The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-05

VI omana, an OLD campatgner, man OF In.
fluence. with the backing Of corporate in.
terests. and blind partisan following with
plenty of money for campaign purposes
What greater odds could man have to
contend against?
But Bryan had confidence in himself
| and as l said before he understood human
nature. He had sufficient grasp OF the sit
uation to know that he could never get a
sized audience out to hear him unless
he resorted to some expedient. This
curiosity that the Republicans now say
draws out the crowds to hear him. did not
then surround him with its halo. He knew
that he must do something. and he did the
| one thing needful. He challenged Cornell
to joint debate
Cornell accepted. of course. Bryan
gained his main object. he was assured Of
an audience. and he was confident that he
could do the rest The people were inter-
| ested from the start. The novelty attract
ed them. They wanted to see the fun, the
sharp clash CT wits. the fencing with fig
ures The Republicans were delighted.
They thought young Bryan had put his
| head In the lions mouth. and they wanted
to see Cornell eat him up The friendly
Democrats looked upon the proposition
with misgivings, but they did not see how
their candidate could lose anything.
A New Richmond in the Field.
but when the two candidates met, like
gladiators in the arena. the result was far
different from what had been anticipated.
The unknown young lawyer from Lincoln
made his learned opponent look like .
schoolboy. He had all the facts at his
tongues end. and he proved that he was
equipped with a wonderful understanding
OF the tariff question, which was the main
issue OF the campaign. He interested his
audience from the start. His style of ora
| tory was revelation. Nothing like it had
| ever been seen in Nebraska.
Judge Cornell belonged to the old
school Of stump speakers. He could quote
| the prices of steel rails. wire nails. cotton
| goods, and deliver trite eulOgy on the
blessings Of protection. But in spite of all
he Was dry and diGactic. His hearers knew
that he was delivering good argument.
/ for they had heard that he was a good
speaker. But he impressed no one. The
voters were Just as willing to read the
| speech in the papers the next morning as
| they were to listen to 1t.
With Bryan il was different. He did
not make the same sort of speech that
| he does now. He resorted more to illus
trating his points by appropriate anec-
dctes. and in this way he was marvel. I
| doubt II any man since the day of Abra
| ham Lincoln ever had the gift OF telling
good story and telling it WELL as has
Bryan II Judge Cornell made an es
pecially telling point in one of his speeches
Bryan would destroy its effect in two min
| utes by telling some homely anecdote and
| turning the application against his OPP
ponent. This interested the audience. 1t
made them laugh. The laughter turned to
| cheers. Cheers mean enthusiasm, and en-
| thusiasm means votes.
And Bryan made votes every time he
/, net his antagonist on the stump. He saw
his advantage. He saw that he was win
| ming supporters every day. and that he got
the lions share Of the applause.
Council saw a few things, too. He saw
that he was losing votes every day. This
| nettled him. He lost his temper. and
that vas of course the beginning Of the
| end. He angrily accused his quick witted
young opponent Of answering his solid
arguments with jokes. 1t was as humiliat-
| ing as it would be for a military COM
mander to have his heavy artillery sill
enced by rifle fire.
But Bryan kept his temper under all
| these attacks. and his courtesy won him
still more votes. He did not stop telling
his anecdotes, perhaps the most wonder
| full collection that has ever Influenced vot-
ers in any campaign. His argument did
not lack solidity. as those who know him
/ now may judge. His scintillating elo-
Quence, his clean straightforward presen-
! tation Of the issues, won him the title
| 81 the Boy Orstor of the Platte This was
applied by the Republicans in ridicuIe
The Democrats accepted it in good faith,
and II became one of the slogans of the
campaign.
Falling Into Line.
Bryan had by this time aroused the
sh,t
was greeted by tremendous enthusiasm
Desertions from the ranks CT the Repub-
leans were matters Of daily occurrence.
and they no longer excited comment The
old-line Democratic leaders began to
warm up little to climb into the band
wagon SO to speak. The city of Lincoln
took personal pride in its home cam
date. and the long standing rivalry be-
tween Omaha and the capital of the State
became intensified. The young men were
for Bryan almost to man. He talked to
them in language they could understand,
and they liked his plain way of putting
abstruse governmental questions.
THE climax of the campaign occurred
at Plattsmouth. in Cass County, shortly
before the election. Judge Connell was
billed to speak By himself He had grown
tired Of wrestling in joint debate with
innovation in his style of oratory. He
had perceived that Bryan's anecdotes were
excellent accessories to spirited cam
paign, and he decided to tell story Linn
SELF Unfortunately he did not gauge his
audience properly, for there were many
ladies present. He told story that was,
to say the least, triae risque. and the
feminine portion of his audience accom-
panied by their escorts, arose and alb
ruptly left the hall. 1t was a terrible
break. and no one regretted 1t more than
the staid dignified Judge Connell but the
battle was lost, and he was his own Bur-
chard
THE jubilant Democrats made the most
OF the opportunity and Judge Connell's
unfortunate anecdote was spread through
out the Congressional district inside of
twenty-four hours. The women. pow
erful influence anywhere. arose and cham
pioned Bryan's cause. 1t was the only
thing lacking. II there was anything lack
ing. to give Bryan the victory. 1t may.
therefore, be said that Bryan might never
have been heard OF outside OF Nebraska
II it had not been for a shady story, an
other evidence of the old truth that great
things sometimes hinge on matters of
trivial importance at the time.
when the election came of Bryan was
swept into his seat in the House of Rep
resentatives by an overwhelming ma
jority. His plurality over Connell was
6,703. The rest Is history" i
Woman Robbed on the Street. |
Rebecca Middleton lives at o22 l-2 d Street |
southwest. She reported to the police yesterday |
that while she returning home Saturday even.
ftNgr ss,glrD fn.s B.S and a