The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-07-24
BRYAN's PERSONALITY.

Another study OF Him as Man. I..wv,
AZ n. ."u,sr-some incidents showing
nesoIute Adherence 10 Principle -
An important Principle He Formed In
20 Nebraska Law-Iiefuses Retninrr,
from Trusts and Corporations.
lJames Creeman in the N. Y. World.
william j. Bryan has ne, er Mt an,
time In his life earned m ore thar
~, QUO year. When he reached thi,
hgure 80. 600 consisted of his salary a,
a member of the House of Representa-.
tives. 0''' !"
His income as lawyer has averaged
about 81, 600 a year, although he, ha,
managed to increase it to Al. 200. iii
salary as political editor of the
omaha World Herald was $1,000 3
year.
Worth Only $4,000.
To-day his whole wealth hardly
amounts to $1,000, and yet he is a
mature. highly trained man, with
thousands of friends and a national
reputation as an orator.
Bug his easy contempt for money,
MS aerlon to the advocacy of corpora
ton interests, and his absorbing pas.
sion for speech making have prevented
MIN from acquiring wealth.
The truth is that while he has dab
bled at law and journalism, the serious
business of his life has been politics.
The White House has always been
his goal. He was always the leader
OF his class at college and had weak
ness for buying books relating to vari-
Gus form of modern government He
immersed himself in constitutional
law and shrank from the technical side
OF his profession.
The first school debate which indi
Gated the trend of his mind turned
on the question whether legislator
should abide by the promtings of his
own judgment or ascertain the wish of
his constituents and follow that.
Young Bryan held that legislator
should take care to ascertain the
truth himself and should then educate
his constituents on sound principles,
leading rather than followings the
people.
In his college debate he argued
that statutes should not be based upon
opoftunism. but that each law should
be brought into absolute harmony
with certain great fundamental ideas.
This was his constant theme. 1t ac-
corded with his love of, generalities his
or topic, which lent them
selves to metaphor.
An Abstract Student.
He was tremendous student, but
his chosen studies lay along the line
Of least resistance-pleasan abstrac-
tons and broad political propositions.
He had no head for dry details His
philosophers were Jackson, Jefferson,
Benton, Judge Cool ey.
There is always peculiar religious
strain running through Mr.. Bryan's
thought 1t was inherited from his
Baptist father. And this tendency is
marked when he discusses popular gov
His favorite answer to those who
question the Intervention of God in
9ryant's lines. ITO a Waterfowl"
which l heard him repeat last night to
he newspaper correspondents who ac-
him from Chicago when
hey met in his house.
lie who from zone to zone
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain
flight
n the long way that must tread alone5
VIII lead my steps Alright.
1t has been said that ne never in his |
ife has appeared in court as the rep
Ut corporation. In a sense |
this is strictly true. On two or three
occasions when the senior members
# his firm were absent, he made minor
notions for them in the Jacksonville |
'ourt on behalf of a railway company |
which they represented. But he has
lever accepted a fee, directly or in
|irectly, from a corporation.
When he left congress- he was offered
salary of $40, 600 year for his ser
ices as general attorney for railway |
nd oil enterprise owned by the Stand
I'd Oil Company. His answer was
hat he would not take the position
Or all the profits of the company.
A few days later he mentioned the
act to his present partner.
"You have made great mistake,
'ryan,'' said Mr.. Talbot. Tell them
on have partner who is not so sen:
tive"
Mr. Bryan failed to see the point.
I'd rather take cases | am in sym
athy with and live as do nov than
e president of the Standard Oil
he replied.
The relation between Mr.. Bryan and
Ir. Talbot were interesting. For
ears Mr. Bryan was chairman of the
county committee, while
lr. Talbot was chairman of theRepub-
can county committee. Frequently the
NO committees met at the same time
D the adjoining room of the firm.
Mr.. Bryan's opposition to his part
er in politics was no. less striking
nan his antagonism to him on the sub
,ct of corporate power.
When Mr.. Bryan was in congress he
as urged to vote against the ANTI
rust bill. kilograms were sent from
he east to Mr.. Talbot asking him to
rye his partner to vote against the
i'll. Mr.. Talbot promptly telegraphed
, Mr.. Bryan on the subject, and
he young congressman replied that
he interests of the common people
emaud law protecting them from the {
and combinations OF
,rporate power. He told his partner ,
,at it was necessary for the life and
rosne ritv of the nation that the com [
etitive principle should be KEPT
I've. Ana tndt duy inius
it'll it should be restrained.
An Enemy of Trusts.
He has constantly said that the
ilure to enforce the Antitrust laws J
as due to the apathy of the admins, /
alton at Washington, and he looked
oon the selection of Mr.. Olney for
le Office of attorney general as a part
the general scheme for controlling