New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-11
THE CANDIDATES CAREER.
: MA sR4ANs BRIEF RECORD AS LAWYER
AND CONGRESSMAN.
SWEPT INTO CONGRESS ON TIDAL WAVE nv
Makes A NAME AS LUNG POWER


.,r,,n.,.a for the Presidency of the United States
and undoubtedly has also the briefest experience as
a public man OF anybody ever propose" TOT N'a' ~
Acs Eight years ago he was prac'cah' ~
Of as q politician. even In his adoptea o'a.' u
braska-was indeed. youth who had Jus' s'N''.
20 practice law in Lincoln. Neb.. unknown eve" "
che citizens of that town. He was 1h"'ee'' " ,
ca vh.n the South Carolina secessfonsts' "noso
suooessors voted for him on the SECOND oaiios -
the Democratic National Convention " i''0' -
unon Fort Sumpter. His election 10 e~ohsie'e ~
two terms on Democratic tidal wave oeie"''"e w
and experieneed leaders, his rise 10 pron''"se -
-. s,.c,ts of free trade and free silver ana as d"
...tor q "toy orator. of sensational ana e~as
~ers.ed style and his nomination 10 the .,.s
Nv the Democratic party on platform s"N ,.
a. noiicaes that have ruled the Nationai "oN
and destructive of the coherency anu sVr.ua n ond
wy - ,,.,oncas Of passionate excitement that
...u .,,ra Of the stormiest days In the Na''o"
/. hsstory-ail these things make chaP'er "a -
can political history and political biography
scance,y IT'S parallel Mr.. Bryan Is thir'y-sA 80.
,,d-ope wear older than the lowest limit OF age ~.
1871 -. 81. constitution for a President OF the
I,n,,ad states His four years in the House Oh nep
re.sntaSives constitute his only service !" q p
caoacitv Beyond this he has never occupeu w.
cha most insignificant ONCE in to"h' oo"''' "
State. >,arc, 10
go" =. aa,.rr Marion County, III. His father was
III.
eu.. 7 Rrvan a lawyer Of standing and man oi
integrity. He was of Virginia stock. having moVeo
"a Illinois In the first half OF the century nc
q man of sturdy character and souno co'i.'oA
sense who. by application, self-oemai anu "
.,ar~e extent sef-teaching. won an honorable paoe
nj thu Illinois bar He served eight years IN Tue '
nj. s,ata Senate. and afterward SHeui'
Court Judge The organs lived on iarni ou'S.. ,
che limits of the city. where the son epen' ms
life He the public schoos anu ,ne ~,
az
which ne entered at the age OF nr'eeh ~ y, 'p"
for college Two years later he was enroileo ~
the freshman class Of Illinois College, smaii "S''-
tutiou in Jacksonville. Ill.
AN ORATOR AT COLLEGE.
.sood student and was graduated with
,.v.or. An tune 1881 He had already begun TO cuiu-
vstc his oraeorical powers and nad won soi''e 60
IN the COLLEGIATE circles OF Illinois oy MS recoiu "
an intercollegiate oratorical contest 1na' '0o"
n a. ,e&urr in hts senior year. where he won secohu
prize The result was his election as orator ., ".'
class and his delivery Of an Grafton on his graoua'-
ing day. =, low
Young BRYAN Immediately began the study OF Ia"
On leaving Jacksonville. He entered the Union Ia"
College at Chicago and at the same time we''' INV
the law office Of Judge Lyman Trumbuli' pursuing
tus both the theoretical and the practical SIDE OF the
,awyers preliminary studies at once. From ms
t.ther's pos,tion and the educational opportunities
sfyen him, the thus enjoyed exceptional au'"".
taxes As q student Of law-advantages that might
veu have enabled him to reach high place III tne
.rofess;on ne had chosen II he had applied himse.i
With the same diligence that he exhibited IN some
ether directions. 1t is said of him by men VINO ha"e
known him from early manhood that he mas suhered
from fatal gift of language. which ne mas cui'i-
waited at the expense Of other and more sono quar-
HES.
He started In his professional career IN Jackson
vile H. where he had spent the years OF MS COL
s~a RIFE Perhaps the he turned tnither after
his professional training had passed over INTO the
actual business OF life to be found in the iact
Shat year later he was married to young woman
who had been a student at a seminary there while
Bryan himself at college. She was Miss Mary
E. Baird the only daughter Of a prosperous mer-
chant Of Perry. H.
In 1887 Mr. Bryan moved to Lincoln. Neb. he had
become impressed with the greater opportunities OF
the newer West and the possibilities offered by its
more rapid development for a young man. He formed
Q iav partnership IN Lincoln and opened an office
there in the fall of 1887. the firm name being Talbot
4 Bryan.
FIRST EXPERIENCE IN POLITICS.
Mr. Bryan's entrance into political life was made
n May Of the following year. when he was elected
q delegate to the Democratic State Convention.
which met in Omaha to choose delegates TO the Ma
tional Convention at ST. Louis. He had here one OF
the first opportunities that came TO him 10 revea!
publicly his talent for political oratory OF the whrl-
vino 6tyfc. fOf, III all llfteIissioh vi eic
proceedings, he called upon by some OF MS
friends for a speech. His response was Of a sort
that held the convention close listeners. His sub
feet was the tariff. upon which ne expounded the
extreme and radical freetrade Views that he later
. had the opportunity to deliver in the National
House Of Representatives He laid then and tnere
the foundation OF reputation that extended
throughout the State. although he was then only
tventy-eight years old.
The reputation then established was OF rapid
growth-so rapid that in the next year the young
lawyer who two yearE before had come TO Lincoln
unknown and unheralded. received ar oner from MS
.arty leaders Of the nomination for Lieutenan'-Gov-
ernor He declined the offer but entered actively
into the work Of the campaign. making many
speeches all over the State.
In the following year. $780, the younger element
q the Democratic party in his district offered MI
Bryan the nomination for Congress. Inc Demo
cratic PARTY at that time had suffered severe defeat
rour wears before the district had gone Democratic
by q majority OF 7OOO in 1883 ]. Sterling Morton mad
been defeated by his Republican opponent by ma
tority OF more than 1900 The contest was regarded
as hopeless by the Democrats. and there was more
over bitter rivalry between the two cities OF Lin
coin and Omaha The Democrats OF the latter city
mhe bome Of the Republican Congressman Connell.
vho was his opponenU openly sneered at that Lin
coin boy and made no doubt OF his deleat. MI.
Bryan himself went into the contest with the ex-
peotation OF defeat. The party war horses took no
interest In the contest and supplied pacncaiiy no
funds for the campaign.
. (. r AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY.
Mr. Bryan, nevertheless, worked hard, and IT was
q Democratic year. The unreasoning reaction
axains. the new Mckinley Tariff law had set In and
Mr. Bryan made the most Of u. The issue in Ne
braska was complicated by the Injection CT the
issue Of prohibition. and prohibtory clause Tor the
: Conssta,tion submitted by the Republicans. was
uending before the people. Mr.. Bryan was swept
into Congress by the tidal wave: he received 32S7s
votes against 25,sss for Conne
Mr. Bryan thus began his first political service az
IN object Of considerable attention. HIS political
eodfather In the House William ~ Springer.
when the former came TO take his seat In Congress.