The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-07-24
LIVE ISSUES.
Personal Traits of Bryan-His Law
Partner Talks Interestingly About
the Candidate.

IlOSu lEIlHlttl6 lIlcuu, ~ ~. 1dlUol,
is a man of about his own age. He
is a stalwart republican.
Mr.. Bryan is to be admired for
everything except his politics, and
l know he is honest in his politics"
said Mr.. Talbot, who chatted in an
interesting manner about his
partner.
"Will Bryan and I were class
mates in the Union Law College in
Chicago. We usually occupied ad-
joining seats, and during two years
we were the closest of chums, l first
met him the year before in Gales
burg at an oratorical contest. He
represented Illinois College and
took second prize. don't remem-
Der his subject now, but he made a
deep impression. Even then he
had considerable reputation as a
public speaker. He had, while at
tending college, stumped Illinois
for W. M. Springer, with whom
Bryan was always on the most in
innate terms.
"Will was known as a ready,
witty talker, and he was much in
demand. His utterances were
usually carefully prepared in ad-
vance, and were always polished.
While we were attending the law
college he delivered an address on
Abraham Lincoln that was gener-
ally commented on" =.
"Did you then regard him as cut
out for a public man?"
"I did not. I knew he was a
bright fellow, but I never thought
of him as destined for a great career
AS matter of fact we were both
poor boys, struggling to make our
way, and neither thought much of
the future then.
owe were both without means
and had to work our way through
college. / worked in one law Office
and Will in the another-Lyman
Trumbull's, by the way-for So a
week. We paid all of our expenses
out of that. In those days we
lunched pretty regularly on a nick
els worth of crackers and apples,
but we dined heavily at night"
"What happened when you left
the law college?"
owe were graduated in June,
1888. Will went to Jacksonville
to practice law and I came to Lin
coin. I didn't see him again until
1887, when he came West on legal
business. He stayed in Lincoln
with me over Sunday. Before say
ing good-by I suggested that he
come out to Lincoln and go into
partnership with me. / told him I
would guarantee him a living, and
that was about all he was getting
in Jacksonville. He did not have
much to say, but shortly after
he reached home he wrote and
wanted to know if 1 was in earnest
when l made him the offer of a
partnership. | replied that was,
and in a few weeks he closed up his
busiaess there and came with his
family.
"All the time he was in the law
college Will gave great deal of
study to questions of government.
He read up thoroughly on constitu-
tional law, and he was early i'm
pressed with the idea that the
people were being unjustly bur
dened with monopolies. He main
tanned even then that the menace
of the country was tbs encroach-
ment of wealth ON the rights of the
common people, and he thought
there was serious trouble ahead for
the country. He was a strong dem
Ocrat, and he came honestly by the
democracy, for his father, Silas
Bryan, was one of the stanchest
democrats in Illinois.
"Will and his wife have been
active members of the First Pres
byterian Church ever since they
came to Lincoln. Will has never
yet, to my knowledge, uttered a
word of profanity, nor used tobacco
or intoxicants in any form. He is
an upright, conscientious Christian
man. l have never known a finer
character.