Evening star., 1925-07-27
BRYAN g YEARS
POLITICAL FIGURE
Came to Washington First as
Congress Member and
Grew in Popularity.

Washington, which has known vii.
liam Jennings Bryan for 80 years,
since he first came here in 1893 as q
fiedgling Representative from Nebras-
ka, was just preparing to welcome
him to a second era Of marked dis
tinction when the news of his death
came yesterday with stunning sud
denness.
Mr.. Bryan, so well known through
out the land as THE Great Common
err" sprang like a Phoenix into the
calculating gaze Of political Washing
ton when he delivered his immortal
cross of gold" speech, and no man
has welded throughout their years a
longer. more persistent and unshak-
able influence on public affairs CEN
tering in the Nations Capital. Hence,
the political effect of his death, while
1t must be important, cannot yet be
calculated.
Those who are attempting here to
gauge how political activities may be
swayed by his passing out Of the par
ty councils recall that he had the
distinction of running three times for
the presidency, and by virtue of that
fact he has for many years regarded
himself as adviser -in-chief and pre-
ceptor of the Democratic party. AS
such he changed the course of history
swinging the Democratic nomina-
tion from Champ Clark to Woodrow
Wilson at Baltimore in 1912. for
which he was rewarded with the
position Of cabinet premier. Coming
out Of retirement in Florida, he was
force to be reckoned with In the big
clash in the last Democratic national
convention. He was a pioneer in the
cause of woman suffrage, prohibi
ton and fundamentalism.
Greatest Speech Anticipated.
Denied the opportunity of making
at the Scopes trial what he had in
tended would be "the greatest speech
of his life,' Washington looked
forward to hearing William Jennings
Bryan outdo his great Gross of Gold
and Prince of Peace" speeches in the
supreme effort of his meteoric career
in an effort to have the next Con
gress decide the cause to which hs
gave his life in Tennessee.
News of his death came in paralyz
ing unexpectedness to the Nations
Capital, although 1t was known thai
he was not in the best OF physical
condition, as disclosed by his veteran
| friend and co-worker in the cause OF
Democracy, former Senator Gilbert N
, Hitchcock, and by his own statement
at the Democratic national conven
tion last year that he felt his life
was fast coming to an end.
In recent years his visits to the
Capital have been less frequent and
instead of the old-time Importance
they were invariably said to be
prompted by a desire of a chat with
old friends in the press galleries al
the Capitol.
Although keenly interested in major
legislation, Mr.. Bryan's name was less
and less frequently mentioned on the
floor. unless the subject was one
dealing with an issue dear to his
heart, such as prohibition. when quo
tations from his expressed views were
freely used.
Staunch Friends i'm Congress.
Notwithstanding the absence of the
Nebraskan from the Capital for a
long period. he continued to hold
staunch friends In and out Of Con-
gresS. And even though his personal
stamp was absent. many pieces of
legislation came to be viewed as bear
ing his approval, and when occasion
demanded he could make his views
heard very clearly. With general
political issues which have been dealt
with by Congress, however, he had