The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-07-23
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.
Sketch Of the Democratic Nominee for
President Of tho United States.

national convention, was born March
10, 1860, in Salem, Ill, He was taught
under his mothers care 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
the Whipple Academy, in Jacksonville,
ILL.,, which is the preparatory depart
ment of the Illinois College. located at
the same place. He spent two years in
the academy and four years in the col
lege. taking classical course. He rep
resented his college in the interstate
oratorical contest in 1880, and was class
orator and valedictorian in 1881. He
then went to the Union College of Law,
in Chicago, and while in attendance
there was in the office of Lyman Trum-
bull. He left the law school June IS,
1888, and went to Jacksonville to prac-
tice law, remaining at Jacksonville till
October 1887, when he removed to
Lincoln, Neb., going into partnership
with A. R. Talbot, class-mate of the
law school,
He has taken part in political
campaigns since 1880, and made num-
Der of speeches. He took part in the
campaign of 1888 in Nebraska, and was
nominated to represent the First dis
trict in congress in 1890. He was elected
by the majority of G,713, although the
district had gone republican by 3,4OO
when Secretary Morton had been de-
feated in 1888, and was thought to be
certainly republican. He supported
William M. Springer for speaker in the
fifty-second congress, from whose dis
trict in Illinois he came originally.
This led to his being put on the ways
and means committee in congress, of
which Springer was chairman, and on
March 16, 1892, he made a tariff speech
that was the sensation of the day, and
was literally distributed as campaign
literature.
HELPED FRAME THE WILSON BILL.
He was renominated in 1899, in spite
of the fact that the legislature had re-
districted the state, and his district in
the previous election had given the re-
publican ticket about 5000 majority.
He was reelected by $40 votes to the
fifty-third congress. He helped to
frame the Wilson bill, \ng member
of the ways and means committee, and
took an especially active part in the in
come tax provisions. At the close OF
the debate ON the income tax in con-
gress, replying to Bourke Cochran,
Aug. 16, 1893, at the special session, he
delivered three-hours' speech against
the repeal 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 seignorage and spoke against Car
isles currency policy, and also against
Cleveland's gold contract.
In 1894, he became candidate for the
United States senate, and announced
that he would not be candidate for
the lower house of congress. He was
nominated for United States senator in
the democratic convention, and the
populist candidate in his district was
Endorsed by the democrats for the house
of representatives. The ensuing state
legislature being republican, John M.
Thurston was sent to the senate, and
the republican candidate in his former
congressional district, J. B. Strobe,
was elected by 5000 majority. During
oil three ofthe campaigns he challenged
opposing candidates to debate, and
several discussions were held.
After his retirement from congress,
he took up the practice of law in Lin
coin again, but the silver campaign
opening, he found that the calls upon
him for speeches and campaign work
were SO frequent that he was forced to
give up his law practice. In September,
1894, he became the -in-chief OF
the Omaha World Herald, and had
control of its editorial policy on the
state and national questions.
MR.. BRYAN A POOR MAN.
Mr.. Bryan is man Of small means
j -. o. l.. AIO..-