The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-01-11
SAVED HIS PARTY.
BRYAN is a Man Of Brains and
Breadth.
He is STRONGER THAN EVER
His Statesmanlike Advice on the
Philippine, Peace Treaty and
Army Bill Issues. Signifi-
cant Statements.
cant Statements.

The Washington correspondent says:
The wisdom of the decision of the
Democratic leaders in congress to make
no fight on the ratification of the peace
treaty, but to fight out the territorial
question as separate proposition, Is
becoming every day more aud more
manifest. 1t is very evident that
condition which bade far to produce
dissensions and differences in Demo
cratic ranks has been so changed by the
wisdom of few men that the party
presents practically solid front on all
political questions, and has been
strengthened where there was danger OF
its being greatly weakened.
This fact of united Democracy IS
the first and more important effect OF
the conferences held between Mr.. Bry-
an anG other Democratic leaders upon
the occasion of his recent visit here.
Another result of that visit-and it is
one which is sure to play an important
part upon the politics of the future-is
this: Mr.. Bryan himself has been great
" strengthened in the eyes of a great
many people by the wisdom of the
course which he pursued.
Men who few weeks ago we're in
clined to join in the criticism Of Bry-
an and to regard him as too closely al
lied to one particular issue to be an al
together safe man on other issues-a
big, broad leader in other words-are
now the loudest in singing his praises
and declaring that the Nebraskan is all
that his most enthusiastic friends have
ever claimed for him.
Of course there has never been any
ground for this criticism of Bryan, but
it has been of character designed to
d. the man himself harm. The mis-
representation of the eastern press has
been continuous. Everything Bryan
did, every word he uttered, was criti-
ciscd and distorted. The motives Of
the man in entering the army were
questioned, and his attitude upon the
question Of staying in or getting out OF
the service was distorted. 1t was de-
clared that he was anxious to resign
when he had no such thought; the fact
that he did soldiers part and refused
to open his mouth either in praise or
criticism has made him the subject for
ridicule, Just as was the fact that be-
fore he entered the service he had some
thing to say about the war; the same
crowd which criticised him for volun-
teering his services when the president
had called for volunteers also criticised
him for resigning his commission when
the treaty of peace had been signed.
All this was Of course, inspired by
the interests which fear the inhunce Of
Bryan upon the politics Of the future:
| Ordinarily man who has been defeated
for Office is not regarded as formidable;
defeat in most cases is sin for which
it is difficult to find forgiveness; but
the Republicans realize that Bryan IS
no ordinary man. and that the defeat he
sustained in 1896 when all the odds
Sere so terribly against him, was no
ordinary defeat. They see the man is
power, and seeing this, they have,
from the first, done everything they
could do to weaken his influence.
| One result of this onslaught Of crlti-
cism was that not few Democrats here
in Washington, where public men fall
more OF less under the influence of the
/ eastern press, were inclined, as they
expressed it, to weaken on Bryan. .
One of these men, member OF the
house whose influence on the Demo.
cratic side is great and who isrecognlzed
as a national figure, said to NE tonight,
in discussing Bryan:
4 give it up. You know | have
been inclined all the time to the belief
that Bryan's career was largely meteo-
ric. and that while he was undoubtedly
splendid candidate for US in that last
campaign which was made entirely upon
the silver issue, he did not possess all
the elements of big leader. confess
that have studid his utterances in
vain for evidence to substantitate my
idea, but despite his failure /, and a
good many others like me, have been
inclined against Bryan. But my opin-
ion has changed. I believe now that
he is not only brilliant orator and a
man of great force, but that he is also a
man of great brains and possesses the
breadth and the wisdom fo1 wise and
safe counselor He is in reality great
leader"
Continuing, this member of congress
went on to say: Bryan has saved the
party in congress from making TWO very
serious mistakes. With the best intel-
tons in the world, We were on the verge
Of getting into two holes, both Of which
would have done to the party great
harm. In the first place, our Demo
Gratis in the senate were most OF them
inclined to make the mistake Of plac-
ing the party in the position Of oppos-
ing the ratification Of the peace treaty
They we're, of course, inspired by the
purest of motives, their object being to
give expression to their views on the
question of tie dispositionof the Philip
pines. They did not seem to know eS-
actly how they were going to able to do
this unless they ought to amend the
peace treaty and do everything in their
power to prevent its ratification. To
have done that would have meant to put
the party in false light before the
country. We never could explain to
the satisfaction Of the American people
our advocacy of the policy which would
result, technically at least, If returning
to state Of war"
'sThe American people want peace.
a great many Of US believe that the
American people do not want to retain
the Philippines permanently. but tits
even mere certain that a great majority
Of the people would not think of allow
ing thoss possessions going back to
Sna;n When Mr.. BRYAN came and ad,