The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23

About 1890 he fixed upon Lincoln. Neb..
as a city that needed great man. he
went there, planted his washing, ran for
Congress and moved to Washington.
AT the expiration of his term he was
again nominated, and elected After that
he had so gotten into the habit Of being
nominated, that one day while passing the
building in which the Democratic conven-
ton for the nomination of a United States
senator was being held someone seeing
him through the window, he was immedi-
We're more Republicans than Democrats in
the Legislature he was defeated and obliged
to go to work. His labors in Congress dur
ing his two terms were in behalf of his
bill against the use of India rubber oysters
in restaurants, which was finally defeated
after bitter struggle.
ODD JOBS FOR THE STATE.
During the next few years Bryan would
have been lost had it not been for the ice
man and the city directory. He was UNI
able to obtain regular employment except
as 'odd job man" for the State at one
time serving as lieutenant governor; but
shortly afterward we find him extolling the
beauties of the collar button done on the
back of the tattooed mans neck in the
Eden Musee of Lincoln. Large crowds al
ways attended the performances that they
might hear him say Gentlemen will please
remove their hats" This was spoken so
beautifully that the ladies refused to wear
theirs out of pure respect
In the year 1896, it being the year of the
presidential nomination, the Democrats de-
cided to hold their concave in Chicago,
most of them living on the South Side, and
Mr. Bryan being somewhat acquainted with
| the gentlemen in charge. secured a position
| as property man to the Nebraska dele
cation. This gave him complete control of
sixteen volumes of Browns Ready
| Speaker and several copies of places to
be Avoided in Large Cities"
1t Will be needless to cite any incidents
convention.
found the proper places in the speakers
when any of his delegation We're speaking,
gars on the incandescent lights. Let us
pass at once to his nomination.
The Democrats had been struggling for
days with the platform. and Chicago river
water sandwiches, and the day had been
very, eXhausting one; AS speaker after
speaker rose and fell the excitement grew
beyond control, and when one of the Ne
braska delegates arose amidst the din and
commenced to speak on Resolved. That
Whtskers are a Detriment to the Enjoy
ment of Soft-boiled Eggs" which had been
handed him by mistake by William, the
confusion knew no bounds. But w. J. was
quick to grasp the situation and anxious to
retrieve his error sprang upon the plat
form, and the silver tones of his voice could
backn'
He was Immediately seized upon by two
powerful phalanxes and carried in a grand
tr1umphal march around the building.
After the restoration of order, his name
was Immediately put in nomination, and
che being David B. Hill, who voted for
himself.
Mr.. Lewis, of Georgia, who was after
wards accused and convicted of his nomina-
ton, said that it was only justice to elect
President of the United States one who in
two brief sentences had expressed the
thoughts of the whole country. A Mr.. Will
liams said: I'VE don't want no Napoleon;
what we want is a bran new Cicero, and
Mr.. Bryan, who has studied Latin three
years, is prepared to meet-at any time or
place-any of the Catiline family
His life from that time on was filled with
events, devoting his whole time to free sill
yer. His wife commenced Immediately
after his nomination TO write his speeches,
but as he spoke on an average of ten hours
per day she is still behind with her copy.
AS a speaker. he was remarkable his
gestures always CONFORMING to ''Hogarths
planned by the fact that he was under con-
tract with Hogarth to use it exclusively.
TALKED FOR LOVE OR MONEY.
He determined to further the cause of 16
to 1 in every possible way; to that end
sometimes charging $500 per night for
speaking, while at other times he would
capture a whole town. and speak for hours
free gratis, thereby losing every vote in
| the place. The committee were absolutely
unable to restrain him; we say this in be-
half Of the committee who were family
men, with good intentions
The subject matter of his numerous
SPNCNAASo
size and class of the different bodies he
addressed is worthy of attention The larg-
est audience he addressed being in Sing
Sing, N. Y, where he spoke before several
hundred convicts who were unable to es-
cape, and, as most Of them were Demo-
Gratis, it was a most inhuman thing. At the
conclusion of his speech, they We're not al
lowed to ask him any questions, hence this
est number he ruined being at Willow
River, Mimi where he harangued the sta
tlon agent ana two squaWs for two hours
and half. The squaws are still sitting in
the same place, and the agent, who-spell-
bound-allowed two trains to exchange
compliments on the same track, lost his
job.
After these two eruptions, he spoke to
women only drawing immense crowds. In
of 80 per cent. upon the male population
ano attended en- masse as well as in car
riages. He advised them to vote for Bryan
and use Spares soap.
AS election day drew near, Bryan fearing
the contest would be close and having
vowed never to run again if defeated re-
turned to Lincoln to vote. He was obliged
to swear in his vote, and this gave him his
first and last opportunity to divulge; his real
estimate of his own campaign. Such swear
ing was never heard in Lincoln.
He He was met net at at the = station by a col
escorting him to the polling place, followed
by the collector AS he deposited his bal
lot they all removed their hats, with one
exception. The exception stated at the
court martial shortly after that he had
just been shampooed and was afraid of
catching cold. He was sentenced to police
duty for life.
The morning following election he ate
breakfast with his family at the breakfast
table in the dining room, and during the
meal they were trying to decide whether
or not they would have the White House
sitting room repapered or cleaned. After
finding his hat and kissing the family an
affectionate good bye, he started for the
city hall to pay his dog tax.
Securing Fido's right to exist" as it was
raining slightly he stepped under an avn
ing to wait for a friend. While standing
there expressing his opinion of the weather
in Latin he was suddenly translated and
shortly afterward the sun came out. This
catastrophe threw Chicago and Fourth
street. Minneapolis, into deepest debt and
gloom
1t was reported some time afterwards
that he had been seen on the streets of
Denver Col, but this is firmly denied by
the undertakers who state that such an
occurrence would not be tolerated by them,
even for a minute.
Mrs. Bryan set manfully to work and
wrote a history in three volumes. of their
married life, entitled, The Household
Guide and Companion for Young Married
Couples, 81 few copies of which have al
ready been sold. We wish her success.
Standing I'm for His Rights