The Washington times., 1925-07-27

the teaching of doctrines inimical to
what he regarded as perfected re
ligion. II his fame was not al
ready secure he made 1t so by ms
leadership of the forces OF .funda-
mentalism and he died on the bat
tlefield which he selected for him.
self.
Had Difficult Problem
The two years Mr.. Bryan oc-
cupied a place at the head of Mr..
wilson's Cabinet were years o.
perplexity and stress. The Mexican
embroglio, the Japanese anti-alen
land controversy in California ana
the correspondence with Germany
and Austria Hungary, precedent 70
Americas entrance into the war,
were problems that gave the Ne
braskan statesman many sleeplcsS
nights.
Mr.. Bryan's resignation from the
Cabinet, which occurred on June
8, 1915, came as thunderclap out
of a clear sky. 1t was known
there had been disagreement sbo-
tween the President and his chief
Cabinet officer, but that the breach
had gone beyond healing wars not
realized by the public mind. Ger
many's aggressions and her. ruth.
less U.boat policy were daily draw.
ing the United States into the vor-
tex OF war. Mr.. Bryan seemei
pledged to peace. The time came
when President Wilson's notes To
Germany had to take a final tonc,
and, with the sinking OF another
American ship and an ultimatuln
from the United States, Mr.. Bryan
sent his letter of resignation to
the President. Mr.. Wilson, depior-
ing his action, as a personal loss"
in reply, accepted his Secretary's
withdrawal from the Cabinet, stat
ing that they both sought the SAME
end but by different methods
Party Leadership Broken.
Mr.. Bryan's leadership of the
Democratic party definitely was
broken at the national convention
at San Francisco In 1920, when he
was defeated in his efforts to have
la dry plank included in the plat
form. Throughout the campaign,
he remained silent and afterward
said it was the first time in forty
years that he had made no speeches
for a Democratic presidential can
didate. The reason for his action,
he said, was that he did not agree
with James NJ. Cox, the party's
candidate who was defeated by
Warren G. Harding, and that he
did not want to debate with the
candidate of his own party.
After his defeat on the convention
floor on the proposed dry plank,
Mr.. Bryan said:
MY heart is in the grave with
our cause. I must pause until it
comes back to me-"
Having become a permanent legal
resident of Miami, Fla, Mr.. Bryan
was elected from that state a dele
gate to the Democratic national con-
Yention at New York in 1924. He
was a member of the resolutions
committee and at one Of the ses-
sions when the K. K. K. issue was
being discussed he dropped to his
knees and urged other members of
the committee to join with him in
prayer that they might be guided
in the right light. The former Sec
rotary took part in the campaign,
but was not as active as he had
been in some previous ones. His
brother, Charles w. Bryan. then
governor of Nebraska. was the
Democratic nominee for Vice Presi-
dent.
His Last Battle
The final phase Of Bryan's siren
uous life was exemplified by his ap-
pcarance in the Scopes trial here.
His role was that of an apostle
OF revealed Christianity. fighting
against the acceptance or the teach
ing of doctrines inimical to what he
regarded as perfected religion. II
his fame was not already secure he
made 1t so by his leadership of the
forces of fundamentalism and ne
died on the battlefield which he Sc
| lec:ed for himself.
RUNS OVER OWN SON AS
/