The house was packed full of eager spectators who had come to see "the fun."Although the girls had taken charge of all the arrangements they had devoted the left side of the ample stage to the use of the Hopkins party，where a speaker's table and chairs for important guests had been placed.The right side was similarly arranged for the Forbes party，and between the two the entire center of the stage was occupied by a group of fifty young girls.Above this group a great banner wassuspended，reading："The Signs of the Times，"a catchword Mr.Hopkins had employed throughout the campaign.But the most astonishing thing was the appearance of the group of girls.They all wore plain white slips，upon which a variety of signs had been painted in prominent letters.Some costumes advertised baking—powders，others patent medicines，others soaps，chewing tobacco，breakfast foods，etc.From where they were seated in full view of the vast audience the girls appeared as a mass of advertising signs，and the banner above them indicated quite plainly that these were the "Signs of the Times."Mr.Hopkins，as he observed this scene，smiled withsatisfaction.He believed some of his friends had prepared this display to assist him and to disconcert the opposition，for nothing could have clinched his arguments better than the pretty young girls covered with advertisements of well known products.Even the Eagle Eye Breakfast Food was well represented.
After the orchestra had ？nished a selection，Mr.Hopkins rose to make the ？rst argument and was greeted with cheers.
"We are having a jolly campaign，my dear friends，"he began；"but you musn't take it altogether as a joke；because，while Mr.Forbes's erratic views and actions have done little real harm，we have been educated to an appreciation of certain benefits we enjoy which otherwise might have escaped our attention.
"This is a progressive，strenuousa age，and no section of the country has progressed more rapidly than this，the Eighth District of our great and glorious State.I may say without danger of contradiction that the people I have the honor to represent in the State Legislature，and expect to have the honor of representing the next term，are the most intelligent，the most thoughtful and the most prosperous to be found in any like district in the United States.（Cheers.）Who，then，dares to denounce them as fools？Who dares interfere with these liberties，who dares intrude uninvited into their premises and paint out the signs they have permitted to occupy their fences and barns and sheds？Who would do these things but an impertinent meddler who is so inexperienced in life that he sets his own ？imsyb judgment against that of the people？"The orator paused impressively to wait for more cheers，but the audience was silent.In the outskirts of the crowd a faint hissingc began to be heard.It reached the speaker's ear and he hurriedly resumed the oration.
"I do not say Mr.Forbes is not a good citizen，"said he，"but that he is misguided and unreasonable.A certain degree of deferenced is due the young man because he inherited considerable wealth from his uncle，and—"Again the hisses began，and Mr.Hopkins knew he mustabandon personal attacks or he would himself be discredited before his hearers.Kenneth and his supporters sat silent in their places，the three girls，who were now well known inthe district，forming part of the Republican group；and noneof them displayed the least annoyance at the vituperationa Mr.Hopkins had employed.
"I have already called your attention in my circulars，"resumed the speaker，"to the fact that advertising signs are the source of large income to the farmers of this district.I ？nd that three thousand，seven hundred and eighty—three dollars have been paid the farmers in the last ？ve years，without the least trouble or expense on their part；and this handsome sum of money belongs to them and should not be taken away.Stop and think for a moment.Advertising is the life of every business，and to fight successfully the great army of advertisers whose business is the life—blood of our institutions is as impossible as it is absurd.Suppose every farmer in this district refused to permit signs upon his property；what would be the result？Why，the farmers of other sections would get that much more money for letting privileges，and you would be that much out of pocket without suppressing the evil—if evil can attach to an industry that pays you good money without requiring either investment or labor in return."After continuing in this strain for some time，Mr.Hopkinsannounced that "he would now give way to his youthfuland inexperienced opponent，"and asked the audience to be patient with Mr.Forbes and considerate of "his extraordinary prejudices."Hopkins's policy of discrediting his opponent in advance was not very effective，for when Kenneth arose he was more enthusiastically cheered than Hopkins had been.The meeting was disposed to be fair—minded and quite willing to give Mr.Forbes a chance to explain his position.