Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-12
SERIES Of CHARGES
AND VERY FEW ARGUMENTS
FORMED THE FEATURES LAST
EVENING
AT A REPUBLICAN MEETING
On the South Side-Senator John
SpOoner Addressed an Audience at
Pythian CastIe-His Ideas of Trusts
and Imperialists.

Wisconsin, addressed an audience that
comfortably filled the hall. The speak
er was entertained by George A. Laugh
lin at dinner at the Fort Henry club
and was escorted to the place
of meeting by five divisions of the
Rough Riders from Washington, Mad
ison, Clay, Union, Centre and Richie
districts, the Elkins' Cadets and the
Six Hooters.
Charles Helmbright called the meet
ing to order at 1855 and named George
B. Caldwell as chairman. Mr.. Cald-
we'll made a few remarks of acceptance
and urged the assembled representa-
tives of the party to warm UP. He then
gave a brief review of Mckinley's mil
itary and political career and pointed
out that ever since the Ohio statesman
has advocated the principles of Re-
publican protection to American indus
tries, the smoke has been curling from
the mill stacks and the dinner pail has
been full of juicy beef steak. He
thought that the more Mr.. Bryan
swings around through the country
the better it will be for the Republican
party. Mr.. Caldwell then introduced
Senator Spooner and in his opening re-
maks the speaker said he heartily ap-
preciated the reception accorded him
and was present to represent Mckinley
and Teddy Roosevelt, the commander
of the Rough Riders. 1.-The people
choose a President" he continued, land
maybe Mr.. Bryan don't understand it,
because they want him and not be-
cause he wants it. The Ohio states
man is the man who deserves u con-
fidence. His competitor presents only
one reason why he should not be Pres
ident and that is that he thinks that
he is endorsing an enemy of the Con-
stitution." He thought that it was odd
that a statesman from the western
-Nrairie should challenge Mr.. McKin-
ley's faith in the Declaration of indie
pendence, and further said that the
American people at times Go things
which he is at a loss to understand.
ut was not long after Mr.. Cleveland's
election that depression prevailed our
industries, and what was the matter?"
Senator Spooner questioned. 81 have
nothing hostile to offer with reference
to MI. Bryan or the Democratic party.
Prosperity comes to the Republi-
can also to Democracy"
Mr.. Spooner attributed the hard
times from 1892 to 1896 to a radical
change in the tariffs and thought that
this experience taught them that one
country could not remonetize silver.
N Cleveland" he remarked, "on see
ing that the country wa liable to be
put on a silver basis with Mexico. in
a%ugurated a fight against such a law
and repealed it and the Americans owed
him a debt of gratitude for his fidelity
to American interests in this respect.
No people can transact business unless
there is confidence. First, for the
reason that our money would be de-
preciated and the uncertainty of the
tariffs was what caused the panic to
come on. In 1892, you cried for a
cnange and you got it in the neck
lie said that there was nothing against
Mr.. Bryan in either public or private
life, he was a man of brilliant ora
tory, but that he could make the same
speech more often than any other man
in the country. Nothing that Mr..
Bryan had prophesied in 1886 did Mr..
Spooner think had come true, except
inig that he said that we should have
to cease borrowing money from for
eign countries, and such had come to
pass.
They told you we would not have
enough money to transact our bust
ness" he said, "but to-day there is
more gold in the United States treas
ury than in the treasury of any other
country excepting France, and we shall
soon have as much as she has. l would
have you think that | am making
one misleading statement to you, but
let me tell you that the Democratic
platform is full of wild ideas. If you
are a Democrat, or a Populist, or Free
Silver Republican, you are for Will
liam Jennings Bryan and Adlai E.
Stevenson. To elect Bryan means the
treasury shorn of the country's credit.
a contraction of the currency, a panic,
sorrow at home and soup houses" II
The speaker paused at this iuncture
after asking if he was wrong, and upon
receiving the negative answer from two
or three of the faithful, he continued
no doubt, encouraged.
He vigorously attacked the monetary
principles that Mr.. Bryan advocated in
1896, and was of the opinion that the
country needed no change in the adj
mi~nistration, as it was getting along
pretty well. He agreed with President
Harrlson's remarks that the first dirty
work of the dollar wa when it is sent
to cheat the laboring man and the
farmer. Why should you not vote
for Mr. McKinley?' he questioned, "for
has the Republican party not fulfilled
every promise that has been made?'
Mr.. Bryan asks you to lot support Mr..
Mckinley because of militarism.
You have many times heard of mil
itarism in the days of the civil
war when it was said that such a large
army as had then been mustered in
would never be ~disbanded. But you
know full well that when the white
winged bird of peace appeared that in
a remarkably short time those thous-
ands Of men returned to their respective
vacations of a peaceful life.
Mr.. Spooner then took occasion to
ridicule the ideas presented by the
Democracy that the present policy OF
the government was in the form of
an empire. The speaker her pro-
duced a document, which he thought
tended TO show that Mr.. Bryan had
made misleading statements to the