The Red Cloud chief., 1896-07-17
SIX FITCH OF MIR. BRYAN
BIOGRAPHY OF THE DEMO
CRATIC NOMINEE.
,nw,cr. Orator nul ~t,irsmiI Ntuny. 4,
Demo rat aud , Irirnd to- silver iir
Achieved trru UDu"rs Ia Congress anI
inmr ~ the Stuu,

Cur,NGo, July iI.-Nl,iam T. Hryan
was not au active and avowcd candi.
date until just before the convention.
Unit! the nominating Spccchc, it was
not known that his maine would to
formally presented.
The Nebraska statesman and orator
is u free silver man OF no rcccn, con.
version Fifteen years ago, while vet
n struggling lawyer. his voice was
Lifted in behalf of the white metal,
aud since that time he has never
wavcrci ia Ia, allegiance to the silver
au> While his name is no. 50 in,i.
mntcly connected with legislation on
TINS issue ~ that Of Richard T.. bland,
II was not the fault OF Mr.. bryan, but
rather the lack Of opportunity. On
the score of devotion To silver the
record Vt " j. bryan cannot BE-
questioned.
Geographically, MIR bryan is lo-
Gated in the heart OF that great dis.
trict the various states of which sent
free silver delegations W the Chicago
c%onvcntian
Mr.. Bryan has always been a Dem
ocrat. lie cast his first vote for the
Democratic ticket and has ever been "A
consistent supporter of the t"nCts OF
that organization. MIR. Bryan has
taken u radical position on ali issues
favored by the third party and many
of their leader, openly advocated his
nomination for the Presidency at tlc
coming st Louis pnpuii,, convention.
William Jcnuing, BRYAN was born
in Salem, H.. March ~. lsiO. lie
was gru' uaicd from Illinois college at
jacksonville in ISL. 10 make his
way through the Union Col eye Of
Law at Chicago he worked in Lyman
Trumbull's law Office.
From his earliest years lie had a
fancy for public speaking, which de-
vclopcd his uratorical powers. In
1850 he won second prize rs the repre-
sentative of Illinois college in the
state collcr ,atc oratoricai contest, lie
was valedlctorian of his college class
and came within II vote of being
elected to the same position III the law
school. From $50 he spoke in POI
%l,tical campaigns In lSS1 he removed
to Lincoln, Ncb, and formed n law
partnership with a fellow classmate.
Il don't think that fellow knowS much
law said a veteran practitioncr con
EtI Hlls blNdh N'ph tl''l wv lltl'l
began to practice, "but ho eau talk
like the devil"
Bryan supported j. Sterling Morton
for Congress IN 1851. The latter was
defeated by 5000 votes. In 1890
bryan himself ran in the same dis
trict again, the Same opponent. lie
challenged his adversary to u series
" JOINT debates. and made so brilliant
4 showing that hc carried the district,
which hat gone 500 Republican At
the former election, by a majority OF
), 100 votes.
Ronorcd In Congrcss.
The fame he gained IN those joint
debates, of which the tariff was tho
theme, induced Speaker Crisp To ap.
point Bryan on the ways and means
committee, an honor which nan
Congressman have schcmcd years to
secure. On March -, 1872, he scored
his frs, great o%ratorical success in Il
speech on free wool. The rcappor-
tionmcnt in 1891 divided organs con-
gressional district in such II way that
il made his canvass entirely new aud
extremely hard. The district vas ad.
mitediy Republican bya majority o'
$500.
Bryan was elected. turning the Re-
publican majority into "a Democratic
plurality Of 10. j. Sterling Morton,
the present secretary of agriculture,
ran for governor Of Nebraska in that
election, and received fewer votes
than any man on the ticllct-luSt half
Us many as Bryan.
before the election of 1884 Mr.. bryan
refused denomination a. congressman
and campaigncd for election to the
United States senate. HIS platform
for the ~ to | free coinage of silver
caused Morton and other administra
ton Democrats to fight HIM bitterly.
Tie was, however, nominated by the
state Democratic convention. Two
Joint debates, at Lincoln and ut Dma'
ha respectively, with Joan VI. Thurs.
ton, the Republican candidate for the
S~cnatOrShip, attracted much attcn'
ton. The legislature was, however,
Republican, aad ThurstOn was elected
During the past two years, and cs'
pccially since his defeat for the Sen
ate, Mr., bryan has bccr %lccturing on
financial topics in every state IN the
Union.
Mr.. Bryan married in lsS, Miss
Mary l.. Baird, the daughter OF q
merchant Of Perry, III. she was
student III the anneX Of Illinois col
lcgc while Bryan studied in the col
lcgc. They graduated simultaneously,
bong ya~lcdictorians of their respect
i've Glasses. She studied law and was
ndmittcc to the bar in Nebraska. She
i, a writer OF much ability, and presi
dent of tho Lincoln Sor0sis. They
have three children, Ruth, l.; VIII
lam, @ and Grace, i.
MIR. I;ryau's Home.
Mr., i'ryan lives well in n commodiou'
dwelling in the fashionable part o
Lincoln. The study, in which boil
Mr.. and Mrs Bryan have desks, is al
attractive room. IT. is filed will
books, statuary and memcntos OF cam
paigns. There are busts or portrait
of noted men aud there are two butch
or knives which Mr., Bryan used II
the campaign with Judge Field To re
flute the latter's boasts Of the effect o
high protection.
last year MIR. Bryan was asked !
"a, hnl ans nsnirntinnC nLinr In IA