The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-02
SIZE KNOWS WHAT Is TO REALLY MEANS
Tier Career as Lawyer and Her Work on Her Hus-
bands Famous Tariff Speech
tCopyright, 1867

Two women chosen at large from out
|he length and breadth OF the land could
hardly be more dissimilar In tempera-
nent and methods OF thought than are
the two most conspicuous women in this
country today-the women Que OF whom
Will be mistress OF tho White House after
the 4tb or next March.
1t was my good fortune to see and
talk with Mrs. William Mckinley since
her husband was honored with the highest
distinction that IT is within the power
Of 1t political party to bestow. In seeing
Mrs. William Jennings Bryan / cannot
Say that l looked for much similarity.
Had l expected her to he at all ike
Mrs. Mckinley l should have been disap-
pointed. Mrs. Bryan is in the best sense
OF the term new woman While Mrs
Mckinley, in its most homely, hearth
stone, hume-circle meaning. may he de-
scribed as an odd woman of the good
bousewifely school. l do not mean by. this
comparison TO convey the impression that
Mrs. Bryan is wanting In devotion to her
husband, children, aud home; but to her
they are not everything, as is the case with
The sweet faced Mrs Mckinley. Mrs
Bryan is actuated by the same ambitions
that stir her husband. The fiery young
boy orator they call him. j referred to
him in that way during our TAX. She
laughed, and IL was laugh that conveyed
no oispleasure
There is but one sure road TO the good
graccs OF Mrs. Bryan, and that is apprecia-
ton Of her husband, and belief in the great
g. ness OF his political destiny. There is,
however, nothing masculine about her.
On the contrary, she is sweetly feminine
iii manner, and her voice Is full of music
She is the first woman have ever met who
knew what free silver on a g to basis
really meant, and was able TO convey her
understanding OF 1t in words. / should as
soon have thought OF flying as of asking
Mrs. Mckinley for such an explanation.
Mrs. Mckinley, devoted wife and house.
wife, would have been better able to give
ne a recipe for preserving peaches upon a
10 10 / basis-l6 Peaches to pound of
sugar. / saw Mrs. Bryan al time when
no woman could be expected to look her
best. Chicago was still Bryan mad. The
turmoil and strife OF the most renIarka bio
political convention ever held in this coun-
try was over, TO be sure, but the excite
nent OF 1t all had told upon Mrs. Bryan.
There were dark rings under her good gray
eyes, and she looked worn and tired. She
had sought rest-with her husband-at
kenwood, Chicago's charmingiy maple
shaded suburb, far out on the South Side
During the convention Mr.. and Mrs
Bryan stayed at the Clifton House in
Monroe street, 4 hotel without the slight
est pretension of fashion or of luxury.
knew that they were TO be found there
They accepted the invitation of The family
of the late Lyman Trumbull to spend
their last Sunday in Chicago separated
from the crowds by the fine WINS and
trees OF the Trumbull place. The Trum-
bull house itself is a pain gray old
farm house, about which, with its oasis
OF farm, the growing young city has
wrapped its arms, forcing the old home
To al D,fa 9th
foreign to its nature.
With perfect frankness Mrs BRYAN said
TO me later, when, in speaking OF young
Westerners who have achieved greatness. 1
mentioned Douglass and Lincoln Il hope
that Providence may have cut it out for
William to be as great as either one of Them
for with that sort of greatness comes an in
crease of capacity for accomplishing good
I'm sure we all should wish to accomplish
as much good In our lives as we possibly
can
No diplomatist could have framed au
expression more carefully, and yet as
Mrs. Bryan said 1t it had the true ring
l learned much Of what Mrs. Bryan
has done for her husband from former
neighbor of theirs in Lincoln-a lady who
also knew the organs in Washington and
who was among the first to congratulate
Mrs. Bryan after her husbands triumphant
nomination.
The keynote OF her character is in what
she has done for her husband.
She appeared III Washington when her
husband was sent to Congress, and she
was as much of a legislator as he. They |
were partners that handsome young Ne. |
brask;in and his wife-partners in the |
business Of ma king u name. 1t would |
not be far amiss il, Cd the Democratic |
campaign banners, the candidates were |
Inscribed:
Bryan and wife and sewan."
II always did what could,'' Mrs.
Bryan said modestly, ito help William
IN the preparation OF his speeches, but |
I'm afraid that did not amount to much" |
! could not help thinking that she knew
that what she did amounted to a good |
deal. She IL woman clever enough TO |
know that everything she does amounts to |
good deal.
Though she did not tell Inc so herself, |
learned that she had no small share in |
the preparation of the first speech that |
attracted any particular attention to the |
young Nebraskan orator. 1t was Bryan's |
famous tariff speech In the House of Repre-
sentatives. Together they worked over it
day and night for nearly a month. Each |
sentence. siInile, metaphor, adjective, even,
was carefully considered and decided upon.
Pruning and reconstructing went on at |
home, when most Congressman and their
wives were in Led especially the wives.
They went 1t to the Arlington grave
yard at sparL hours Of the day, and there
among the graves and heroes constructed
the sentences that, as much as anything,
were contributing cause to Bryan's nom-
nation. Before that speech was done
Mrs. Bryan could have repeated it yer-
batim.
short time before the speech was to be
delivered the young Congressman had to
deliver an eulogy on a fellow member of
the House. Mrs. Bryan was present in
the gallery. She listened with an intentness
not born of admiration of the dead Con-
gresham. Her presence was to test the
acoustic properties of the chamber and to
note the volume OF sound necessary for
her great effort TO re most effective. By
preconcerted signals she conveyed to him
the inumation that lie should elevate or
lower his tone. In that way she determined
the tone that to her seemed most effective
and likely TO thrill the legislative assem-