Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-07-17


It is possible that the people of the Eastern
States will see and hear Mr.. Bryan, for it is
to be campaign nj education, and he will,
delphia and Baltimore.
VIM. ]. BRYAN.
William Jennings Bryan was born March
10. 1860, in Salem, Illinois. He was taught
under his mothers care until he was ten years
old. when he went to the public school at
Salem, which he attended for five years. At
the age of fifteen he went to the Whipple
Academy, in Jacksonville, ILL.,, which IS the
preparatory department OF the Illinois Col
lege, located at the same place. He spent two
years in the academy and four years in the
college, taking classical course. He repre-
sented his college in the interstate oratorical
contest in 1880 and was class orator and vale
dictorian in 1881. He then went to the Union
College of Law, in Chicago, and while in
attendance there was in the Office of Lyman
Trumbull. He left the law school June IS,
1888, and went to Jacksonville to practice
law, remaining at Jacksonville till October,
1887 when he removed to Lincoln. Nebraska,
going into partnership with A. Il. Talbot,
elassmate of the law school.
IN CONGRESS-
He had taken part in political campaigns
5ince 1880 and made number of speeches. He
took part in the campaign of 1888 in Nebraska
and was nominated to represent the first dis
trict in congress in 1890. He was elected by
he majority of 6,713, although the district
rad gone Republican by 5, 400 when Secretary
A. hoo Iafa to6 i'm nd w c
thought to be certainly Republican,.
He supported VIM. NJ Springer for Speaker
n the fifty-second congress, from whose dis
trict in Illinois he came originally. This
ed to his being put on the ways and means
committee in congress, of which Mr., Springer
was chairman, and on March 16, 1892, he made
a tariff speech that was the sensation of the
day and was literally distributed as cam
paign literature. He was reelected in 1892 by
14O majority, in spite of the fact that the leg
islature had redistricted the State and his
district in the previous election had given the
Republican ticket about 5000 majority.
In the ffty-thrd congress he helped to
frame the Wilson bill being member of the
ways and means committee, and took an
especially active part in the income-taX pro-
visions.
At the close of the debate on the income tax
in Congress replying to Bourke Cochran,
Augusta &c. 1898, at the special session, he de-
livered three hours speech against the re-
peal of the Sherman law, this speech being
more largely circulated than the tariff speech
had BEEN He also spoke in favor OF the bill
to coin the seigniorage and spoke against
Carlisle's currency policy, as also against
Cleveland's gold contract with tie bankers.
DEFEATED FOR THF SENATE.
In 1894 he became candidate for the Uni
ted States Senate and announced that he
would not be candidate for the lower house
of congress. He was nominated Tor United
States Senator in the Democratic convention
and the Populist candidate in his district was
Endorsed by the Democrats for the House OF
Representatives. The ensuing State legisla-
ture being Republican John M. Thurston was
sent to the Senate and the Republican candi-
date in his former congressional district, j.
B. Strobe, was elected by 5000 majority.
During all three of the campaigns he chal-
lenged 4he opposing candidates to debate
and several discussions were held.
BECAME AN EDITOR.
After his retirement from congress he took
up the practice of law in Lincoln again, but
the silver campaign opening he found that
the calls upon him for speeches and campaign
work were so frequent that he was forced to
give up his law practice. In September, 1884,
he became the editor-in-chief of the Omaha
World Herald, and had control of its edito-
rial policy on State and national questions
HIS MARRIAGE
Mr., Bryan is man Of small means. He
was married October /, 1874, to Mary Baird,
of Perry, ILL.,, who attended the female acad-
envy in Jacksonville, when he was in the
other school at the same place, and who grad
uated the same week that he did and was also
the valedictorian of her class. She studied
law and was admitted to the bar without any
idea of practicing. but simply to be more
thoroughly companionable to him. She is
year OF two younger than he. Three children
have been born to them, Ruth, ten years old;
VIM. j., Jr., about seven, and Grace, five
years old.
A PRESBYTERIAN.
Mr.. Bryan is Presby terrain, having joined
the Cumberland Presbyterian church at the
age of fourteen. He is now member of the
His father was Silas L. Bryan, who was a
circuit Judge at the time of his sons birth.
He was born in Rappahannock Co., Va, and
died in Salem, H., in 1880.
Mr. Bryan lives we'll in commodious
dwelling in the fashionable part Of Lincoln.
The study, in which both Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan
have desks, is very attractive room. 1t is
filled with books, statuary and mementoes of
campaigns. There are busts OF portraits of
noted men, and there are two butcher knives
which Mr.. Bryan used in the campaign with
Field to refute the latter's boast of the effects
of high protection.
SKETCH OF MRS. BRYAN.
Mrs Bryan, who is a small, modest looking
woman, had seat in the galley to the left of
The speakers stand. When it was positively
known that her husband had been nominated
for the presidency she was surrounded by
admiring friends and heartily congratulated.
She thanked each one pleasantly, and