Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-07-29

Lay on McDuH,
And id be he
Who first cries hold, enough"
SEvENTY-SIxER.
SEMPHRONICUS ON THE
CHICAGO CONVENTION.
Maybe Old Ben Played the Fool
and Maybe he Didn't.
Well the big circus at Chicago
has passed off and u knight errant
has been chosen to lead the silver
host. 1t was a convention, the pro-
totype Of which is not to be found
in history. A platform demanding
the most radical changes ever be-
fore sought by any party, was
blown forth in trumpet tones to
the country. The scenes eracted,
the deep passions stirred reminds
one of the Charlist agitators, or
ballot reform fanatics in England,
or the wild open air concourses of
Irish home rulers, swayed and en-
frenzied by the burning eloquence
of O'Connel. When we see the staid
and decorous Daniel manifest
ing the ardor of youth as be join
ed the Bryan procession, waving
aloft the flag of the old Dominion,
need we be surprised a the enthu-
slasm of younger m"n2 And too
the tact of Bryan i'll taking advan-
tage of the frame of mind of the
convention after the speeches of
Tillman, Hill, Jones, and others,
to make a speech of hroadest pa
triotism, was marvellous. 1t was
more than tact it was positive
genius-it was the highest form
vi political wisdom. Many are
surprised that old stagers like Boi 8
and Bland were left out. If the
ma ter is rightfu.ly considered,
there should be no cause of sur
prise. Neither of thesa men had
an enthusiastic following outside of
one or two states. They were nam
ed as possibilities, because they
were the best known of silver ad-
vocates and were from the middle
west. Silver mad no apostle as
protection had in Mckinley. Con-
seouently when the man of
the hour" appeared, the
lukewarn foilowings of Bland and
Boies fell towards HIM as stone
falls to the earth.
Many are saying that ''old Ben"
played the fool in his speech.
Maybe he did and maybe he didn't,
He certainly told nothing but the
truth. He saw he didn't stand any
showing for the mountaineering
Ihas seen it for some time. Some
I,nr Hat B & + il + he Il had t slrowr
1.-The proper tact he might have come
in on the home stretch as Bryan
did. Looking at the cage calmly,
we see that the situation was al
together different as between Bryan
and Tillman. The frs was from
an unobjectional place, had no bit
ter national enemies; and had
etrono accents at work. Tillman had
none of these advantages.
Who knows but that Gilman
took the wisest course of getting
the presidency? Bryan is not elect
ed vet. True, he has fine pros
pect heform him; but many a
finer summer has had falling
leaves and November tears" for
it's harvest. But were Bryan even
elected, free silver is by no means
an assured fact. Harrison was q
"Force bill" man. but the force
bill never passed.
Free silver may be an issue
again, Stranger things have hap
pened. If it is, who can predict
I'll, mans chance? Mckinley was
as much a possibility in 1892 as
Tillman was in 1896. Yet how
overwhelmingly was he beaten in
the former year and how triumph
antly he carried the day in the
latter. The Scotch have proverb,
"the best laid plans of mice and
men, gang aft aglee." A truer say
ing never was uttered. If silver in
any way miscarries in the next
four years, B. R. Tillman will her
ablest champion.
The question is sectional one,
Any man who says the North and
East. are not a:rayed against the
South and West, is speaking
through his hat. Tillman has ia.
ken stands in state politics that
the most intelligent men thought
he would fail in but he always
ca1oe out ahead. Who knows but
that Tillman's speech is but the
beginning of a drama of many
parts?
I do not wish to be taken as op
posing Bry an. [ do hope "tht
groundsweel" may seat him in tht
presidents chair, which his higf
character and statesmalship would
brilliantly adorn.
SEMPHRoNIcUs.