The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-07-30

saw him in a passion. He is cool and
of flawless temper. No flush Of lrri;a
ton ever Redeemed his cheek. He is
of good poise and his emotions sit
steadily, as becomes the emotions o.
one who, with care for himself, eats
thrice day and SCOTS at dyspepsia
and sleeps soundly at nights.
Bryan is we'll, even highly, educa-
ted. He has dug through books and
trunneled learning equal with any
! dusty, musty college professor of them
all. More than books, he has studied
men, and their lives have been his les
sons. He has memory like wax, and
all he has seen, or heard, or read abides
with hin.
Bry.1 is not 50 profound as quick,
and with an intellect rather military
than philosophical, he makes weapons
of all he knows, and every scrap Of
learning belonging to him is at prompt
and ready hand to be either defensive
or offensive, as his swift genius for C ON
bat may decide.
1t is not too much to say OF Bryan
that the arena Of politics presents no
one to-day vino, with fuller informa-
ton, more pleasing address, more
ready ell oquence and quicker wit
can cope with and overcome him. |
don't want to discourage anybody
about to follow that leader in the chains,
of syndicate, but in any form Of pol
itics Bryan would out-top and over
power Mckinley, as might man a
child.
During the Fifty second Congress
the tariff affairs of the Democracy went
limping. The popgun bills that Sprin-
ger framed had neither dignity nor
tone. They were quietly sneered at
by the Democrats, and jeered and scot
fed at by the Republicans in every high
and open place. 1t was not until Bryan
made his first tariff speech in the House
that the Democracy took heart and
regarded life worth living. l, was a
wonderful thing in oratory, his first
tariff speech of Bryan. Il was even
more of a triumph than the Chicago
eloquence of the other day.
On this tariff occasion the Republl
cans, with the cynical Reed at their
head, were there to carp and say sharp
things and ask sharp questions, and
make bitter interruptions. One after
another the orators OF the Democracy,
some of them old in forensic war, had
been riddled by Reeds sarcasm and
made to fly Crisp, in the chair, wa:
also in despair. At last, Bryan was
sent into the thick of House battle
He came with the advantages Of a mu-
sical voice bright eye and a pleas
ing personality. Nor did he talk 10
minutes until he developed the fact
that he was a master Of English and
had as we'll such command of the
subject as comes only to men who
have burned the midnight lights of
studious preparation.
1t is of no avail particularly to go
in detail over debate that's long
since over and gone. Suffice it that
Bryan's speech was the event OF the
session. Every thrust of Reed he par
ried; every blow he stopped and coun-
tered. Time and again the Big Man
from Maine was made to draw back
from collisions he had sought himself,
discontinue in his face, while the
House howled.
For a new mana young man, one
who had never talked 10 minutes in
the House before-that feat was mar
velous. At the close of his effort Crisp
and the fathers OF the House congrat
ulated him, and even Republicans,
while disagreeing, came across and
shook him by the hand. That speech
saved the reputation Of the House De
mocracy and fixed forever Bryan S
standing as a master of forensic fence.
What was to be admired most was
the absolute stability of the man; no
more to be stampeded than a noun
tain; no more to be put to flight than
a tree.
In the Fifty second and Fifty third
Congresses Bryan was in the forefront
of party battle many times. In his
second Congress, while sill member
Of the ways and means comm lttee,
with Wilson at the head, he not only
made the leading speech for the Will
son bill: but speech SO full and ex
haustive for free silver, I6 to 1, that
Culberson, of Texas, himself the Soc
rates of the House Democracy said:
"That exhausts the subject. It's the
best possible setting forth that the
cause of free silver can get.
During his Congressional career
Bryan led up the forces for low tariff,
; free silver, free sugar, the income tax:
fought to repeal the national bank acts
and consistently aided Uncle William
, Hatch to pass his an'l-option bill. On
, appropriations Bryan was against ex
: travagance and stood as the persistent
champion of economy. With his owr
5 people he was always a leader, and ths
, Nebraska Senators came often ID tht
. House to gain his views.
Bryan is Presbyterian in religion
He is often in the pulpit as lecturer
t Politically he refuses no call to speak
= He once addressed a Concourse 0
! preachers and then talked politics from
K saloon bar on the same day. Whe'
f the House held Sunday session Brya1
S left his seat for an hour to lecture Of
: the divinity Of Christ at a church o.
. Capitol Hill.
h Bryan in his habit is decorous an
It we'll within the moral line. He ha
n none of the vices. When he is Presi
|, dent, should that time come, tn