The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-11
BRYAN ON TIE FIFTH
BALLOT FOR PRESIDENT
Continued from fourth page.)

Lincoln. Nebraska, going into partner
ship with A. Il. Talbot, a class-mate ait
the law school He had
taken part in political cam
paigns since 1880, and maze
a number of speeches. He took part in
the campaign OF 1883 in Nebraska. and
was nominated Ito represent the First
district in Congress in 1890. lie was
electedby the maj ority of6, 713, although
the district had gone Republican by
3,400 when Secretary Morton had beeu
defeated in 1883, and was thought to
be certainly Republican. He support
ed Springer for Speaker in the Fifty
second Congress, from whose distric,
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
Is, 1892, he made a tariff speech that
was the sensation of the day, and was
literally distributed as campaign lit
erd,u.a. He was reelected i'm 1892 i'm
spite OF the fact that the Legislature
had re-distf;cted the State, and his dis
trict in the prev ours election had given
the Republican ticket about 5000 ma
jority, and was reelected by 14O votes.
In THE Fifty-third Congress he helped
to frame the Wilson bill, being a mem
ber of the Ways and Means committee.
and took am especial active part in the
income tax provisions. At the close of
the debate on the income tax in Con-
gress, replying to Bourke Cochran,
August 16, 1898, at the special session.
he delivered a three hours speech
against the repeal of the Sherman law.
this speech being more largely circu-
lated than the tariff speech had been
He also spoke in favor of a bill to
coin the seigniorage and spoke against
Carlisle's currency policy. AS also a.
gainst Cleveland's gold contract with
the Rotschilds.
In 1894 he became candidate for
the United States Senate and announc-
ed that he would be a candidate for
the lower house of Congress. He was
nominated for United States Senator.
and the Populist candidate of his dis
trict was chosen by his party for the
place in the House of Representatives.
but the State legislature being Republi-
can John NJ. Thurston was elected and
the Republican candidate i'm his for
mer Congressional district, j. b..
Strobe, was elected by 5000 majority
During all three of the campaigns, he
challenged the opposing candidates to
a debate and several discussions were
held
After his retirement from Congress
he took up the practice of law i'm 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 Septem-
Der, 1894, he became the editor-in-
chief of the Omaha World-Herald. and
had control of its editorial policy on
State and National questions.
Mr.. Bryan is man of small means.
He was married October /. 1894. 10
Mary Baird, of Perry, Illinois. who
attended the female academy i'm Jack
sonville, when he was in the other
school at the same place. and who
graduated the same week that he did
and was also the valedictOrian of her
class. She studied law and was adj
mitted to the bar, without any idea of
practicing, but simply to be more
thoroughly companionable to him.
She is year or two younger than he.
Ruth. 10 years old, William J., Jr..
about seven, and Grace, five years old.
Mr.. Bryan is a Presbyterian, having
joined the Cumberland Presbyterian
church at the age of IA. He is now a
member of the First Presbyterian
church of Lincoln.
His father was Silas L. Bryan, who
was a circuit judge at the time of his
sons birth and served i'm that capacity
from 1860 to 1872, on the bench of Illi-
nois Judge Bryan moved on a farm
a short distance from Salem. when his
son was six years old, and from that
time until he was % years old, Bryan
spent his summers on the farm. In
1872 his father ran for Congress on
the Greeley ticket and was defeated
by 240 votes. His family comes from
Virginia. His father was born in Gull
pepper county in that State and died in
Salem, Illinois. in 1890. His mother
whose name was Maria Elizabeth Jen-
nings, was born in Marion county, Hi
nois, and died in Salem. a week ago
last Saturday, after a protracted ill
ness.
In appearance Mr.. Bryan is impress
sive, his face indicating intellectually
and power as well as good nature.
There is a notable absence of the boy
ish look seen in the pictures and litho-
graphs of him which have been circu-
lated He is affable and kindly in
manner, easily approachable and does
not lack dignity. In appearance he is
an illustration of the fact that some
men are never accorded justice by a
picture, which in his case does not
prepare one for the expression of keen
ness shown in his face.
SHOOTING AT OLD HUNDRED.