The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-03-18
LAURENs. s. c.. Mar. is, 1908.
Honest but Abandoned.

that he had convictions. So said they
alE He declared that free silver was
right in principle and forever right.
SO said they all. Bryan is now where
he was then. Not so with the others.
sajBrym writes and speaks now as he has
always spoken and written. The others
speak and write on other subjects.
In 1895 we believed that Mr.. Bryan
was honestly but hopelessly aud wretch
edly wrong. Events seem to have
provSH ~. In former years, the
statesmen, the big gun Democrats,
told the people that free silver was the
great n unloading Democratic doctrine.
These Statement. these Big Gun Demo-
efats, who told the people, making them
believe, that political life, salvation
and hope, depended on free coinage at
16 to l, have abandoned free silver.
They do not mention it. They dare not
mention it. Apparently they are
acknowledges, ashamed Of 1t. The
men who were i3ude3t about free Sill
YER, the men most intolerant Of "gold
bugs,'' are the men who most despise
1t now.
In 1896 the Democrats Of South
Carolina sent a delegation to the Chi
cago Convention pledged to bolt the
Convention unless it should declare for
l6 to L. Thus they were ready to
smash the party to save free silver.
If free silver was a right principle
and an essential Democratic principle
then, why is it not right and essential
now? III it be right and essential now
why Ia poor Bryan left solitary and
alone to champion it?
The history of the Democratic party
: for seven years msrely teaches that
the people are sometimes deceived by
their leaders. The political leaders
largely shape party sentiment. They
do the talking. The average man does
not make up his own mind. He thinks
he does, OF course. But he hasn't the
time. He hears the views Of his favor
lite political leader and begins to
shout. That is why it is important to
have reasonably honest leaders.
The habit has bsen in this state for
the leaders to suppress their convic-
lions and applaud what they think is
for the time popular. This is proven
by the fact that few of our leaders adj
vocate now what they advocated five or
ten years ago. In 1892 the sub-treasury
was the cry. 1t died quick and is un-
Universally admitted now to have been
a most fool proposition but the leaders
favored it. Not even the b ldest of them
who knew how silly a notion it was had
the grit to stand up before the people
and say so. Not n had the nerve to
challenge defeat for the time. Each
one wanted office and cared not a fig
for Democratic principle. 1t was the
same with free silver and it will be the
same with "anti-imperalism," so
called. Now our leaders, great lead
ers, are rearing in their boots about
trusts and no two of them agree on
what is meant by the word. This is
when they are away from home. Mean
while they are promoting at home the
only monopoly in merchandise that
has even been openly created and pro-
tected by monopolistic laws in the
United States.
General Wade Hampton was a leader
with the whim of the majoIity. He was
a gold bug all his life and q low tariff
man all his life and to him Democracy
meant about the same thing one year
as another. He was not afraid of de-
feat. He felt the duty of telling the
truth and, he did. There were very
few like Wade Hampton.
Some of these days the people will
learn that the 'underdog'' is not ne.
cessarily their enemy and that the man
who is making the most noise about
what happens to bs the popular fad at
the moment is not necessarily their
best friend. Take prohibitionists, for
example. They are at present the
most completely whipped crowd in the
state. No man could run for office as @
prohibitionist and be elected. In this
State OF South Carolina we have made
whiskey, or the trade in whiskey, our
political god. Whiskey is the "whole
thing" No man could be elected to
office who did not approve or pretend
to approve the state whiskey trade.
And yet it is possible that the prohibit
tionists are right and that in q few
years we shall all acknowledge it. The
ADVERTISER does not believe in either
prohibition or the dispensary - but
THE ADVERTISER may be in error.
Poor Bryan, he is an object OF pity
because he seems to be comparatively
honest In his views. Now he finds him
self left desolate by the scores OF great
Democrats who in 1896 and 1900 hailed
him as their prophet and free silver as
their creed. Nevertheless, a straight
forward man like Bryan Is worth more
to the people in the long run than the
the great leaders who do not lose their
jobs.
~
Make 1t 5000.
The time has come when the salary
of the mayor of Laurens should be in
creased, The sum of 1870 ia far ioo