The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-12
Wants to Save the Party
 From Error. HE SPOKE WITH PASSION Denounced Cleveland and , Editors Who Oppose T Silver. Theatre Was Packed When Nebras- kan Was Introduced by secreta-
 " of State-Man in Audi
 ence Talked Back at Speaker.

"I am on this trip through the South for a purpose. I do not hesitate to make that purpose known. It is to appeal to Democrats to assist in maintaining the integrity of the party, and not to allow 1t to be sold to the corrupt gang that stabbed US in the back in 1S96."
 This assertion, made at the beginning, was the keynote of the address of Will liam Jennings Bryan, delivered to a large audience at the Montgomery the ater last night.
 MT. Bryan was expected to speak on Moral Issues,' but he evidently con- cluded that conditions in Montgomery demanded different treatment. He ap- peared to fear that the reorganization sentiment was stronger in Montgomery than in the other places which he had visited. He apparently entertained the belief that he and the principles he ad- vocated had been more effectively fought in this city than the other places which he had visited in the South. Judged by the newspaper accounts of his other speeches, his' Montgomery ad- dress was marked by more bitterness, more personal animosity and more pas sion than elsewhere. If the newspaper accounts of his other addresses are cor rect, his Montgomery speech was mark ed by more virulence and more vehe- mence."
 "Reorganizers' Denounced.
 Grover Cleveland and the Democratic editors who differed from him were made the subjects of his attacks The men whom he designated as "reorgan- izers' were denounced as a corrupt gang, and described as grovellng before Wall street. He was particularly bitter in his abuse of the last Cleveland ad- ministration and he took occasion to de- clare that in his two unsuccessful cam paigns the odium of the two Democratic administrations did more to defeat the Democratic party than anything else.
 He declared that free silver was not dead and reaffirmed his allegiance to it. He pleaded with his hearers to insist in the Democratic platform upon a reaf- | firmance on the Kansas City platform.
 He asserted passionately that James B. Weaver was a better Democrat than Grover Cleveland. For the second time in Montgomery he, by inuendo, singled out The Advertiser for an attack. MT. Bryan reached the city yesterday | evening at $40 o'clock coming here from Tuscaloosa. where he spoke yesterday at | noon. He was accompanied by John W. | Tomlinson of Birmingham.
 At Billingly quite a crowd had collect ed at the station, and MT. Bryan appear | ed on the platform and shook hands with the people during his short stay. At Prattville perhaps hundred people had | assembled. H. s. Doster of that place had telegraphed MT. Bryan telling him that the people of Prattville expected a speech From the rear platform Mir. Bryan spoke for about three minutes. | At the Montgomery depot MT. Bryan was met by a committee consisting of O.. c. Maner. J. Thomas Heflin Pat Mo- Gauly. Horace Hood, Terry Richardson, c P. Mcintyre, Dr. M. L. Wood and J. | s. Edson. He was escorted by the com mittee to the Exchange Hotel. A few minutes later the committee escorted MT. | Bryan to Fleming's restaurant where | supper was had.
 The seats in the theatre were filled a few minutes before o'clock. The doors were immediately closed and no one was | allowed standing room in obedience to a recently passed ordinance. Some of the people who were turned away from the doors secured seats through the interven- ton of friends on the stage.
 There were perhaps fifty people on the stage when the curtain rose and the theatre seating capacity was tested. The principal seats on the stage were occupied by the members of the committee which had met MT. Bryan at the depot. Introduced by Heflin.
 NIT. 6Tydn was introduced by Secretary of State J. Tom Hef1in in a highly eulo- gistic strain. In beginning MT. He1ln said: "The most distinguished honor that l have ever worn is the one the commit tee has placed upon me, the introduction of the speaker of this evening, the purest and best of men"
 When the introduction closed with the name of William Jennings Bryan there was applause from a portion of the audi ence for perhaps a minute. The enthu- siastic applauders appeared to be widely scattered through the audience and from them. except in one instance when the applause was general, the hand clapping and yelling came.
 The years have not dealt easily with MT. Bryan. 'Che black curls that orna- mented his head on his visit here eight years ago are nearly all gone His bald ness now is most pronounced. He has grown noticeably stouter and his move ments lack the grace and vigor that was part of his stage presence in the fercely fought silver campaign of 1S96 But most of all his voice has deteriorated in the years that passed. Only now and then did the ringing tones that so highly eulogized sixteen to one eight years ago come at his bidding. Too often it was husky and there were times, when in his passion and vehemence, that 1t approach ed shri,lness.
 He was bitter and almost virulent in his last nights speech. The parts of his speech that were marked by boise and