South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-05
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FRED c. KELLY.

public speaking. is still subject to
stage fright.
He may be. as many contend, the
foremost orator OF his day. but there
are times when the idea of getting up
and making a speech actually scares
Mr.. Bryan out of a weeks growth.
Il get a hollow, sick feeling away
down in the lower part OF my stom-
ach." declared Mr.. Bryan. the other
day. describing his symptoms. Some
times have to go and lie down for a
little while Immediately before max
ing a speech"
Mr.. Bryan was having his lunch at
his office in the department of state
when he made the remark. He was
such a picture Of buOyant health, as
ne sat eating his food with great rel
ish, that II was almost startling to
think anything short of the kick Of
a horse could give him that sinking
feeling But he says ne not only has
il. at times, but always expects to
have it.
He may have himself under better
control than the doughty DemoNhenes
who arises on the school platform to
deliver "Spartacus' at the Friday aft
ernoon exercises, but William Jen-
nings Bryan is not always so easy and
unconcerned as he looks. The mere
fact of being a master orator doesn't
stop a man from being a human be-
ing subject to human emotions. 1t
does not always follow that Mr. Bry-
an is entirely free from stage fright
and weird sensations inside of him.
just because his limbs do not vibrate
like the G. string on a guitar.
1t she Id be understood that the
hollow sensation far down in the
stomach does not come to Mr.. Bryan
every time he gets up TO talk. Not
by any means. He thinks no more
of delivering a Chautauqua address
or q routine stump speech than he
does of swallowing a cup of coffee.
1t is only when the speech is one of
unusual Importance that he is likely
to feel half overcome by nervousness.
His sensations just before he de-
| livered the famous crown of thorns
speech that won him the presidential
nomination In go were a mixture Of
nervousness and cocksureness. He
knew that he faced the greatest OPP
portunity 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
tumble his chance. This possibility
gave him q sepulchral feeling, but
through il all something told him he
was going to strike twelve. Just be-
fore he started up to the platform.
Clark Howell handed him a slip of
paper on which was scrawled:
"You have a great opportunity"
And Bryan hastily wrote on an
other piece of paper which he press
ed into Howell's 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 ora
tor a few years previous. And he has
had that scared feeling in varying
degrees at every important speech he
has made since. 1t is reasonable to
assume that he suffered two or three
spells of stage fright at Baltimore a
year ago last summer.
No matter what his nervousness
however, over the oratorical task con-
fronting him. William jennings Bry-
an always feels it in his conscious
ness that he will get through with II.
He has never yet forgot his piece"
or had TO retreat from the platform
in disorder, and he has been ~0eaking
publicly since he first Joined a school
debating society at the age OF IA.
Bryan got his real start as a speak
er 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 10
by private instruction from his moth
er. In order TO impress ii on his
mind, she fell into the practice of
having him declaim his geography
lesson TO the rest OF the family from
the top of a little walnut table. He
soon learned to do this with great
SAVIOR faire and not only got the
rudiments of geography but of prop
er enunciation. Prior to that time
little William had never had TO say
pieces for the neighbOrs that dropped
in, as a great many small children
do. through no fault of their own.
But the way he ratified off his geog-
raphical facts from the top OF that
little table was so cute that his par
ents often broke over their good reso-
lutions and had him recite not only
for the family. but for intimate
friends as well.
When he stood up with perfect
confidence and stated simply: The
Mississippi is the longest river on
the American con-tin-entt"-he
was we'll 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 if he knew where it
was
Copyright. 1914. by Fred c. Kelly.
All rights reserved.)
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