The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-02-07
BRYAN'S ELOQUENCE.
AT THE ARM0RY.

The afternoon trains of Friday from
all directions brought large crowds Of en-
thusiastic Democrats to attend the Bryan
rally last evening. Hundreds also came in
four and six horse sleighs from a radius
OF twenty-five miles OF Montpelier.
Colonel Bryan arrived on the afternoon
mail, reaching Montpelier at four o'clock
He was received with tremendous cheering
by GRO wds OF Democrats who filled the sta
ton and platform. Mayor Senter met him
at the train and extended to him the well
come of the city. He was at once escorted
to rooms reserved for him at the Pavilion
where he remained quietly until the even
ing meeting.
Mr.. Bryan was met at Concord by COM
mittee from the Vermont Democratic Club,
composed of I. w. Maloney OF Rutland, Il.
s. Childs OF Brattleboro, G. W. Kelley OF
Burlington and A. j. Sibley of Montpelier.
Doctor Potts and j. j. O'Shea OF Holyoke,
Mass, also met the Bryan party at Concord
and accompanied them to Montpelier.
Armory hall was crowded to its utmost
capacity more than an hour before Mr..
Bryan arrived there. Every inch of room
in the spacious gallery was crowded with
ladies, while hundreds Of men stood on the
floor of the hall after the l 200 chairs there
had been filed.
Mr.. Bryan entered the hall by the rear
door and was escorted to the platform by
Mayor Senter and @. A. Fitzpatrick OF
White River Junction, president of the
State Democratic Club. On the stage were
seated hundred or more prominent men
of The State, both Democrats and Republi-
cans, the Judges of the Supreme Court, and
the members OF the Democratic State Com
mittee.
The platform was built about two feet
from the floor. just as Mr. Bryan finished
speaking a portion OF it gave way, carrying
with it Mr.. Bryan, the sedate judges aud
scores of others. Fortunately no one was
| nj m wi pH
Republican was heard to remark that Mr.
Bryan's platform would not stand alone
long enough for him to use it,
When the boy orator was recognized as
he came upon the stage the great audience
! cheered stamped, whistled and hurrahed
Ladies in the gallery waved their handker
chiefs and joined in the enthusiastic wei
come. Mr.. Fitzpatrick called the meeting
to order and turned it over to Mayor Sen
ter, who in turn briefly introduced Mr.
Bryan To the waiting multitude.
Mr.. Bryan talked for an hour and hal
on his three favorite topics-the gold stand
ard, trusts and imperialism However
much some OF his hearers disagreed with
him they were charmed with his eloquence
! his frank manner, his sparkling wit and hi,
pointed and piercing satire. In his impas
| stoned appeal to the love OF the individual
citizen as above the price OF money, he dis
played his dramatic power, while one sub
! ject after the other was handled with elab
crate detail and cOnsummate skill. His
! quotations OF Scripture showed him TO bt
an apt and proficient Bible scholar, while
the fertility and variety OF his rhetoric. his
ease and grace Of delivery, his splendid en-
| dowment of voice, easily furnish a solution
| Of the question often asked, why such
| crowds gather to hear him at every place
| where he speaks. His powers az an orator
and his ability TO move multitude, none
will deny.
In opening Mr.. Bryan said: ''I do not
know what the people in Nebraska will say
when they read that it took two audiences
to hold the Democrats here in Vermont
| [LaughteT] 1 wish l could have the two
audiences i'll one hall that might speak to
them together and take time to elaborate
the questions now before the public. But
| 1t seems necessary that l should speak in
both places, therefore / shall not be able tC
speak as long in either place as | would
! like to. / am glad TO be here. have nc
apology to offer for coming. L pay the Re
publicans OF this state compliment when
/ say TIA t, bad as they have been in the
past we have hope for them in the future
Bad as they have treated me politically, j
will forgive them il they will do better In
the future. Their sins, though they be at
scarlet, shall be as white AZ protected WOO
laughter and applause] provided they do
not allow the Republican leaders to pull the
IooA over their eyes any more. [Applause]
go on the theory that that which Is right
will finally triumph, and believe that ev
cry citizen ought TO desire the triumph o
that which Is right more than the triumph