The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-09

Bryan OF Nebraska. known as 1.-THE
silver tongued orator and 1.-The boy
orator of the Platte mounted the
platform and delivered a brief but
bold and masterful speech. His
vibrant voice rang out over the heads
of the 5000 persons in the vast hall.
penetrating with clarion intonation to
the farthest corners. The customary
uproar of a great political convention.
which the strongest of oratorical
lungs. as rule. cannot quell entirely,
was hushed into unbreathing awe. No
such eloquence ever before had been
heard in a national convention. The
man and the occasion had met. and
the man had mastered the occasion.
The address was an impassoned APP
peal for bimetallism and an exalted
glorfication of the new Democratic
closed with his epoch making meta
phor of the cross of gold and crown
of thorns" the enthusiastic approba-
tion of his sentiments and of the man
himself was indicated by whirlwind
OF applause beyond description
And William Jennings Bryan was
nominated for the presidency of the
United States.
Flashed to the remotest reaches of
the nation. the news was the most
sensational political titbit that. ever
took the wires Bryan was but one
year above the minimum age required
by the constitution of the United
States for president. While some of
his speeches in congress a few years
before had given him a momentary
reputation. he was practically I'M
known to the nation at large and par
ticularly so to the great eastern sec
ton of the country. Never before had
a great party nominated for president
man living west of the Mississippi
river. Never before had so young a
man been nominated. Never before
had an orator won the great prize by
single speech. Democrats. Repub-
licans, Populists. everybody wondered
how the newcomer would conduct
himself in the campaign.
Presently the wonder turned to
amazement. Young Mr.. Bryan was a
ampaigner-there was no doubt as to
that. He injected into American poll
tics presidential campaign such as
the nation never knew before Men
called ii whirlwtnd campaign. and
such 1t was. The whirlwind road was
the railroad, and IL carried the candi-
date up and down and across the land
upon an amazing schedule of travelling
and talking. Mr.. Bryan Travelled in
that campaign more than $4,000 miles
and delivered considerably more than
1000 speeches. He made forty-nine
speeches in one day in New York
state. Thirty-five addresses, short
ana long. were delivered by him on
several days. while II was an ordinary
thing for him to address twenty
crowds at twenty different towns in
twenty hours The candidate showed
physique and a voice that stood the
tremendous strain with marvellous
endurance. AS the campaign pro-
crossed and the fame of Bryan spread
people got to sitting up all night and
travelling many miles just to hear the
phenomenon speak.
Bryan's first appearance in the east
was on the 18th of August. when he
delivered his speech of acceptance OF
the nomination. Madison Square Car
den was packed with a suffocatine
mass OF men and women, though il
was one of the hottest DAYS ever
known in New York and a dozen per
sons had died from sunstroke during
the DAY. Bryan read that speech from
manuscript disappointing thing. for
1t detracted greatly from his elo-
quence. But the candidate was well
aware that great issues hinged upon