The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-11
MORAL FIGURE IN oUa POLITICS
Wiil:=m j. Bryan the Strongest Force
in the Nation.

Wiili=m j. Bryan the Strongest Force
in the Nation.
Thoughtful men in America are
coming steadily and rapidly to the
conclusion that William J. Bryan is
the strongest moral force in the poll
tics o; the republic, says the Atlanta
News.
There has never been a mpaign
led by this great dem ,crat in wbicn
the moral note has not been heard,
clear and definite, above all other is.
i>ues Of the canvas. Right, ju,t.c
and truth, as Bryan saw them, have
been the key words OF every argument
that has pulsed the two most eio
queat and stirring presidential cam
paigns that the American hustings
have ever known. Everywhere the
moral ncte has been dominant.
Take fer Instance the recent contri
buJlol Of the Outlook, perhaps the
most thoughtful u5serance Of Mr..
Bryan since the St. Louis convention,
and this is its general paragraph:
'Tne democratic party is now il a
position to con.id.r the moral issues
presented by pending problems, and
in the presentation Of the mora!
phases Of pl.blic questions Is the
strength Of the democratic position
today. Every great political Ques
tioa has an econ*mic bearing, and
every economic question is at fjunda-
tion moral question. The line De-
tween right and wrong ruas through
every problem Of government, and The
final decision Of the problem is along
this line. No proposition is better
supported by history than that
"rjyh:e usness eXalteth a naticnnn
and it i, as true OF party as it is OF
a nation. In fact. no one c n form an
accurate judgment upon the indiyidu
al man or upon groups OF men who
does not accept as his najos premise
that truth rests upon jls5ice, and is
omnipotent. Just 10 s, far as an in
div;Gual follows this doctrine be sue
ceeds; there is no other measure Of
success. Ia proportion as he departs
from tais doctrine be fails. II for a
time he seems to prosper, bis pros
psritY is only apparent, for no amount
OF wealth or honor can compensate fo1
the doing Of aa mi 1stice, and history
deals with men, With parties, and
WITH nations, according to one inex.
orable laE-"The wages Of sin is
Death"
Wnere was there ever a political
career more clearly pitched and mora
lesolutely maintained along high lines
taan thi It Is like a west wind
driving tie miasna cf mo1ern poli.
tics TO hear a man talk like. that
when all men know that there is
mar bshind the words Who has lived
the words to the liae and toe letter.
TLere is not Stain on Bryan:
public or private life, even in the
mirror which his ensmiss ho'd up BE-
fore him. No wcnd T that Lyman
Abbott, In the Outlook, s>aunca in
dependent, and often staunca repub
lican. should edito:iaily declare:
There is NJ misunderstanding Mr.
Bryan. BE does not guard his afirm.
ations with so many qualification that
no man can guess what he really at
firms, nor leave so many l0op-holes
for retreat IN case hi, doctrines fai
TO find adherents, nor use words IN
double sense, nor employ them to OBJ
scuIe his meaning. nor put on a sem
blance Of wisdom and morality by in.
du]gence 10 general plattitudes. He
is clear, defaite, positive, concrete
TIE intelligent and honest reader car
easily understand his meaning,
Whether be will be the democratic
candidate in 1868, or even the demo
cratic leader in the interim, it is too
cary TO pyophssy. But it cannot b:
douoted that le is the clearest an1
ablest exponent, If not Of opinions en-.
tertained. at least Of a political spirit
and purpose shared by vary grea1
number of American citizens, and ST.
the rep: sentative Of a political fore
which must be reckonec With, and
If reckoned With, must be under
stood"
1t Is not The language OF enthusi.
ssm OF Of psrtisanship, but sim pie
statement Of truth which cEa!lenee the
candur Of all true citizens, that Bry.
ans life and Bryan's arguments and
Bryar;s record Of consistency and sin
cerity have enriched the moral tone
of the republic.
We have said years ago as We say
today, that il William J. Bryan lives
and labors for ten years longer on the
same lofty plane that be follows now,
he will hold in this rep2bl'c the
position which William E Gladstone
held in our Mother England across
the sea.
A moral force in republic must
eventually bccome its mightiest force.
Eonod His dead RO1v