The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-03-21
CHANCE FOR BRYAN
Mr.. 8ayne Tells How the 2epuo-
lican Party Lost Its Grip.
PORTO RlcAN BILL DID IT.
The Georgia Editor Thinks the
Democrats Can Knock the
Grand Old Party Out
Of the Sex

Several months ago Nr. ChaS. j..
Bayne, editor OF the Augusta Herald,
went to Washington and since then he
has been writing letters regularly to his
paper Up to a very recent date Mr..
BayDe in his letters predicted that the
Republican party would have walk
over in the ncxt presidential! campaign
but recently he has changed considcra-
bly,, and now seems to think that the
Democrats have the best chance The
fact that Mr.. }ayne is Palmer and
Buckuer goldbug, and is on the ground
at political headquarters, makes his
opinion valuable Writing from Wash
iDgtou under date Of March IA he says:
1T may be safely asserted that never
before during period Of equal brevity
has there been such shifting Of great
national principles. 1t has been form
tive period, and the Sho!e country real
ICES that issues are now being developed
which are to furnish the slogans of fu-
ture contests between the two great
parties-the only two parties which
can ever be worthy of the name and
position Of distinctive tactionalism.
81 have previously endeavored to
trace the disintegration of the old rar-
ty lines, with side lights drawn from
the respective attitudes Of the men
who control" in the Democratic AID in
the Republican ranks. l have tried to
show that whereas at one time it was
a disgrace for man to 60 to the polls
and openly, boldly vote the Republican
ticket, the common sense of the couu
try has SO far prevailed against silver
ism aud many other measures closely
identified with the demo-populist plat
form that the greatest good to the great
est mum Der Of patriotic Americans is
now their paramount consideration.
Factional lines have but little to do
with the situation.
"These thoughts are inspired by
readjustment of socalled party lines
bow going on which cannot fail to at.
tract attention-wbich, indeed, will
form the basis of the contests in poll.
tics for many years to come. Fortified
by its friendship, recently expressed iu
statutes, towards the gold standard,
and secure in its advocacy Of eZpan-
sion as the manifest destiny" Of a
humane people-not to speak of the
commercial advantages to be derived
from securing the markets Of the Orl
ent for our ten cents cotton-the Re
publican party had q walk over.
but We may as we'll be candid
among ourselves. While one party
may have IS much to redeem it as the
other, the blunder Of imposing tariff
on the products of Porto Rico has dis
rupted the Republican party. There
are no milder terms which will ade-
ouately convey the meaning. 1t has
caused a hurrying to and fro at the
white house, where private consulta-
tions are held. It has alienated
great many of the strong friends Of the
ADMINISTRATION and jeopardized the
middle west and northwestern states,
who want free trade. It has done
more than that. 1t has made it
distinctly question whether the pres.
eut "powers that be" can carry the
country.
"A month ago it would have been
more than folly to ask who would be
the nominees Of the respective parties.
Perhaps it is still fully to doubt that
Mckinley will be the unanimous choice
Of the people who have placed him in
power. But the disruption to which l
have referred is growing, nevertheless,
and there are good grounds for assum.
ing that ex-President Harrison, incar-
nation that be is Of the Force bill,
which is red rag to the Southern bull,
may yet become factor in the conven.
ton to be held by the Republicans in
Philadelphia next July. He has stated
in plain terms that 1t is our ::'plain
duty, TO quote Mr.. McKinley-to
give free trade to the Porto Ricans,
and in departing from the terms and
provisions of the constitution We have
departed from right principles, as he
sees them.
.'The gum Of it all is that the Re
publican party has lost the cinch it had
a few weeks ago; that the Porto Rican
tariff, imposed at the behest-thc COM
mand-of the sugar, oil, tobacco and
rum mouopolies Of the country has
split the Republican party in twain
aud that the breaking up of party ties
which hitherto has been chiefly on the
side Of the Democratic party, now
marks the transformation of the other
camp, and no man knows what will be
the result. Charles J. Bayne.