Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-25
ESTABLISHED 1850.
Cranks.
Montgomery .Adverfa,sv

as now. some can DC IO0nQ even in
Alabama-a few even In Montgomery.
There are both male and female-the
most eminent and influential of the lat
ter being Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe.
They are confined to no particular call
ing or station in life. For there are
cranks political, cranks financial, cranks
medical-clerical cranks-in fact all
sorts of cranks. Neither tho press nor
the pulpit is free from them. Perhaps
there are more cranks in the editorial
profession than in any other, and they
do as much harm as any others-the fact
being undeniable that the entire Repub-
lican press is either cranky or worse
All cranks are more or less hurtful to
the welfare and prosperity of society; for
there is no telling what moment they
may break forth into violence or into
some unfortunate indiscretion. There
are few, if any, entirely harmless cranks,
though there is now and then to be found
one whose good qualities and good me-
thods overbalance his bad qualities and
uncertain ways. David Davis is the
most harmless political crank Of the
times. His crankiness comes of no sor-
did quality-no venal craftiness or innate
wickedness. 1t comes of an overween.
ing ambition TO be a. big in public esti-
nation as he is in corporeal proportions
"a great big" independent somebody
whom all parties and persons are proud
to honor and exalt. Just such cranks as
he are rare, and though they do very little
good they are not apt to do much harm.
Grant is crank, but not q financial one
As the world goes, he is sound on
finances, for he takes all he can get; and
what is more he keeps it. His friend,
Jim Fisk, called him the "great national
hog" He ought rather to have called
him the great Radical crank; that would
at least have been more polite if not
quite so expressive.
Cranks are not necessarily fools-not
by any means. AS great clerical crank
as Beecher is, he is long way from
being an idiot In fact, he is one Of the
talented men Of the times. and yet for
all that he stands at the head of the
religious cranks OF the age. For who Of
all the prophets, false or true-who but
Beecher would have appeared at a politi-
cal meeting, even as its presiding officer,
and introduced to the crowd notorious
blasphemer-one who had, publicly
cursed his Makerf Talmage, or even
the late Bishop Gil Haven, does not ap-
proach the lofty crankiness of the noted
Plymouth preacher. But while Beecher
is justly entitled to rank as
chief of the clerical crauks OF
the country. it 10 q melancholy
fact that the class he heads is not very
sparse in numbers nor in many instances
very frail in influence and talent. 1t has
been just little while stree DR.. Thom-
as-perhaps the most eloquent and popu
lar preacher in Chicago-was tried for
heresy and expelled from the Methodist
Rock River Conference" of Illinois. of
which he had long bssn an honored
member Rev. DR.. ParkhHrst conducted
the prosecution, and he did so with a
vim-with the point and pathos worthy
of good man and a good cause Now,
this is what the Chicago ALIG0nce, a re-
ligious Journal of that city, says touch
ing DIR. Parkhurst's prosecution:
He said not word of the evil effects
of Methodist theology as shown by the
talk of the members Of the Conference
1t is susceptible of proof that, after the
most solemn meetings, many of the mir.
listers of Rock River Conference meet to
tell stories that would disgrace q bar
room, and that the prince Of these story
tellers is man high in the councils Of
the church, ruling spirit in the final
trial of DR.. Thomas. and a candidate for
bishopric at the last election"
This Candidate for the honors of a
Bishop is the Rev. Charles H. Fowler
the man who some years ago came South
on mission Of good will and brotherly
love-commissiOned 10y his church-aDd
in a speech before the representatives of
the Southern Methodist Church stirred
the hearts of his hearers with his warm
and eloquent words of admiration and
affection for his Southern brethren. And
then going back home and becoming pos
sessed with the notion of being Bishop
through stalwart influence as haven had
done. he went back on all he had said
in and for the South, just as Grant did,
and no one, of all the apostles Of hate,
could beat DR.. Charles II. Fowler, can
didate for Episcopal glory, in denounc-
ing and defaming his innocent brethren
of the South. And all the clerical cranks
applauded just as they did when one of
them, in a sermon, declared in the fer
vent frenzy Of his alteration, that Grant
was the greatest man that had honored
the earth since the days Of Jesus Christ.
What is not a little remarkable and
worthy of note just here, is the fact that
the crank in religion is very frequently
crank in politics also. From all the cranky
pulpits of the North-especialIy of New
YOrk-political thunder is frequently full
minated with as much vehemence and elo-
quence as are the terrors of the law; and
the lay members of the great religious
army of cranks are often, if you may be-
lieve them, moved by piety. Guitesu,
himself. is religious crank he has writ
ten religious work, "The Truth"-so-
called, and pretends to believe that he
was inspired by the Almighty to slay
President Garfield, and that it was for
the good of the great party of cranks and
criminals-even the party of great moral
ideas, so-called.
These religious political cranks, s.fauee
as it seems, are common even In Con
gress. When Senator Dawes stood up
last session, before the whole country in
the Senate chamber, and repeated in
pitiful tones, the awful story OF oppres-
sion, bloodshed and ruin at the South as
told by Munchausen tramp, it was re-
ligious crankiness finding utterance by
the tongue of political crank, even in
the United States Senate.
The most conspicuous crank at present
in the politics of the country is Senator
Mahone-the Readjuster, so-called. just
now he is the pet and plaything of the
Republican party. His success gives
them Joy and gladness, Just as Dorsey
and Brady's predicament affords them
trouble. These great lights-these skill
full engineers-cannot be spared TO the
penitentiary by the great party of cTanks
and criminals. They must be saved in
enc way or another.
What is to be done-where is relief to
be had in the polluting presence and un-
der tho deadly pressure of such mass
Of eTsnks and such mess of corruption
as the Republican party has poured out
upon the country?
1t is question that should enlist the
earnestlattention of the levelheaded men
of all sections The republic is in peril;
it is overwhelmed by cranksl Its honor.
it's integrity, its stability are being con.
sumed by the lusts of the Republican
party.
To the Democracy--to its level-headed
statesmansbip-to its purity and patriot
ism. do we still look-and look as the last
hope-for return to the faith and integ.
rity of the fathers and a perpetuaiion OF
the greatness of the American Govern
ment and the glory of American liberty.