The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-07-11
THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER.
.-'ie sketch of Hon. William J. Bryan, til
Presidential Nominee.

lie sketch of Hon. William J. Bryan, tho
Presidential Nominee.
Mr.. Bryan was born March 10, 1890 in Salem,
Ills. He was taught under his mothers caro-
until he was 10 years old, when he went to the
public school at Salem, which he attended for
five years. AT the age Of Is he went to tho
Whipplo academy in Jacksonville, Ills which
is the preparatory department of the Illinois
college located at the same place. He spent
two years in the academy and four years in the
college, taking a classical course He repre-.
scented his college in the interstate oratorical
contest in 1880, and was class orator and vale.
dictolian in 1881. He then went to the Union
College of Law in Chicago, and while in attend
ance thars was in the office Of Lyman Trum.
bull.
He left the raw school June IS, 1888, and went
to Jacksonville TO practice law, remaining there
till October 1887, when he removed to Lincoln,
Ncb., going into partnership with A. R. Talbot
classmate of the law school. He had taken
part in political campaigns since 1880, aud made
number of speeches. He took part in the
campaign of 1888 in Nebraska and was nomi.
mated to represent the First district in congress
IN lStD, He was elected by the majority of 0,7l3,
although the district had gone Republican by
400, when Secretary Morton had been de.
feated in 1888, and was thought to be certainly
Republican. He supported Springer for speaker
in tho Ffty'second congress, from whose dis
trict in Illinois he came originally. This led to
his being put on the ways and means commit.
tee in congress, Of which Springer was chair
man, and on March 49, 1892, he made tariff
speech that was the sensation OF the day and
was literally distributed as campaign Itcra.
ture. He was reelected in 1892 in spite of the
fact that the legislature had redistricted the
state, and his dstrix in the previous election
had given the Republican ticket about 6,OOO
majority.
In the fifty third congress Mr.. Bryan helped
to frame the Wilson bill, being o member of
the ways and means committee, and took an
especially active part in the income tax pro.
visions, AT the close of the debate on the in.
come tax in congress- replying to Bourke
Cochran, Aug Il, 1898, at the special session,
delivered a three hours's speech against the re.
peal of the Sherman law, this speech being
more largely circulated than the tariff speech
had been. He also spoke in favor of the bill to
coin the seigniorage and spoke against Carlise's
currency policy, as also against Cleveland,s
gold contract with the Rothschilds.
In 1891 he became candidate for the United
States senate, and announced that he would
not be candidate for the lower house of con.
gress He was nominated for United States
senator in the Democratic convention, and the
Populist candidate in his district was indorsed
by the Democrats for the house Of representa-.
tveA The ensuing state legislature being Re.
publican, John NJ Thurston, was sent to the
senate and the Republican candidate IN his
former congressional district ] B. Strobe, was
elected by 5000 majority. During all three Of
the campaigns he challenged the opposing can.
didate TO debate, and several discussions were
held