The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-03-02
Toronto Crowd Quenches Bryan
With Cry t|How About Lusitania!?'

TORONTO, Ont, March 2.-William
J. Bryan was refused hearing when
he appeared at Massey Hall here last
night to address a prohibition meeting
under auspices of the Dominion ALI
ance. Returned soldiers caused the
disturbance by shouting various cpl
thets. what about the Lisitania?'
was demanded in chorus.
The first disturbance came before
Mr. Bryan's entry, when the chairman
told the audience they were to be hon
ored by listening to the fraternal
delegate of the Anti-Saloon league of
America, lone of the foremost citizens
of our ally
The chairman refrained from men
tioning Mr. Bryan's name as long as
he could, but when it came out at last
it was greeted by a chorus of cat calls
and cries, 1--WE don't want him." The
chairman appealed to the audience. 1t
was not a good thing for the city they
were doing, he said. and "a bad thing
for the cause we represent"
Then Mr.. Bryan came in and pande-
monium broke loose. Most of the au-
dience stood up, waved handkerchiefs
and cheered him, but the answering
boots from the gallery outlasted the
cheers.
For five minutes Mr.. Bryan tried to
make himself heard, but it was no use.
The interruption kept right on and the
interruptors sang Rule Britannia"
forcing the audience to join in, and
then God Save the King" They in
Guired about the Lusitania and sang
"Over There and I'VE Won't Go
Home Until Morning" Men stood up
and shook their fists at the American
secretary of state. Soldiers showed
the service button on their coats and
shouted defiance at those who pleaded
for a hearing for the visitor.
Enthusiastic prohibitionists who
wished to hear Mr.. Bryan, hurled
across the hall counter calls of Put
them out" and where's your fair
play?" The chairman was heard to
say something about ejecting the in
terruptors. He was greeted with cries
of Whose going to do it?''
Mr.. Bryan took his seat. John Fl.
Roberts of Montreal made an attempt
to speak, but was told to Get the
khaki on" Then a man of the army
medical corps dressed in uniform was
hoisted on the platform.
Boys, they are fighting for free
dom at the front; they are also fight
ing for freedom of thought. Why
should we interrupt the meeting?"
He appealed to the gallery.
The appeal was in vain. God Save
the King" was sung again and the sol
diers in the gallery shouted, Take
Bryan out and we'll walk out Well
let any man speak but not a pro-Ger-
man"
Tries Again in Vain.
After the band had played another
air Mr.. Bryan made a brief, but futile
attempt to make himself heard Then
he took chair to the edge of the plat |
form and talked to the reporters, the |
noise never ceasing for an instant
Il am here by invitation" said Mr.. |
Bryan. Il come as the representative !
of 25,000,000 of, the American people f!
who have banded themselves .togeth- |
er in various organizations for the |
promotion of prohibition l have
spoken in one hall tonight before an |
audience that gave me not only re- |
spectful, but enthusiastic attention.
Il find that less than percent |
probably more nearly less than 2 per |
cent of this audience refuses to allow
the rest of the audience to hear me |
speak. Ordinarily those who interrupt
meeting are put out because they |,
refuse an overwhelming majority the I
right to hear. In this case l am not
willing that force should be used to |
eject the men from the hall would |
rather that the meeting should break
up.
MY patriotism is satisfactory to i