpath.
AT 8 o'clock the committee and speak-
ers assembled to the platform. Mr..
Bryan received vociferous cva.ion. the
diners in many instances again stand
ing on chairs and tables and the women
waving napkins wildly.
James r. Brown called the meeting
to order, and introduced George Fred
Williams of Massachusetts, who was
given a fine reception.
in, ha
meantime had increased, and there were
at least 5000 people in the hall. The
mention of Henry Georges name evok-
ed an extraordinary demonstration.
o. H. p. Belmont was next intro
duced, and in the course of a brief
speech said: To-day the East ex-
tends its hand of welcome to the West,
and is ready to do honor to one of her
great sons of whom she is so justly
proud. Let this be the sign that there
is no North, no South, no East nor
West in the Democratic party What
ever our individual, local or sectional
opinions are, let us express them and
let them be represented; this is the soul
of Democracy. But when, after these
opinions and conditions have been sub
mitted to our chosen leaders in conven-
ton; when they have sifted them down
and chosen the material from which our
platform is to be constructed, then let
us with one voice say that this is the
platform upon which we will stand
shoulder to shoulder as unit. win or
lose.
THE issue will be in 1900, Are we to
be controlled by the cosmopolitan
money power, or are we to be free men
of this great republic? Nothing more,
nothing less.
THE Republicans have ranged them
selves on the side of monopolies and
the concentration of wealth. They have
ranged themselves on the side of con-
trolling the municipal, State and Ma
tional legislation by wealth. They were
slow in avenging the insult and must
ices of the enemy, and only did so when
pushed to it by the Democracy of the
country. They are guilty of carrying
on our late war in partisan and cor
rupt manner, and to the profit of cor
porations. To all this the Democracy,
/ hold. is ready, and is assembling its