The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-10-09
THE EYANGEL ISA
STOCK FARMER
Talks Very Little Politics But Can Tell
About Horses.
HIS CHECKERED CAREER
Was the InStigatOr Of the Peoples
Party in Alabama.
LIVED ON BALLOT REFORM SCHEME
And Then Flopped Over to the Repub-
licans-Handled Reeds Money in
South During His Campaign
for the Nomination.
LIVED ON BALLOT REFORM SCHEME

Joel C. Manning, known throughout Ala
bama as the "evangel," and well known
through the north and west as a political
orator, is spending few days in the CITY.
Manning is probably the most famous
man in politics for his age in the United
States. He is only in his 2Sth year, but is
prominently known from the great lakes to
Florida and from Maine to California.
There is probably no in the south to-
day who stands so close to such leaders
of the republican party as Thomas .. Reed.
Garrison, James E. Mholland, of the New
York Tribune, and others as "Evangel"
Manning.
In the last republican campaign, when
William Mckinley and Thomas b. Reed
were contesting for the presidential nomi-
nation, Manning was the confidential adj
wiser for Reed in the southern states. 1t
is said that Reed did not spend dollar in
the south but that he first consulted Man.
ming. In fact, Manning was the architect
and builder of republican mushroom hope
in the south. When Mr.. Mckinley was
elected the "evangel'' was given an excep-
tionally strong endorsement for the fat po-
sition of register of the treasury, but the
sly old Marcus knocked the career of the
young Albanian into innocuous desuetude,
and he is today living a quiet life down
on his Talapoosa county farm, where he
is RECALLED by the music of splendid herds of
swine. Manning is not like that historical
young man who would fain have fed upon
the husks of swine, but he has blossomed
forth into a sturdy stock farmer. He does
not talk politics now, but he can tell the
age of a horse by his teeth and sheer
lamb with dexterity. He probably gained
his effectiveness in this last trick by his
abundant experience in fleeing the repub-
lcan lambs of the east
Manning is a native of Clay county, Ala
bama, but in 1891 he lived in Atlanta, and
was editor of the American Press associa-
ton, making local reputation as news
paper man. In the latter part of that year
on the occasion of a big labor day ceebra-
ton, Manning was called on for a speech
just after Burton Smith, brother of Hoke
Smith, had finished 1t required but few
minutes for the Alabama boy to demon
strate that he was equal to the OCCASION
and this, his first effort at public speaking,
was given from two to three columns of
space by the local press. Uproarous APP
hearers were wrought up to the highest
pitch of enthusiasm. After this, invitations
from the labor unions. and farmers all
ances in Georgia came thick and fast for
him to make addresse, and he made a few
speeches upon reform questions.
He Opposed Cleveland
In 1892 he resigned the editorial chair and
returned to his native state to enter politics
as an opponent to Clevelandism. 1t was in
this year that Thomas G. Jones and Reu-
ben F. Kolb were making the second fight
for the democratic nomination for COVER
nor Manning at once grasped the situa-
ton. He saw that while the campaign was
at fever heat, 1t was the opportune time
for the organization of the peoples party,
and he set to work to impress the members
of the Farmers 'allicnce, which at that
time had a very powerful membership. He
caused such leaders of the reform move
ment as Colonel L. L. Polk, of North Caro-
Llama, H e. Taubeneck, Of Ohio, and others
to come to Birmingham and consult him,
without the knowledge of the democratic
opposition. In March and April he showed
his fine italian hand" and carried the
alliance "kerplunck'' into the populist
party.
Birmingham was made the political head
quarters of the young man, and not until
that time had there ever been held in this
city state political meeting of any nature.
Manning presided over the first convention
of the peoples party held in this state, and
was chairman of the Alabama delegation
to Omaha which nominated Weaver for the
presidency. At this time he had be-
come so famous as an orator that he was
selected to place the name of General
Weaver in nomination. He was also vice
president of the Omaha convention, and
was made member of the national cam
paign committee There were only three