The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-07-13
The Young NebraSkar Is Conceded To
Be Without Peer.
ALWAYS RECEIVES ATTENTION
BY the Flow of Words From His
Tongue.
HIS CHIClSO SPEECH not HIS BEST ONE
On Three other Occasions He Thrill
ed His Hearers With His Me
lodious Voice.

Chicago. July 11.-(Special)-It was the
| writer's good fortune 20 know Bryan when
/ he was in congress He heard him make
| his first speech there. IT was on the tariff
! and II lasted three hours. lie would have
| stopped sooner; in fact, he did stop sooner
several times, but he was urged on by
| both sides Of the house so charmed was
| everybody with him, lld when at last no
| sat down he received an ovation from
| young members and old stagers Of the
house well calculated e. turn the head OF
many an older man. - then he had given
! but just one mere suggestion of being an
! orator.
It was during the ea-ly days of the tariff
| debate in the nfty-secOnd congress. He
spoke for less than i,e minutes. When he
| sat down there was = moment Of silence.
| His eloquence had taken away the breath
and desire for merrincnt from the sur
| prised people in the house
Then there burst forth a volley Of ap-
| plause and then another. All knew That
! something biz was - be expected from
| Bryan and all waited patiently to learn
J just wha, it was
Was Not al His Best.
| Though his speech a. the Coliseum. which
! resulted In his nomin Zion. was a mastery
one Of fervid. glowins, enthusiasm-produc-
! ing oratory, It did not show Bryan at his
best It is in congress in the thick Of de-
| bate that he shines iu all his splendor. lie
! has been just eloquent there, but has
! also shown himself q thorough master or
himself a n dobatcr
II is the habit of old members or the OPP
! position to trip orators with Interruptions.
! They tried It with BI IAN. They failed. No
/ matter where he was interrupted, he would
! stop Immediately, or at tho end Of his
sentence, and cOurteously ask what was
| wanted. lie would walt patiently untn his
] Ia CT MI
! quick az a fash, would reply, and nine
/ times out Of ten he would, I'm the opinion
of the galleries, get the better Of his oppo-
nent. That sort OF thing has happened
time and again in the same speech, till one
4 would have fancied hat even job would
/ have let loose had he been in Eryan's
/ place He seemed to court Interruption. At
/ any rate, he was courteous TO every one,
/ and so honest and sincere We're his replies,
and with all so apt. that he quickly won
the respect of all his audie .ce.
! When Bryan finished his big tariff speech.
old Judge Culberson, of Texas, the leader
| Of the house on LEGAL rot'ers and one II
/ It's veterans, said that he '..l been in con-
! gross many years and heI heard many
! a sueech in that dac. that none Of
them had equaled Hr ans, n his opinion.
Three Other ( se,ches Re Made.
Pryan made three 'other big speeches
! while in congress. one vas on the income
tax. brother on silver, and the third on
| the tariff The second tariff speech was
| delivered on the same day that BourNe
! Cochran made his famous speech on tho
| same subject. Cochran had been at his
! best, and carried the house with him.
The mclodic thunder of COciran's elo-
ouepce was indispensable, and the man
who was to follow him was deemed foolish.
BRYAN was nervous and apprehensiVe. Ile
fully appreciated the hit that Cochran had
| made, and the exceeding difficulty he would
! have IN eQualing e.
Congressman Springer, who always took
a fatherly interest n Bryan. ana 90 whom
BRYAN owes the fact of his being appointed
a member of the committee on ways ana
means, Though just entering on his first
term, suggested that he postpone his speech
till the next day. That advice was All that
was Nccued TO renew Bryan c0uraSe-he
feeds on oppostion-and he became inn
patient for the time to come when he should
begin. His friends were fearful that ne
would make but a poor show, so shortly
after the speech of the great orator OF
Tammany Hall Cochran had never APP
pearcd to better advantage, and by his
speech had dimmed the impression made
by Bryan's former speeches.
But Bryan had proceeded but a little way
ere his most timid friends were treasured
Bryan speaks from conviction one does
not think of him as merely pleading
cause for nav. lie stimulates his audience
into sympathy with him, and plays on
them like n harpist upon his instrument.
The music he produced in the house that
night was very effective Even the repub-
leans enjoyed il for its artistic excellence
The hit he made was pronounced as any
he had made before, and the reception he
received just great as That accorded to
Bourke Cochran.
Always a Gentleman.
Bryan never descends to the level of a
trickster in his speeches. lie is always the
gentleman. lie believes that what he calls
the common people have been wronged. 1t
is his earnest intention to do his best TO
right that wrong, in so far as he is able TO
do So lie may be wrong in his theory
OF the proper way to right the ills of which
he complains. but he is honest and sincere,
and entitled TO the respectful consideration
Of his opponents. When Bryan makes a
speech his hearers can rest assured that
he has studied it very hard, He reads
everything bearing on the subject at issue.
His memory is singularly retentiye, and
he can recall facts and quote with an
accuracy equal and facility superior TO him
who has the authority in book form at
hand He never speaks from manuscript.
He memories his speech by patient study.
He never makes a slip in his delivery.
| Tie IS letter perfect. This is not to be
| taken that he memories all his speeches.
! He can jump to his feet and make as effec-
| tive and delightful speech you would
| care 10 hear On the spur of the moment
| Rut his big speeches are the product OF
| labor and much of 1t.
When Bryan first went to congress he
was singularly green about some common
| Things which every reader OF newspaper
| and mixer with men is supposed to know.
| For instance, l remember during the de-
| bate on the repeal of the sherman silver
| purchase act, Bryan told me one afternoon.
| while we were walking down Pennsylvania
! avenue, that he had seen an absurd state
ment in a New York newspaper that morn
| ing IL was to the effect that stocks had
| been influenced by an interview published
| with a certain prominent man. las if
| what any man said would influence the
| price of stocks" said Bryan. offered
| to prove 1t TO his satisfaction II he would
| let me print an interview with him stat
| ing that he had abandoned the hope of
| defeating the repeal and that it would
pass IL was at first incomprehensible to
| him But he saw the reason of it quickly
lie had simply never given the subject any
thought before.
Popular at the Federal Capital.
Bryan was very popular in Washington.
| There was much regret when he failed to
| return to congress. He was liked on both