The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-05
Statesnes, Real and Nsar.
BY. FRED G KELLY.

By FRED c. KELLY.
william Jennings Bryan. after Al hil
years Of public speaking. u stu subject
to stage fright
He may be, as many contend. the fore
most orator Of HIS day. but there ARE
times when the idea OF getting up and
making . speech actually scares Mr..
Bryan out of a weeks growth.
II get . hollow. sick feeling away down
In the lower part Of my stomach de-
ciared Mr.. Bryan. the other day. de-
scribing his symptoms. Sometimes
have to 60 and he down for q little while
Immediately before making speech.
Mr.. Bryan was having his lunch az bis
ONCE in the Department of State when ne
made the remark. He was such pic
ture of buoyant health. as he sat eatins
his food with great relish. that It wa
almost startling to think that anythinG
short of the kick of q horse could give
him that sinking feeling. But he saya
he not only has II. at times. but always
expects to have It.
He may have himself under better con-
troll than the doughty Demosthenes who
arises on the school platform to deliver
"Spartacus'' at the Friday afternoon ex-
ercises, but William Jennings Bryan ID
not always so easy and unconcerped az
he looks. The mere fact Of being mas
ter orator doesn't stop a man from being
a human being subject to human emo
tons. It does not always follow that
Mr.. Bryan is entirely free from stage
fright and weird sensations inside OF
him. just because his limbs do not vi
brate like the q string on a guitar.
1t should be understood that the hol-
low sensation far down In the stomach
IN ftrnf
he gets up to talk. Not by any means
He thinks no more Of delivering a Chau-
tauQua address or a routine STUMP
speech than he does of swallowing a CUP
of coffee. II is only when the speech
is one Of unusual Importance that he IL
likely to feel half overcome by nervous
ness.
His sensations just before he delivered
the famous crown Of thorns speech that
won him the Presidential nomination in
% were a mixture of nervousness and
cocksureness. He knew that he faced
the greatest opportunity of his life, that
the stage was set for a coming together
of the Time, the Place, and the Speech.
He believed he had the speech, but real
lied the possibility that he might fum-
BILE his chance. This possibility gave him
sepulchral feeling, but through IL all
something told him he was going to
strike twelve. Just before he started up
to the platform, Clark Towel handed
him a slip OF paper on which was
scrawled:
You have a great opportunity"
And Bryan hastily wrote on another
piece Of paper which he pressed into
Howelrs hand:
You will not be disappointed"
When he made his first tariff speech in
the House, as a member Of Congress.
Bryan was scared-more scared. perhaps.
than when he made his first appearance
as a college orator a few years previous.
And he has had that scared feeling In
varying degrees at every important
speech he has made since. II is reason
able TO assume that he suffered two or
three spells Of stage fright at Baltimore
a year ago last summer.
No matter what his nervousness. how
ever. over the oratorical task confront
ing him. William Jennings Bryan always
feels II in his consciousness that he will
get through with IL. He has never yet
forgot his piece or had TO retreat from
the platform in disorder. and he has been
speaking publicly since he first Joined a
school debating society at the age of
fourteen.
Bryan got his real start as a speaker
reciting his geography lesson when he
was a youngster seven or eight years old.
He received his schooling until he had
reached the age of ten by private instruc-
ton from his mother. In order to i'm
press IL on his mind. she fell into the
practice OF having him declaim his geog-
raphy lesson to the rest of the family
from the top Of little walnut table. He
soon learned to do this with great SAVIOR
faire and not only got the rudiments of
geography but of proper enunciation.
Prior to that time little William had
never had to say pieces for the neigh
bors that dropped in, as a great many
small children do. through no fault OF
their own. But the way he ratified OF
his geographical facts from the top of
that little table was so cute that his par
ents often broke over their good resolu-
lions and had him recite not only for the
family. but for intimate friends as well
When he stood up with perfect conf
dence and stated simply: THE Miss-i-
sip-pi is the longest river on the Amer
i-can con-tin-entr-he was well worth
hearing. and really showed promise of
the wonderful oratorical power he was
to. acquire later on.
Mr.. Bryan would give a lot OF money
for that little old walnut table right now
IL he knew where IL was.
tCopyrisht. 1915. by Fred @. Kelly. Al rights
re-er7eil