Evening journal., 1897-01-26


by Mrs. Bryan.
Speaking of their first meeting, she says:
My personal knowledge of Mr. Bryan
dates from September 1879. He was then
entering upon his junior year / saw him
first in the parlors of the young ladies
school which / attended in Jacksonville.
He entered the room with several other
students was taller than the rest and at
tracted my attention at once His face was
pale and thin; pair of keen, dark eyes
looked ont from beneath heavy brows his
nose was promincnt-too large 10 look
well, / thought--a bread thin Tipped
mouth ard a square chin completed the /
contour Of his face
Mr.. Bryan's winning smile.
lie was neatly though 10 fastidiously
dressed and stood firmly and with dirni- [
ty I noted particularly his hair and his I
smile The former black In cOlcr. fine
quality and parted distrcssingly straight;
the latter expensive and expressive. In
later years this smile has been the subject
of considerable comment but the wcll
rounded cheeks of Mr.. Bryan now check
its onwj I'd march, and no one has seen the
real breadth of the smile who did not see
it in the early days Upon one occasion a
heartless observer was hesrd to remark
That man whispers in bis own eur, hut
this was "a cruel eNargCration
As 60 the criticism that Mr. Bryan had
not distinguished himself as a lawyer. she
says:
Those who thus complain should CON
slider that he entered the practice at ~
and left it ae 30. and during that period
began twice ana twice became more tlln
self supporting. AT tie time of his cleo
tion 60 o1nsress his practice was in
thriving cordition and fully equal 10 that
of any man in tie city.
She concludes tine sketch thus TIC
give an estimate Of his character or of tho
mental endowmcnts which lac may possess
would be beyond the scope OF this ar ,icle.
! may be justified, however, in saying hat
bis life has been one of earnest purpose.
with that sort Of genius which has been
called capacity fer hard work,
"The First Battle is dedicated TO Rich
ard p Bland of Missouri, General james
b. Weaver of Iowa and Henry NJ. Teller Of
Colorado, whom the author considers the
foremost champions of bimetalism in
their respective parties
Referring to the fact that the conclud-
ing sentence of his convention speech had
been widely criticised. Mr.. Bryan an tho
chapter devoted to the Chicago convention
says: Il had used the idoa-cross Of gold
and crown of thorns-in substantially tho
same form in "a speech i'm congress, but did
not recall the fact when 1 used il i'm the
convention. A portion of the speech was
extemporaneous and its arrangement en-
tirely so, but parts of il had been prepared
for another occasion
As to the Boiling Democrats.
In chapter devoted to the betting
Democrats Mr.. Bryan says; "Ihc only
criticism which / desire TO record hero is
that the gold Democrats sought to use the
party name for purposes of deception. The
party name belongs TO the majority Of the
party, and the minority cannot fairly. hon
estly or honoahly use that name in such
a way as to mislead the vcters had at
all times defended the sovereign right of
the citizen to follow his conscience and
his Judgment in political mattcrs and To
make his rarity affiliations conform TO his
convictions but a fraud attempted against
the voters is no more defcnsihle than
fraud attempted ina business transaction
Had the indianapolis convention in
dorsed the Republican ticket we might
have found fault with tho views of the
gold Democrats, D u. their methods would
not have been open TO attacks To nomi-
nate a ticket, however. without the intcn-
/ tion of voting for IL and 60 hold public
| meetings for the ostensihle purpose of aid
/ ing the ticket. but for the secret purpose
! Of aiding ticket which was not openly
! advocated, introduces into national affairs
/ q new kind Of warfare which, i'm my iudg-
mont, history must condemn.
He says this about trusts "Our coun-
try has, in my Judgment. much to fear
/ from the political influence cxertcd by
large corporations. Tho business of the
country is falling moro and more into the
haids of corporations, and since "a lawyer
receives both his reputation and his exre-
riencc from his practice the attorneys for
the great corporations. come 60 be consider
ed the leading attorneys at their respective
bars. Thus IL may happen that officials
appointed 20 enforce the law win be biased
against the law which is 20 De enforced.
1t may even hGpIcn that judges upon the
bench viii retain after appointment the
! bias acquired in corporation practice
Regarding tic civil service, no says: ~
do not believe that lie tenure is. as q rule,
wise thing i'm "a c~v-rrwcnt like ours.
The fact Chat the rcorle make frequent
changes i'm their public officials IN the case
of elective offices IS conclusive proof that
life tenure is not ropulsr.
One of ;ho last chapters is given up "a
"the election returns, and IN this Dir.
Bryan slys;
Is the evening progressed the ndica-
tions pointed more ard mere strongly G
defeat. and by / O'clock / realized that
while the returns from the country might
change tho result, tho success Of my op
ponont was more than probable. Conf
dcnce resolved itself into doubt and doubt
in turn gaze lace to resignation
while tho compassionlgss current spec
hither ard thither carrying its message O.
gl&dncss TO f0c and it's message OF sadness
to frienc here vanished from my min'
the vision of president in the Whit
House peri iexed hv the carcs Of state, an'
in the contemplation cl tno ristrre of 4
citizen by ;sis Gfcside frsc iICia oiatial re
sponsitiliy, 7 tell asleep.