The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-07-23
BRYAN'S FOUR GREAT SPEECHES.
A PEER AS AN ORATOR.
lie Always Receives tho Closest At
tention and Thrills His Hearers
With n Mclodious Voice.

| Lnere. IL was on the tarln and 1T last
&c three hours. He would have stop
ped sooner In fact, he did stop sooner
several times, but he was urged on b,
both sides of the House, so charmed
was everybody with him, and when a
last he sat down he received an ovation
from young mem bers and old stagers o
the House we'll calculated to turn the
head OF many an older man. Till ther
hc had given but just one nero sug
| gcstion Of being an orator.
1t was during tho early days OF the
tariff debate In the Fifty-Second Con
gress. He spoke for less than five
minutes. When he sat down there
was moment OF silence. His elo
uuence had taken away the breath anG
desire for merriment from the sur.
prised peopled in Thea House.
Then there burst forth volley OF
applause and then another. All knew
that something big was to be expected
from Bryan and all waited patiently
to learn just what 1t was.
Though his speech ut the Coliseum
which resulted in his nomination, was q
mastery one OF fervid, glowing, enthu.
| siasm- producing oratOry, it did not
show Bryan at his best. 1t is in Con,
grcss in the thick Of debate that he
shines in all his splcndor. He has
boon just as eloquent there, but has
also shown himself Il thorough master
OF himself as Il dCh..Lcr.
1t Is the habit Of old members OF the
opposition to tri p orators with inter.
ruptions. They tried it with Bryan
| They failed. No matter where he was
! Interrupted, he would stop immediate-
ly, on at tho end OF his sentence, and
courteously asked what was wanted. He
would wait patiently until his inter
ruptcr had put the question and then,
quick rs flash, would reply, and nine
times out OF ten, he would, in the opin-
ion OF the galleries, get the better Of
his opponent. That sort OF thing has
happened tinlc and again in the same
speech, till ono would have fancicd
that even Job would have let loose had
he been in Bryan's place. He seemed
TO court Interruption. At any rate, he
WAS courteous to every one, and SO
honest and sincere were his replies,
and with all SO apt, that he quickly
won the respect Of all his audience.
When Bryan finished his big tarir
speech old Judge Culberson, Of Texas,
the leader Of the House on legal mat
tors and one of its veterans, said that
he had been in Congress many years
and had heard many a speech in that
time, but that none of them had
cqualed Bryan's, in his opinion.
Bryan made three other big speeches
| while in Congress. One was on the
income tax, another on silver, and the
third on the tariff. The second tariiY
speech was delivered on the same day
| that Bourkc Cochran made his famous
speech on the same subject. Cochran
had been at his best, and carried the
House with him.
D.,
cloqucncc was unsurpassablo, and the
man who was to follow him was deem
cd foolish. Bryan was nervous and
apprchcnsive. He fully appreciated
the hit that Cochran had made, and
the exceeding difficulty he would
have in cqualing IT.
Congressman Springer, who always
too y fa''"" 8 interest in Bryan, and
to >" "ri Is ,Ar owes tho fact OF his
beius A,.pul!.t>,. II member OF the COM
mittcc on ways end means, though just
entering on his first torn, suggested
that he postpone his speech till the
next day. That advice was all that
was needed to renew Bryan's courage
he feeds on opposit tion--and he be-
came impatient for the time to come
when he should begin. His friends
were fearful that he would make but a
poor show, SO shortly after the speech
Of the great orator Of Tammany Hall.
Cochran had never appeared to bet.
ter advantage, and by his speech had
dimmcd the impression made BY Bry-
| ans former speeches.
But Bryan had proceeded but little
way ere his most timid friends were
rcassured, Bryan spenks from convic-
! tlon. One does not think OF him ns
merely pleading IL cause for pay. He
stimulates his audience into sympathy
with him. and plays on them like Il
hnrpist upon his instrument.
The music ho produced in tho House
that night WAS very effective. Even
the Republicans enjoyed it for it's ar.
tistlc excellence. Tho hit he made was
pronounced Us forciblc as any he had
made before, and the reception he re-
ceived was just as great as that accord
cd to Bourke Cochran.
Bryan never desccnds to tho level Of
II trickster in his speeches. IIc il
always the gentleman. Ho believes
that what he calls the common people
have been wronged. it is his earnest
l intention to do his best to right that
n wrong, in 80 far rs he Is able to do so.
=, He may be wrong in his theory of the
II he complains, but he is honest and
= sincere, and entitled TO tho respectful
, consideration Of his opponents. When
n B'yan makos u speech his hearers
d can nest assured that he has studied /,
: very hard. He reads everything bear,
3 ing on the subject at issue. His mem
t ory Is singularly retcntivc, and he can
n recall facts and quote with an accuracy
: equal and facility superior to him who
: has the authority In book form at hand
t He mover speaks from manuscript. Hc
l memories his speech by patient study
D He never makes slip in his dcliy-
: cry. He Is to the letter perfect This
: is not to be taken that he mcmorizcs
all his speeches. He can Jump to his
, feet and make as effective and delight.
: full speech as You would care to hear
} on tho spur OF the nomont But his
| big speeches arc the product OF labor
and much Of 1t.
When Bryan first went to Congress
he was singularly green about some
} common things which evory reader OF
q newspaper and mixer with mon ia