The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-07-17

! poise and his emotions sit steadily, al
becomes the emotions of one who, wifi
care for himself, eats thrice day, scoff,
at dyspepsia and sleeps soundly Of
nights.
Bryan is well, even highly, educated.
He has dug through books and trun-
neled learning equal with any dusty.
musty college professor of them all.
More than books. he has studied men,
and their lives have been his lessons.
He has a memory like wax, and all he
has heard or read or seen abides with
him.
He is not so profound AS quick, and,
with All intellect rather military than
philosophical, he makes weapons of all
he knows, and every scrap of learning
belonging to him is at prompt and ready
hand to be either defensive or offensive,
as his swift genius for combat may de-
eide.
When Bryan made his famous can
vass of his state, in 1890, the old time
politicians took no interest i'll the bat
tie, as they looked upon it as lost at the
outset, and they We're more than mig
gardly i'll furnishing the sinews of war.
But the younger Democrats were more
than jealous, and by their vigorous eff
forts fully made up for the lack of cam
paign funds.
Mr.. Bryan was then, as now, "a COM
paratively poor man, and his campaign
expenses were limited to less than $500.
But the greatest interest was aroused,
and Mr. Bryan's tour became one long
ovation. The Republicans had submit
ted prohibition amendment TO the
state constitution, and the Democrats,
in their platform, had declared against
prohibition. Lincoln and Omaha, the
largest cities i'll the state, were in the
district and in them the Republicans
lost heavily on the temperance issue.
A striking feature of the campaign
was the challenge issued by the Demo-
cratic committee to Cornell to discuss
the issues of the day i'll joint debate
with Mr.. Bryan. They did not really
expect that Cornell would be rash
enough to accept, but hoped to make
political capital out of his refusal Con-
nell, however, fattered by former sue
cesses in haranguing helpless juries,
accepted the challenge.
Mr.. Bryan then showed that he was
not only his adversary's superior in ora
tory. but also his master in matters Of
fact. Thoroughly familiar with the sub
jects to be discussed, he was equipped
with statistical and historical informa-
ton and was ever ready to meet the
points of his opponent on economic as
well as political grounds.
From the outset his advantage was so
mended him TO find some excuse to draw
out of the contest, but with more per- !
sistence than discretion he refused to !
hearken to their advice, and when the |
votes We're counted it was found that he |
had been showed under by a majority of |
nearly 1000.
Bryan, an obscure, struggling lawyer |
in small Nebraska town, with small |
income and gloomy prospects, came to
congress with the overwhelming Demo
cratic majority which recorded the
rebuke of McKinleyism.
OF the hundred and mere younS mem
bers who then appeared n congress he
was among the youngest A few months
previous he had celebrated his thirty
irst birthday.
Next to the smooth shaven, boyish
Bailey of Texas he was the youngest
member of the house. He sat away
pack near the rail with Kilgore, who
s9expeetedly acquired fame by kicking
pen The main door, which Reed had