The herald., 1896-07-12
"THE BOY ORATOR OF THE PLATTE .

oratorical contest. He was valedictor-
ian of his college class and came within
one vote Of being elected to the same
position in thelaw school. From 1880
he spoke in political campaigns. In 1887
he removed to Lincoln, Neb., and formed
a law partnership with fellow class
mate. II don't think that fellow knows
much law" said veteran practitioner
concerning Bryan soon after the letter
began to practice. but he can talk like
the devil"
Bryan supported ]. Sterling Morton
for congress in 1888. The latter was de-
feated by $500 votes. In 1890 Bryan him
self ran in the same district against the
same opponent. He challenged his ad-
versary to a series of joint debates, and
made so brilliant showing that he
carried the district, which had gone $500
Republican at the former election, by a
majority of 6700 votes.
The fame he gained In these Joint de-
bates, Of which. the tariff was the
theme induced Speaker Crisp to ap-
point Bryan on the ways and means
gressmen have schemed years to Sc
cure. On March IL. 1892, he scored his
first great oratorical success in q speech
on free wool. The reapportionment in
1891 divided Bryan's congressional dis
trict in such way that 1t made his can
The district was admittedly Republican
by majority of $500.
Bryan was elected, turning the Re-
publican majority into a Democratic
plurality Of 140. J. Sterling Morton, the
present secretary of agriculture, ran for
governor of Nebraska in that election
and received fewer votes than any man
on the ticket-just half as many as Bry-
an.
Before the election Of 1894 Mr.. Bryan
refused denomination as congressman
and campaigned for election to the
United States senate. His platform for
the l6 to 1 free coinage of silver caused
Morton and other administration Demo-
Gratis to fight him bitterly He was.
however, nominated by the state Demo-
cratic convention. Two joint debates, at
Lincoln and at Omaha respectively, with
John M. Thurston, the Republican can
didate for the senatorship, attracted
much attention. The legislature, how
ever. was Republican and Thurston was
elected.
During the past two years, and espe-
cially since his defeat for the senate, Mr..
Bryan has been lecturing on financial
topics In every state in the union.
Mr.. Bryan married in 1884 Miss Mary
e. Baird, the daughter Of merchant of
Perry, Ill. She was a student in the an
mex Of Illinois college while Bryan stud
leu III tire COlleSe. Iney graQuateQ SIM
ultaneously, being valedictorians Of their
of their respective classes. She studied
law and was admitted to the, bar in Ne
braska. She is a writer of much ability
and president of the Lincoln Sorosis.
They have three children, Ruth, IL:
William, 6, and Grace, 5.
In recent interesting sketch Of W. J.
Bryan, Champ Clark, the Missouri ora
tor and statesman after drawing COM
parison between Samuel J. Randall and
Mr.. Bryan, thus describes the latter:
I'm four years. service Bryan estab-
lished a far greater reputation than did
Randall in the same length of time. In
deed, 1t may be said without any extrav-
agance that when Bryan quit congress
he had as widespread fame as Randall
had when he died after twenty years Of
congress. Whether the Nebraskan
plowed his ideas as deep into the midst
Of men as did the Pennsylvania is an
entirely different question; for as late
as 1894 the line of cleavage made by
Randall in the Democratic party on the
tariff was easily discernible to the naked
eye, when seventeen Of his disciples bolt
ed the Wilson BILL and several others
had the will to bolt. but lacked the cour-
aga ,-.