Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-15
THINGS WARMING Up
Presidential Campaign Be.
coming Real Animated.
EXCHANGE OF OPINIONS
Bryan Responds to Taft in a Some
what Vinegary Style
LAST NIGHT IN BALTIMORE
Lack of Enthusiasm in the Armory
Meeting-Speaks Today in Wash
ington Park, Near Phillie.


PHILADELPHIA. Pa September Is
Things seem to be warming up The air
is so full of statements and counter-state-
mentS. assertions and denials, you dds
and Il didn'ts'' that the sun is obscured
and the chickens go TO roost ahead Of
time It is a mighty poor day now when
the two party chieftains don't say rude
things about each other, and the rude
ness is increasing with each exchange.
The personal element seems to be enter
ing more and more into the proposition,
too. and altogether the signs point to an
enjoyable time ahead for those folks who
enjoy a political battle under London
prize ring rules. with everything permit
ted, including gouging and hitting IN the
clincheS
Mr.. Bryan, who slept in Baltimore last
night, hadn't yet bounced out of bed when
his secretary, Bob Rose. who is nlmole in
feet and head, even If he does weigh
almost as much as the republican head
liner. took him morning paper contain
ing that lively Taft statement. And the
p. L., as soon as breakfast was over and
the Olvette had Strengthened out for the
two-hour run to this maligned village OF
philadelphia, dictated a statement in re-
ply. You'll find it in another column or
The Star, and so l won't go into details
here. But you should read it, for. what
ever one may think of the soundness OF
the foundation upon which Mr.. Bryan
builds his arguments, 1T is. just the same,
Straight-from-the-Sh talk.
Bryans Latest Statement.
In a general way Mr.. Bryan says that
Judge Taft is an estimable gentleman,
somewhat inclined to embonpoint is en-
deavoring to do the military schottische
and the Virginia reel on platform film-
silly built of worm-eaten planks. With
tears in his eyes the P. l.. pleads with
the republican candidate to tell every BODY
just where he stands and whether or not
all these burning, flaming issues really
feel so awfully hot to him. And then the
p. L. announces that all the things advo-
| Gated by Taft, which are at ali accept
| able from a democratic standpoint, We're
| advocated by Bryan before the Hood, OF
thereabout
Altogether I should say the Bryan
statement of this morning is just the
kind of political document to make Judge
Taft forget to smile for as much as
minute and to incline another eminent
gentleman. whose vocation is rapidly
drawing to close. to slam a helpless
tennis ball clear through the net.
Between you and me, and everybody
else | don't believe the Peerless Leader
was in any too salubrious humor this
morning. This may have had something
to do with the yinegary twang OF the
opening sentence of his statement, in
that he knows as little about my record
as he does about the public questions
which he has attempted to discuss.
Last Nights Baltimore Meeting.
You see, that big Baltimore meeting last
night wasn't wildly encouraging. The
p LIS reception was not warm enough &c
SINCE his hair, and up to date no reports
have reached us TO indicate that any one
there went crazy with enthusiasm:
l don't mean to say that the affair was
frost 1t wasn't in any particular. Fol
one thing. Mr.. Bryan has many friends
even in that camp of the enemy, and, tor
another. the organization got busy. SC
Mr.. Bryan got an excellent reception
when he made his initial appearance IL
the armory and was properly applauueo
whenever he elected a senator by direct
vote of the people, guaranteed bank de-
post or ground his heel into the sinister
countenance of the republican party. Bu'
it was apparent that most of the com
plimentary racket came from the seatec
forces of the organization. o Probably l5,-
OOO persons were in the hail when the
meeting opened and certainly not more
than half that number when II closed
There's no doubt, however. that the
weird and wonderful acoustic properties
of the armory were responsible IN larSs
measure for this otherwise dlscouragina
fact Mr.. Bryan is famed for his speaking
voice and ordinarily can make himself
heard in a hurricane. At Wheeling. as
We mentioned. fully 90,0oo persons gath.
cred in the open air heard him wltnoui
the slightest difficulty. But last night ne
was helpless. 1t is doubtful If more thar
the couple of thousand people nearest hlr
could hear all that he said
On the run to Philadelphia today Mr
Bryan's private car was all cluttered Witr
membership of a local committee. Ihese
folks came down from Philadelphia tc
Baltimore and made the trip back or
the Olivette. They included National COM
mitteeman James Kerr of PlttSburg; Jere
S. Black, president Of the Bryan League
of Pennsylvania; Neal Bonner, j: Bur
wood DAILY and others of Philadephis
whose names wouldn't cause any thrills
if mentioned. Anyhow. all of them are
frostbitten Pennsylvania democrats. Ar
irving here in Philadelphia. Mr.. Bryan
was escorted 10 the Bellevue-Stratford
where these and other political diGni-
taries tried to talk his arm off. They hao
mighty poor success at this, however
There has been rumor around for sew
eral years that Mr.. Bryan Is some shuckt
of a talker himself.
Speech at Washington Park.
After luncheon the peerless was escort.
ed-he never by any chance is permitteo
to go" anywhere-to Washington Park
at Gloucester, not far from Camden. n j.
where a big crowd gave him good HAND
and appeared to enjoy hearing him throw
IL
At o'clock this afternoon we leave
for Trenton, \. j.. where Mr.. Bryan VIII
speak at a meeting tonight. Somewhere
around the whitening hour of l. Trenton
will be left behind and a short hike made
to Jersey City. where the rest of the
night will be spent.
The P L. told some disappointed crowds
at Chester, Pa. and other points between
Baltimore and Philadelphia, through
which we went the run. that he
talk to them later in the week.
So they'll hear Bryan after he has run.
up to Rochester for day. as he Will come
right back here and make siZabie speect
at Wilmington. He has planned TO stay
here in the effete east until next Sunday,
and expects to be as busy as his voice
and his strength will let him from no"
until then. x,
One of the biggest speeches OF TINS
whole eastern tour will be made uo IN
New England somewhere. Incidentally.
guess Mr. Bryan wasn't tickled when he
read the incomplete returns from Maine
this morning. Why, If somebody had
gaIIoped up to subscribe for the Com.
moner he couldnt have been more pleased
He seems to think il extremely signih-
cant and all that sort of thing, and he
is waiting impatiently for the detailed