The Herald

SOLID FOR SILVER.

The People of Antelope Valley Hold a Grand Demonstration.

The Antelope Valley association held its semi-annual meeting at Lancaster Friday and Saturday. About five hundred people were in attendance.

Friday was devoted to the routine and special business of the society, while Saturday was given up entirely to a joint Republican and silver discussion of the political issues of the day.

Friday evening the Rev. Burt Estes Howard of Los Angeles delivered a masterful address on the Impending Crisis, sounding the keynote of alarm in the concentration of wealth on one side as against poverty on the other—the classes versus the masses.

The reverend gentleman pointed out moral in the conclusion of his lecture when he said that the lessons of history proved that in every conflict of this character the people always triumphed in the end.

Saturday morning the Antelope Valley silver club, headed by the Almondale brass band, formed in line in front of the Lancaster hotel and escorted the speaker of the day to the school house. The banner of the club was borne by an old-time Republican of Palmdale and the flag by one of the brave Grand Army comrades of the valley, himself a silver Republican. The procession was very creditable to the valley and spoke volumes for the silver sentiment of this section, where a recent poll shows that 95 of the 441 voters will cast their ballots for Bryan in November.

At the school house a large and enthusiastic audience had assembled, two-thirds of whom were silver men.

The debate was opened promptly at 9 a. m. by ex-Congressman Davis of Minnesota for the gold side, who spoke for one hour and fifteen minutes. S. A. W. Carver of Los Angeles followed for silver in a logical and convincing address, which caught the enthusiasm of the crowd and held their attention until the noon recess.

After dinner Candidates Mellick and Sprague for the legislature, Hazard and Allen for the superior bench, and E. E. Johnson for supervisor of this district, made brief speeches which were well received. A patriotic letter from James Hanley was also read.

The debate was then renewed by Congressman McLachlan, the high and lofty tumbler on the silver and other questions. James was not in very good form. He has lost the nerve that used to be his sustaining grace and as this was his first and only appearance before an audience distinctively silver in its sentiment, he was apparently ill at ease and suspicious of breakers ahead.

But he was courteously treated and when he spoke of the "nauseous silver dose" the Democratic party were trying to ram down the throats of the American people the crowd went wild with enthusiasm, cheering and waving their hats for several minutes.

James did not talk long after this outbreak, but hurried through his speech and took the first freight train out of town. Of the forty odd votes of this precinct it is said that exactly three will go for "Flopper Jim" on election day.

A. R. Sprague and Earl Rogers, in stirring speeches for the silverites and G. W. Burton for the goldbugs closed the debate. Altogether the day was a memorable one for the people of the Antelope valley and a decisive and well won victory for the silver forces.

The silver Republicans wore their new and handsome badges for the first time on this occasion, some thirty odd badges being counted in the audience.