The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-09-26

ship Of railroads will find eyer-increas-
ing favor. Eastern South Carolina is
being drained of its life-blood by one
railroad; its chief city half in ruins,
with trade dwindled and warehouses
rotting: its vegetables rot on the way
to market. The best business men there
are on the verge of revolt: they have
never advocated gouernment owner
ship ofanything, but the stark ques-
ton OF ruin is before them. Relief
must come. if not in one way, then IN
another. So from end of the country
to the country TO the other the CRY is
beginning to rise. The rate bill is the
outcome of this, and the rate bill is
merely the forerunner OF sterner treat
meut.
The railroads themselves are making
arguments for government ownership.
Before long they will have piled them
up so high that action must follow in
tae nature of things.
According to the Bryan scheme, ma
tional ownership is to be confined to a
few trunk lines: the States are to have
control of the lpurely State lines, or
those which have their entire mileage
within any given State. This is the
scheme and it is advocated with all OF
Mr.. Bryan's vigor and persuasive
power
But beyond and above all arguments
stands Bryan the man. He is greater
than anything he advocates: he him
self is the platform; aa honest, Amerl-
can citizen, fearing naught. clean OF
heart and speech, pleading for purer
government, juster laws, more equita-
Bile administration. Rub out the entire
Bryan propaganda, and Bryan would
remain a sound piece of manhood, al
WAYS worth any nations while to con-
serve, and eminently worth any ma
| tion's while to use.
Somebody compared Bryan to Glad
stone, but except for common standards
there is very little in common between
the men. Yet in regard to these ideals
they have much in common. Glad
stones's mistakes came from a TOO san-
guine belief in human nature, especial
ly in savage nature, and one OF the pen
alties he paid was the slaughter OF Cor
don at Khartoum-the knlghtllest fg-
ure in the British empire, worth any
whole race of savages.
That the savage may be treated like
civilized being, permits of much
doubt. 10 bestow the blessing OF civ
ilization on China and Japan, while
they are plotting the ruin of our trade,
and are the consistent enemies OF
everything we hold sacred, is more
than doubtful, if not positively wrong.
Yet such mistakes are the faults OF
noble natures. They have been made
before; they will be made again. Prac-
tical craftsmanship has no place for
them. Bryan himself is worth more to
mankind than all the Chinese and Japs
who by special and inscrutable Provl-
dence have escaped perdition since the
beginning OF time.
No man may look at Bryan without
being struck at what splendid envoy
he would be to carry the Ameaican
idea to the ends of the earth: but at
! this stage of the game, his friends
would vastly prefer to see him carry 1t
on board first class battleship--no
threat in this, but merely as a protec-
ton readered necessary by the condl-
tion of the world at the present time.
Bryan abounds in delicious humor.
He tells joke and tells it uncommon.
Is well. He uses smiles with taste and
with point; but never, at any time, does
he Get far from his theme. He is argu-
ing d cause, near his heart.a cause that
appeals to mankind-fcr it is the cause
of Man, as he sees it. Despite the long
aud tedious campaigns he has gone
through he has about him the fresh
ness of vouth-eternal youth is writ
upon him; he will never grow old. The
mans sunny heart will keep him
yorng.
His is the face and voice to win con-
tidence. Anybody can and would trust
Bryan to any extent.
The civilization that lowered in him
must have its roots deep in human eX-
perience Slowly through many ages
has America been coming to this and
here at last it has arrived. An Amer
lean statesman, before miscellaneous
audience can still say and believe that
the Christian ideal is the only ideal for
Americans to look to, and that every
where he sees it gaining ground.
That is hopeful. that is.strong, that
raises courage anew. Again Bryan's
honesty is his dominating trait. He
has tried that: it has tried him:the Imu
tual result was good. Above all else
he stands for clean government. 1t IS
unthinkable that Bryan would condone
anything that savored of wroug-doing.
He might or might or might not have
an acceptable foreign policy, but his
administration would be an honest one,
and under it, so far as Bryan could give
it to him, the humblest man would
have chance.
That is a noble conception-worth
time and travail to work out: and if it
fail, he who has striven, knows he has
done well. It stimulates endeavor anew
to know that vested wrong can never
be safe, while that fearless champion
lives, and that Right need never de-
spair, when such an arm and voice are
raised throughout the length and
breadth of Christian lands to guide the
erring along safe road and to lift up
the week and lowly.
That, in few words, is Bryan, great
of heart, strong in courage, self-reliant
in soul, except when he hnmbles him
self before his Maker; a man IN the
worlds late ages with the spirit of the
Crusader. whom terror cannot daunt,
nor power terrify:a shining illustra-
tion of America finished product.
Whether he win or lose, America
and the world are gamers, for such an