Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-03-16
EVERYBODY LOVES BRYAN.
South Carolina Pays Tribute to the Great
Nebraskan.

South Carolina Pays Tribute to the Great
| Nebraskan.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
DUE WEST, March l2.-William j.
Bryan, the great apostle of free silver,
the champion of the masses and tho next
president Of the United States, came to
Due West yesterday afternoon, made an
address in Erskine college, rekindled the
smoldering enthusiasm Of thousands OF
his disciples, and left this morning for
Athens, Ga, taking with him not only
the best wishes of every soul in this place;
but, VI doubt not, nine-tenths of the really
patriotic white people in South Carolina.
have read in the papers from time to
time that free coinage was dead and that
Organism was dying out. 1 have seen it
stated also that such stories had their ORR
gin in that condition where the "wish is
father to the thought" but until yester-
day 1 never fully realized the true situa.
ton. Organism is not dead, and it can't
die except with William j. Bryan. be-
lieve strongly in the free coinage of silver.
| believe i'm it because it is just; but that
is not all of Organism" Talk of the
power of oratory, personal magnetism,
that indefinable something about some
people which makes you realize at once
that they belong to much higher and
nobler order of beings than the common
run; but when you see and hear Mr..
Bryan, you will realize what all this
means. You feel that the man was made
for something unusually great, and some
how you find it difficult to reconcile your
self to any other idea than that he would
confer more honor upon the presidency
than the presidency would on him. He
has not gone backward. He can't-just
wait and see.
1t was in answer to an invitation from
the students Of Erskine that Mr.. Bryan
was here. We wanted him to come dur
ing commencement. He had never been
in this state; there was little reason to
hope that he could come during the heat
of the next campaign, and it looked as II
now would be AL oppotune time. But 1t
happened that tcommencementtim time would
not suit, and being near'us, over in Geor-
gia, he made it convenient to give US
visit at this time.
Mr.. Bryan left Augusta yesterday at
$50 O'Clock in the private car of Superin-
tendent Anderson, of the Charleston and
Western Carolina railroad. l am inform
ed that the railroad people desired to
have the honor of bringing him over as
guest; but he politely declined the invi-
tation with the explanation that he always
made it a rule to pay as he went.
Our friends at Greenwood had been
looking forward for several days to the
honor of having Mr.. Bryan stop there
for short time. 1t developed, however,
that the arranged schedule would not ad-
init of such stop, and committee went
down to Augusta to see about the matter.
The committee proposed to charter
special train; but when Mr.. Bryan was
informed of this, he decided to help the
committee out of the difficulty by calling
upon the railroad authorities in person
and arranged for stop at Greenwood.
The Greenwood people had already erec-
ted stand in the open air near the rail-
road, and when Mr.. Bryan arrived he
made speech to between 5000 and 5000
who had gathered to hear him.
The Greenwood incident delayed the
programme somewhat; but at Donald's,
Mr.. Bryan and party were met by a COM
mittee headed by DR.. Grier and num-
| Der of carriages. The Clemson band
played "Dixie'' and the great crowd OF
people gave expression to the enthusiasm
of the occasion 10y yelling until they were
hoarse. There was never such crowd at
Donald's before. All the space about the
station for long distance was literally
| jambed with every kind Of vehicle, al
most, that has been in use in this country
since the. Revolutionary war, and it is said
that after the procession was fully stretch
ed out, the head of it was here and the
tail end still waiting to leave the station,
four miles away.
Upon Mr.. Bryan's arrival, he, in COM
pany with Governor Ellerbe and num-
Der of other prominent visitors, were
taken to the residence of Professor Press
", and after dinner were allowed a brief
rest before entering upon the special
business of the day, the speaking in the
college auditorium.
The auditorium is generally considered
here as pretty big thing. 1t has heen
full before; but there has always been
room for more. The guests of honor, in
Guiding Mr.. Bryan, Governor Ellerbe,
Senator McLaurin, Hon. George ID. Till
man, Colonel w. 4. Neal, Congressman
Lentz, of Ohio; Showalter, of Pennsyl-
vania Norton and Latimer, were seated
on the stage. The young ladies OF the
female college were, of course, provided
for. They were gaily decked with pretty
ribbons and wore United States flags in
their hair. The college boys, including
those of Erskine, and delegations from
Clemson and Furman, had reserved seats.
| Besides these there were other reServa-
tions but altogether the space so occu-
pied was triiling. The great crowd liter
ally packed the building. There was not
nearly room enough, and many had to
remain outside.
DR.. Grier introduced Governor Ellerbe,
who made a few happily conceived re-
marks that awakened great enthusiasm.
The governor then introduced Mr., Bryan
and the applause was deafening. 1t came
in resounding salvos. 1t is indescriba-
ble.
Mr.. Bryan spoke for more than two
hours: He talked principally of the in
sincerity of the Republican party, the
frauds that have been committed in legis-
lation, and the desirabiity Of restoring
the free coinage of silver. | cannot give
you the speech in full, and l would not
attempt to condense it. tie did that as he
went along, and nothing but Il full report
rnull in my nniuinn. give Il fair ilna of