Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-19
OF WORLDWIDE INTEREST
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKiN

bread--that he was a child with a re-
lentless appetite She says that his
only adventures We're those of rabbit
hunting, and that these are the only
tales of boyhood exploits that he has
to tell his children. Mrs. Bryan fur
ther says that his smile is not so ex-
pansive as 1t used to be; that the
rounded cheeks keep it from spreading
SO far as 1t once did. She recalls hear
ing man say during the 1896 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 editor
ship Of the World Herald a country
editor predicted that he would not be
iDuch or 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 it might be well to add
Grant to that lit. The first case which
Mr.. Bryan got was at Jacksonville, ILL.,
1t was before a justice of the peace for
the collection of an assumpsit debt of
S4q. with ratio of cost and interest to
his fee of about six. cen to one. His
the holidays of 1887 He was very sue
cessful in damage suits against rail-
roads and other cases where sympathy
was factor. An early case at Lincoln
was divorce suit, which has become
rather famous for the big alimony he
secured for his client. Mrs. Matte Her
lex. One of his favorite legal maxims
has been that law that shocks equity
is reasons murder"
AS Mr.. Bryan is a leader in the move
ment to reform political campaigns, it
is interesting - note what he consid-
ers the legitimate expenses of a politi-
cai campaign. ~ discussing his defeat
in 1895 he says that the Republicans
were better off in funds for the legiti-
mate expenses of the fight. These he
summed up as the expenses for the cir
culation of literature, the travelling ex-
penses of speakers, the securing of pre-
liminary polls, the tting of the vote
registered and polled.
Mr.. Bryan can illustrate a point
about as well as the next man. In
describing hidebound partisan he says
he is the sort of man who, when asked
IL he would vote the Democratic tick
ct, replied: Nc, a thousand times no
Why, l would rather go to sea in
boat of stone, with sails of iron, oars of
lead, the wrath of G. for a gale, and
hill for my port"
In congress Mr. Bryan was rather
remarkable figure. He broke a long
precedent by getting on the ways and
means committee during his first term
in the house. He was watchful and
careful of the interests of his constitu-
ents, and 1t is said that he got more
pensions for the old soldiers of his dis
hn oil HI NI.ea
In :rything that pertained to the tar
iff and money Mr. Bryan could be relied
on to be in the midst of the fight. One
of his strongest efforts, outside of the
political fights he was in, was to pro-
vide base for the monument to Ger
eral William Il. Sherman, which stands
at the south front of the treasury build
ing In Washington. He was successful
in this effort. His opponent when he
ran for congress the first time was a
silver Republican. After Mr.. Bryan's
first term he was charged with lack of
loyalty to silver. in that he had not ap-
parently done anything in it's behalf.
He answered this by getting a state
fnent from the Democratic members of
the coinage committee that he had been
assigned to tariff work, and that this
occupied his whole attention. The plea
won, and his second term was devoted
to the interests of silver. 1t was Mr..
Bryan who helped to carry William L.
Wilson around on his shoulders when
the house passed the Wilson bill.
Those y no were with Mr.. Bryan when
he went a-soldiering declare that he
was the ideal regimental commander.
He was deeply. interested in his men,
and bringing complaints to him
through the proper channels" had no
sympathy from him. He did not like
such red ape, and he wanted his SOL
diers to feel free to come direct to him
when they had real grievance, only
asking them to make sure that their
troubles were real before they came.
AS result, he had the deepest affec-
ton of his men. When any of them
were on the sick list he was always to
be found, when opportunity permitted.
visiting them and giving them words of
hope and cheer. Upon one occasion
Virginia soldier got into the water and
was caught by an undertow and carried
out to sea. Several men tried to rescue
hin. and were in danger of being
drowned themselves. Mr.. Bryan ran
and got rope and threw it out to
them, thus saving their lives. He had
bought the rope for just such an emer-
gency. They afterward joined in sing
ing Throw Out the Life Line" and 1t
was song that went home.
Should Mr.. Bryan reach the goal of
his ambition he will be the third grand
child of Virginia to reach 1t. With
Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Mon
roe, the elder Harrison. Tyler and Tay-
lor as native sons, Virginia added a
grandson in Lincoln, another in Benja-
min Harrison, and hopes to add an
other in Mr.. Bryan, for Virginia is
Democratic state.