The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-26

electric light plants and other enter prises.
 Spartanburg county is under water as the result of a heavy rain that has been falling for AS hours It is estimated that s$150000 will not cover the damage to bridges in the county, dozen or more having been washed away early in the afternoon.
 
 deemed essential to the security and well fare of the commonwealth.
 Tt is a just cause this fight of ours, for return to the first principles of self government and under the leadership of yourself and your illustrious colleague, whom I have just described, the names of Bryan and Kern will spell success for the party that declares for popular rule"
 MT. Kern said
 Gentlemen of the Notification Com mittee-For the kindly and courteous manner in which you have conveyed to me the official notification of my nomina- tion as the democratic candidate for vice president of the United States, and for the eloquent words just spoken by your chairman in your behalf, thank you one and all.
 1 appreciate most highly this great honor conferred upon me by the unani- nous vote of the representatives of my party in national convention assembled, and l shall strive most earnestly to earn a continuation of the confidence and good will manifested by that action. 1 did not seek this nominations; indeed, if my own personal desires had been consulted an- other would have received the honor; but it having come to me without soicita- tion, I prize it all the more, and accept it with full sense of the burdens and re- responsibilities. As candidate 1 shall try to wear the honor worthily, and as faithfully as I can discharge all the du- ties properly devolving upon me one of your standard bearers, and, If elected. 1 promise to serve all the people of the republic by the conscientious discharge of the duties of the office. I have no thought that the men who made up that great convention at Denver nominated me as their candidate because they believed that l had ability or merit superior to that possessed by any one of the distinguished gentlemen whose names were considered in connection with the vice presidential nomination. Many years of service on my part might have had some slight in- fuence In determining their action, but l am persuaded that it was the chief pur- pose of the convention in choosing a son of Indiana as it's candidate to show it's appreciation of the great democratic party of this splendid commonwealth
  of million of men good and true-tHe very flower of the great democratic army of the republic. 1 prefer to accept this proffered honor in the name of these loyal democrats of Indiana, for whom the honor was, I believe, really intended
 Tribute To Bryan.
 It is pleasing to me to be associated in this campaign with the distinguished gentleman to whom the standard of the party has been committed. For years we have been friends. I recognize in him a man of spotless character and high ideals, always actuated by patriotic mo- tives and an earnest desire to promote the welfare, the honor, and the glory of his country. He became your candidate because his nomination was demanded by the rank and file of the party, which demand was emphasized by a popular movement in his favor, which, as it pro- ceeded so grew in volume and force as to become irresistible.
 He entered upon this campaign un- pledged to any special interests, under no obligations to any unlawful or other com- bination of capital, looking to no corpora tion for campaign contributions-absolut ly free to serve the people by carrying out the pledges of his party's platform. While he is the foe to unlawful monop- oy, and is prepared to lay heavy hand
 
 without fear or favor, and to combat the encroachments of greed upon honest en- deavor. he is the friend of every legiti- mate business enterprise, whether con- ducted by individual or corporation, and will sympathlze with the promotion of every movement which makes for the welfare and prosperity of the country.
 One-Man Power.
 A distinguished republican the other day referred to his influence with his party as one-man power. If by that he meant to say that Mr. Bryan possessed the power, in a marked degree, to in- fiuence the thought and arouse the con- science of the republic as no other man of his time, or if he meant that by his upright life, his consistent course his appeals for right living, and patriotic ac- tion, he has earned the confidence and personal affection of millions of his coun- trymen, and gained the respect and ad- miration of all the people of the world who love liberty and humanity-then the distinguished gentleman was right, with respect to the one-man power of Will liam Jennings Bryan.
 MT. Bryan has exerted no other power. He has had no subordinates to command, no officeholders to direct 1 think it may be safely said that there were no post masters nor other federal officeholders or II. Every delegate to that convention "car- ried his sovereignty under his own hat" and as an independent American man. owing no allegiance save to country and flag, cast his vote for Bryan because in his heart he believed that the nomina. ton and election of such a man was de- manded by the best interests of the re- public.
 "Shall People Ruler"
 The republican nominee for Vice Presi- dent in his recent speech of acceptance affected the belief that the question Shall the people rule?' implied charge of venality against the American electorate. He affirmed. with great emphasis, that under recent republican administration the people have ruled without let or hindrance. It is passing strange that in republic like this there should be oc- It is a government of the people and by the people. They presumably govern themselves through their servants whom they send to represent them in Congress. Their will when known, ought to be supreme, and should be given immediate effect.
 And if the will of the people once known is not given effect, then people do not rule.
 Will any intelligent man claim that there is or has been any substantial di- versity of opinion in this country on the question as whether the tariff duty on wood pulp used in the manufacture of paper should be reduced or removed? In this case the tariff tax operated for