Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-07-24
A Near View of Bryan.
HIS REPUBLICAN LAW PARTNER Analyses
THE CANDIDATES. CHARACTE

| HIS REPUBLICAN LAW PARTNER ANALYZES
| THE CANDIDATES CHARACTER.
The New York Sun last week published the
| following dispatch from Lincoln, Neb.:
civilian j. Bryan's law partner and most
intimate personal friend is a man of about
his own age. He is stalwart republican. A.
Il. Talbot is one of the prominent republicans
of the state. A month ago he was nominated
for the State Senate Nobody in Nebraska
entertains higher opinion of Bryan, person
ally, than his partner but he does not hest
tate to condemn his associates political views.
'''Bryan is to be admired for everything
except his politics, and 1 know he is honest
in his politics, said Mr.. Talbot, who ehatted
in an Interesting manner about his partner.
"Will Bryan and ! were classmates in the
j Union Law College in Chic go. We entered
the college the same day i'll 1881, and we Lett
it together. We usually occupied adjoining
seats, and during two years we were the
closaset.n chunls. l first met him the year
before in Galesbure at an 0ass.a;tf4 iisa contest
lie represented Illinois College in the contest
and took second prize. ] don't remember his
subject now, but he made deep mpressioD.
Even then he had considerable reputation
as public speaker. lie had while in college
stumped the State Of Illinois for ". NJ. Sprin-
ger, with whom Bryan was always on the
most intimate and friendly terms. Congress
man Springer. you know. got Bryan g place
on the ways and means committee. Will was
known as a ready, witty talker, and he was
much in demand. His utterances we've usual
ly carefully prepared in advance and were
always polished and graceful. While we were
attending the Law College he delivered an
address on Abraham Lincoln that was very
generally commented on"
s'Did you then regard him as cut out for a
public man?"
81 did not. | knew he was bright fellow,
who would get on in the world, but l never
thought of him as destined for great career.
AS matter Of fact, we were both poor boys,
struggling to make our way, aud neither one
of us thought much OF the future then. 1t
kept us busy taking care of the present. We
were both utterly without means and had to
work our way through college. l worked in
one law Office and Will in another-Lyman
Trumbulls by the way-for SIS per week. We
paid all of our expenses out of that. In those
days we lunched pretty regularly on nickel's
worth of crackers and apples, but we dined
heavily at night
''What happened when you left the Law
college,"
1--WE were graduated in June, 1888. Will
went to Jacksonville to engage in the prac-
tice of the law, and l came to Lincoln imme-
diately. didn't see him again till 1887, when
he came West ON some legal business. He
stayed in Lincoln with me over Sunday. l
was away part of the day, and so did not
see much of him; but before saying goodbye l
suggested that he come out to Lincoln and
60 into partnership with me. told him 1
would guarantee him a living and that was
about q II he was getting in Jacksonville. l
told him he was just the kind OF man to
come out West and grow up with the country.
He did not have very much to say, butshortly
after he reached home he wrote me and
wanted to know if l was in earnest when l
made him the offer OF partnership. | re-
piled that 1 was and in a few weeks he came
out again and renamed here 80 days. At the
end of that time he returned to Jacksonville
closed up his business there and came back
with his family, prepared to stay. Some
time afterward he pure hased lot
on d street for $500 or $500. His
father-in-law, Mr.. Baird, sent him
the money to build the house, 81 ZOO think.
He settled down to the practice OF law. but
he devoted some attention to politics almost
from the first. and within year and half
of the time OF his arrival in Lincoln he was
nominated by the democrats for Congress.
"Bryan is an upright. conscientio Gus, Chris
tian man. | have never known finer char
acter. | am positive that he went into poll
tics with no selfish motives. He is thorough
ly convinced that the country is beset with
conditions that call for the highest patriotism
the noblest endeayor, and he regards it as his
duty to help right what he says are the wrongs
of the people. coul2 give you many instan-
ces of his interestedness.
1.-TWO years ago a gentleman from New
York sat it, Bryan's private Office here trying