The Washington herald., 1908-03-19
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Born forty-eight years ago to-day. when
the politics Of the country had reached
that high and excited stage which culmi-
mated IN the greatest war OF the ages. lit
tie wonder is il that William Jennings
Bryan has taken to politics as duck
takes to water. The times undoubtedly
left their imprint upon the child. Whether
he ever reaches the goal 20 which his am
bltion leads him or not. Mr.. Bryan stands
before the country as one of its really re-
markable men. Twice he has gone down
to defeat in a battle-ground Of his own
choosing, the second time worse than the
first. and yet he commands the loyal sup
port Of the rank and file OF his party in
way that is comparable only TO the
loyalty which the triumphant Roosevelt
commands from his followers.
Nothing holds men in political bonds so
well as the cohesive power of public
patronage and usually men leave a de-
feated leader But in spite OF his lack
Of those things which are usually nee
essary to a leader for holding men 20
gether, Mr. Bryan has as firm hold on
his followers as he ever had. The secret
OF it all is his personality. As Roosevelt
is the ideal leader Of the masses Of his
own party. SO Mr.. Bryan is the Peerless
one" 10 the great body CT the Democracy.
IL is perhaps not telling tales out OF
school 10 say that both OF them are dis
liked to-day By politicians OF their re
specitve parties.
A single speech lifted Mr.. Bryan into
the limeIight Of country-wide fame. II
gave him the Presidential nomination and
laid the foundation for one of the most
remarkable political careers the country
has ever seen. Never but once before has
a single speech landed Presidential nom
ination. That one. however, won more.
II won the Presidency Itself. II was when
the Republican convention was a dead
lock between James c. Blaine and John
Sherman Ballot after ballot had been
cast without a choice. Then a teacher
preacher-lawyer made speech. II was
an old-fashloned call TO arms. and the
man who made thames A. Garield-was
In short order the nominee Of his party.
The speech OF Mr.. Bryan was not argu-
mentative. Even his partisians cOncede
that David 3. Hill had made a speech
for the gold standard, and II was brist-
ling with arguments. But Mr.. Bryan ig-
nored them all. Instead he delivered a
speech OF assertions rather than Of sup
ported arguments. II had the ring OF
oratOry about il. and was just suited TO
the mood Of the convention. And the
man whose Presidential boom had only
a day before been laughed al, had talked
himself into the nomination. David B.
Hin said OF that convention that il was
the most emotional political body he had
ever seen
Some one recently told Mr. Bryan that
he was the only man in this country
who could make money honestly out Of
politics. The statement is about true.
Before ne was nominated the first time
he had but modest income, To-day he
makes enough 10 make him man OF in
| dependent means. His First Battle, 3"
which. by the way is the most marked
up book In the Library OF Congress at
Washington, made him a good deal of
money. Estimates vary as to what he
makes out OF his Commoner, but con-
servative men place 1t at least $4,000 a
year. He is the greatest drawing card
on the lecture platform to-day. and that
nets him perhaps as much. Then he has
! printed several other books. among them
summed up and boiled down work
which he calls The Commoner Con
dense6." These probably bring him in
good living in themselves.
His Commoner has been a political as
set to him. A constantly published ap-
peal to precinct workers to send him
! data about the individual voters at each
precinct has brought results, and he now
in touch with a large percentage OF the
voters Of his own party. He maintains
press bureau IN Washington, another in
New York, and heads one himself in
Lincoln.
Mr. Bryan is a man Of intense religious
convictions. He is the son OF Silas Lii
lard Bryan, who prayed three times a
day. no matter what was on hand TO
engross his attention. Il is said that as
! judge he was known to adjourn court
until he could have HIS noontide prayer.
! Silas Bryan was born in Culpeper County
| Va. and as might be expected from that
fact, he was a Baptist. How William
came 20 be Presbyterian does not seem
TO have been told by any OF his biogra-
piers. 1t is said that the father, who
was something of a politician anG was
once a Democratic candidate for Con-
6ASSSs GRpI OHC OCNdSlOn lidCtQ WlNldH
on a table at the age Of twelve to make
a speech before a political convention.
At first the audience laughed, but later
applauded, when they saw that he had
| in him the real germ OF an orator.
Mrs. Bryan. in a sketch she wrote OF
him, says that the pockets of his first
trousers were always filed with bread
that he was a child with relentless ap-
petite. She says that his only adventures
were those OF rabbit-hunting, and that
these are the only tales of boyhood ex-
ploits that he has to tell his children.
Mrs. Bryan further says that his smile is
not so expansive as it used to be; that
the rounded cheeks keep il from spread
| ing so far as it once did. She recalls
hearing man say during the 1886 CAM
paign that that man could whisper in
his own ear but this she Loyalty puts
down as an exaggeration. When Mr.
Bryan assumed the titular editorship of
the World-Herald. a country editor pre-
dicted that he would not be much of a
success. since he could not smile on
paper.
Mr.. Bryan is lawyer According to
the Green Bag. Washington. William
Henry Harrison. Taylor. and Johnson
were the only Presidents who were not
lawyers. though II might be well TO add
Grant to that list The first case which