The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-11
THREE SET SPEECHES AND SEVERAL
SHORT TALKS
WEST VIRGINIA TOUR ENDED
In a Speech to an Immense Audience
at wheeling Last Night-At C1arks-
burg He Addressed a Large Crowd
Composed Chiefly OF Republicans-In-
troduced at ParkersburY by Senator
Camden, Who Opposed His Election
Four Years Ago.

ing the democratic presidential candi-
date for a few hours today. The coun-
ty fair Of this (Harrison) county is in
progress and Mr.. Bryan was received
at the fair grounds. The announc-
ment Of his coming a been made
throughout this entire section OF the
country and, as a consequence, his adj
mirers had come from far and near to
see and hear him. The crowd was
large and the enthusiasm manifested
upo the appearance of the candidate
was regarded as an excellent indication
of the favor in which he is held in the
community. The coming was greeted
with cheers, throngs being present at
the railroad station to grasp the candi-
date by the hand and escort him 10
the meeting place.
The meeting was held in Haymont
grove neal the fair grounds. The
crowd faced Mr.. Bryan from a high
hillside fronting the speakers stand.
located at the foot of the hill. The
community has a tendency towards
re~publicaniSm and Mr.. Bryan's speech
was an appeal to republicans to in
Vestlgate party questions. You can't
always tell the character of ar egg
from the outside appearance" he said,
and l want you republicans to eX-
anime the inside of your egg and see
whether it is as fresh as it may seem
to be on the outside" He thought
many men too much inclined to follow
the party platform without giving the
subject any Independent thought OF
their own and he IA sure that suffic-
lent Investigation would convince them
OF the insincerity and inconsistency Of
the republican party. They would find
this to be true on the financial, trust
foreign n military questions.
When asked to explain their positions
they would invariably fall upon the
plea Of prosperity. With the republi-
cans, prosperity like charity covers a
multitude of sins; as for the prosperi-
ty of which we hear so much, it was
like the milk SickneSS of the old time
1t was always in the next county.
| He agar inStanced the reports of his
big oat o and used them as an il
lustration of the fallacious reports of
the prosperous condition of the coun-
try. He declared that his farm had re-
ceived so much advertising that if he
could turn the farm into soop he would
be sure of a greater fortune out of it
than he was under the present con-
ditions. He again elaborated the state
ment that the cost of necessary arti-
cleS of consumption had increased out
~ P3OPOA w - NliC LII ISooC III ltlS SOSl
of labor, and he quoted the reports that
cmmercial failures were growing more
and more t. equent.
Speaking of imperialism, Mr.. Bryan
said the q~estion had not yet been pass
ed upon pv the people; who were now
to have their first opportunity to re-
cord their views upon the subject.
The president only had taken a posi-
ton; the judiciary and congress
done nothing, hence the Importance Of
u consideration of the subject be-
fore 1t was TOO late. He inStanced the
Porto Rican bill as an Illustration Of
what the republican party would do in
other cases. In that case the party
had assumed itself superior to thecon-
stitution and the president endorsed
this position.
The meeting closed a few minutes
past II o'clock and Mr.. Bryan left
shortly afterwards for Parkersburg,
where he is to speak this afternoon.
Wheeling, w. Va, September o.
The tour Of West Virginia, which was
begun Tuesday last by Hon. William
j. Bryan, was concluded tonight with
a speech at this place. He travelled
from Deer Park, by the way of
Clarksburg and Parkersburg today,
making three speeches of length and
w or three other brief and informal
talks at such places at st. Mary's and
Sistersville.
AS his train came into Wheeling Mr..
Bryan was greeted by red bonfires, and
n firing of rockets in the suburbs,
and the railroad for squares was lined
by a mass of humanity struggling
candidate. The days run covered
about 300 miles Of rough mountain rail-
reading, which was in Itself no small
Undertaking for hot weather. Mr..
Bryan, however, held up we'll and ap-
peared fresh when he assembled the
L nj ff0~rn 90 =
gan to address the immense multitude
Which had assembled to hear him.
The three days tour is regarded by
Mr.. Bryan and the West Virginia
democrats who have been escorting
him as in every way successful from a
told. six set speeches and a number OF
briefer addresses and has a uni
fOrmly large audiences. The crowds
at C~larksburg and Parkersburg were
both most respectable in number, while
tonight's meeting was exceptionally
large. At the Parkersburg meeting ex-
United States n Camden pre-
sided. He supported Palmer and Buck
ner four years ago.. Today's meeting
was held in the city park and the au
dience was one of the largest and
most attentive that MI. Bryan has
had. The speech was devoted almosi
exclusively to the question OF imperial
ism While not holding that this was
the only issue. Mr.. Bryan did contend
that it was the question of paramount
Importance. This is true because this
question involved the Fundamental
principles of our government. Discuss
ing the title 10 the Philippine islands
Mr.. Bryan asked: who says the Lord
gave them to u.s."
To this question a voice in the crowd
responded: Mark Hanna"
This response elected a shout and
MI. Bryan replied: While 1 am no,
prepared to deny hat God does speak
through the human voice, I do think
that when He gets ready to speak &c
the American people, He will chooe<
some other mouth piece than MARI
Hanna"
The meeting here tonight was held
on the wharf. How many thousant
people were there it would be impos'
sible to say, but there were quite a
many as coud hear his voice, which
has lost none OF its power OF penetra.
ton.
Mr.. Bryan spoke for an hour and
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