The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-08
BRYAN LECTURE
THAT SEEMS THE NATURAL REFUGE
OF A BOY ORATOR OUT OF A JOB.
He Was Anxious to Enter the Lecture
Field Two Years Ago-What other
Defeated Candidates Have Done.
to the Indianapolis journal.


when William j. Bryan had been defeated
for reelection to Congress, he was asked
If he would be willing to go on the lecture
platform, and he answered yes with great
promptness. His law practice, always
small, had dwindled away to nothing, and
he was looking for something in which his
talents would be more appreciated. Six
months ago he heard that Uncle Sam
wanted a hired man. and he applied for the
job. He didn't get it. Being in want of
occupation again, will he turn to the lee
ture platform once more, or is he satisfied
with his long-distance talking record made
in the campaign? 1t is altogether likely
he will turn to lecturing If he can find a
manager to give him a guarantee. He could
not find one two years ago., but pos
sibly after the spectacular advertising
he has had he will be able to do so now.
Two years ago, in default of a guarantee
of $3.50 or $500 a night for lecturing, he ac-
cepted s35 a week as chief editorial writer
for a newspaper in Omaha He can get that
as a lecturer now, but it is a question
whether he can get much more.
To be sure, he has drawn enormous
crowds at every place he has visited in
his campaign tour, and no one believes that
he has talked himself out in the million
words he has uttered. But there is such a
difference in the drawing power of a man
who is in public office or running for it
and a man who is out of public life. And
Mr.. Bryan is very much out Of public life
just now. 1t was because he was out of
public life that Mr.. Bryan could not get a
manager two years ago. Lecture agents
nave had so many experiences with
Statesmen out of a job" that they fight
shy of them. They nave always in their
eyes the case of the spectacular ingalls,.
Not that Mr.. Ingalls, has failed as a lee
turer, but where every one expected to see
him pack halls in every part of the United
States and turn people away from the doors
Mr.. ingalls, has proved less of an attraction
that George KEENAN, or any other CT the
half-dozen w%ell-known lecturers 1 could
name. When Mr.. ingalls, was a Senator
he spoke with authority and people nocked
to hear him. When he spoke in the United
States Senate the galleries were packed
long before he entered the chamber. But
admission to the Senate galleries is free,
and people will go to a free lecture who
will not pay 81 a head for the privilege of
hearing tn same speaker.
REED AND HARRISON.
jill Z. tCO "a CIV A'SNS
lecture; it was for a lecture he prepared to
order and delivered in Boston, and he has
received $500 more than once for repeating
this lecture. Ex-President Harrison has
received 81, 900 for a single lecture and it is
quite likely he received almost that amount
for his Stanford University lectures. Other
public men have received as much for
single lectures. But the average is not
over $50, and very few public men can get
anything at all.
Mr.. Bryan will make a mistake If he
thinks people will come to a lecture from
any curiosity to see him. / knew a news
paper man who had written letters from
the four quarters of the globe who said in
the pride of his heart: 1.-The people want
to see me-" Now, he wasn't much to look
at, but that's another story. If he had an
swered Governor Stones description of Mr..
Bryan, if he had been "as beautiful as
Apollo the people wouldn't have gone to
see him. He trailed around the country
until this expensive and bitter truth had
been made plain to him, and then he sus-
| pended his lectures. OF the $500, 900 people
who haye heard Mr.. Bryan's calamity howl
during the recent canvass, how many will
pay a dollar to see him again? Precious
few he will probably find if he takes to the
lecture platform. But what else is he to
do? Go back to his sS5 a week? or become
a railroad attorney? He will find the old
attorneyship closed to him. He has talked
too much about the railroads i'm the recent
| campaign. There's the editorship. But
probably he can get a good lecture manager
to guarantee him more than $35 a week
and expenses on the road.
Horace Greeley found a very sad solution
Of the question, what shall we do with
our defeated candidates? He died Of a
broken heart. Mr.. Bryan may have famed
his throat a little. but his heart is intact,
/ am sure. Possibly he will do as Mr..
Cleveland did after his second canvass and
first defeat-lay low for the next campaign.
Mr.. Cleveland had known the sweets of
success, and he could await the turn in his
destiny calmly, if not contentedly. The
last candidate who was defeated without
having known what it was to be successful
was Mr.. Blaine. He had his literary work
Sc long associated with his public ex-
perience-to solace him. And then he could
look forward to other honors-a place in
the Cabinet Of the next Republican Pres
ident. He took his defeat very much to
heart, but he bore it in a dignided and
worthy manner.
HANCOCK AND OTHERS.
Hancock, when he was defeated. went
right on being a general in the United
States army and won the respect of his
countrymen by his dignified acquiescence
in the will of the people. Mr.. TiIden took
his fate p~hilosophically. He was wealthy
and old, and when he was beaten in the
Electoral College he merely sat back and
rounded out an honored life in the retire
ment of his home, surrounded by his
friends.
There were four defeated candidates I'm
1872. Horace Greeley, as L have said. died
Of a broken heart before the votes were
counted. b. Gratz Brown, of Missouri.
dropped out Of national politics. Thomas
A. Hendricks. of Indiana. lived to be Vice
President for a few months. David Davis
became a Senator from Illinois. after
serving as Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court. Charles j. Jenkins, who received
two complimentary votes from Georgia
electors, is an unknown national quantity.
Horatio Seymour was never a political
factor after his defeat by Grant i'm 1858
Gen. George b. Mcclellan, on the other
hand. was a conspicuous figure politically
and socially until his death, which occurred
in 1856. He was in moderately good cir
cumstances, and he maintained the office
of Gov of New Jersey, to which he
was elected, with much social credit. His
son IS a member of the present Coneress
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