The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-07-13
Sketch Of Bryan's Life
THE CENTRAL FIGURE IN
AMERICAN POLITICS.
His Confidence, Conviction,
Earnestness and Hunger for
Success, the Causes for His
Power Over the People.

Following is a brief sketch of
the life of the candidate for the
Presidency on the Democratic
ticket, William Jennings Bryan:
While many question the truth
of the political tenets held by Mr..
Bryan, nobody doubts his honesty
nor his ability to make a plausible
defence of the faith that is in him.
just beyond 40 years of age,
Bryan has been for the past four
years more in the public eye than
any other American not in official
life. He has filled the horizon to
the exclusion of men known
throughout the country when
Bryan was college lad in his
native town of Jacksonville, ILL.,,
struggling with his Tacitus and
Livy. President Mckinley has
been talked of little more during
his Presidential term than the
man whom he defeated for the
/ place. The only other public
official who can compare with the
NehraSkan in the attention at
tracted, is Theodore Roosevelt.
Governor Of New York and now
a candidate for the Vice Presi
demcy OF the United States.
Men differ according to their
viewpoint as TO whether Bryan's
hold on the public attention is
notoriety or popularity. They
agree that he is an important ac-
tor Just now in public life. hold
ing i'll the hollow Of his hand, as
few men have held in the nations
history. the fortunes of a great
political party and indirectly
perhaps of great nation.
In college Bryan became leader
of his class, having graduated as
valedlctorlan at the age of 81
years. Three years afterward,
i'll 1881 he married Mary E.
Baird. of Perry, ILL.,, and settled
down i'll his native town of Jack
sonville to the practice of law.
Like many other young lawyers,
he had much leisure. which he
used i'll thoroughly pos ing
himself on the p Olitical
questions of the times. In 1887
he removed to Lincoln, Ne
braska, still obscure, still in mod
est circumstances, but with vast
enthusiasm and umbounded ambi,
ton for work in his new field.
Bryan went into a Congress
sional district that was over,
whelmingly Republican. In 1890.
when the question of tariff or free
trade so filled the public mind.
the Democratic nomination in
the Lincoln Congressional dis
trict Of Nebraska went begging.
The ambitious young lawyer
agreed to take it provided some
one would advance him a little
ready money with which to pay
the expenses of a canvass. 1t
was agreed to and Bryan became
a candidate FIR Congress. He
was pitied by his opponents,
while the best his friends expect
ed for him was some experience
in public speaking. Bryan knew
his own strength as a debater and
at once challenged w. j. Con
nell, his opponent, to a Joint de-
bate in the district. The last was
to be held iii Omaha, ConnelPs
home.
The study of Bryan while wait
ing for practice in Jacksonville
stood him i'll good stead. The
first debate showed that he had
mastered the tariff question from
A to q. Cornell was sorry that
he had consented to debate with
the young "upstart' from Lin
coin. After the secoRd joint de-
bate COnnell's friends seriously
considered breaking the engage.
ment for the four remaining con.
tests, but it was decided at
length to go on. When the time
for the debate at Omaha arrived
the hall was packed with the
friends of the Republican candi.
date. 1t was to be Bryan's
Waterloo, so his opponents
planned. Bryan had the closing
speech and held the best for the
last. Before he had proceeded
far COnnelrs packed adherents
were shouting for the Lincoln
lawyer. He carried the gather.
ing off its feet as he did the Dem
Ocratic Convention in Chicago
nearly six years afterward. A
Republican majority of 5000 was
changed to a Democratic major.
lty of an equal number. Bryan
went to Congress.
In Congress the young man
fully sustained his reputation as
a debater. He was reelected
and served for four years, after
which he was defeated by John
M. Thurston in a race for the
Senatorship from Nebraska.