Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-07-27
BRILLIANT and SPECTACULAR
CAREER OF WILLIAM J. BRYAN

McKinley's 7,104.779 and received in
the Electoral College 176 votes to his
opponents 271. Although defeated,
Mr.. Bryan remained the leader of
his party and after the Spanish
American war in 1898, in which he
commanded the 3rd Nebraska Vol
unteer Infantry as its Colonel, he
opposed the permanent retention of
the Philippine Islands by the United
States.
In 1900, when again nominated for
the presidency, he made "anti-im-
perialism" the permanent issue but
refused to omit an explicit party
declaration in favor of free coinage
of silver in the party platform. This
time he was defeated with a popular
vote of 6,3oS, 133 as against 7,207 ,923
for his opponent. He received 155
electoral votes to McKinley's 292.
Mr.. Bryan returned to Lincoln and
started the publication of a weekly
political journal called the Com
moner. Four years later, 1904, al
though not actively a candidate for
the nomination, which eventually
went to Judge Alton B. Parker, he
vigorously opposed Democracy's
conservative" attitude.
The interim between this period
and the next presidential election of
1908 was occupied by Mr.. Bryan,
now known by many of his followers
as The Peerless Leader" in several
enterprises that kept him in the pub
lie eye. Notable among these was
his trip around the world on which
he started September 81, 1905. Ac-
companied by his wife, son and a
daughter. Mr.. Bryan first went to
Japan and China where he was hos
pitably entertained and made numer-
Gus addresses, one of which, entitled
THE White Mans Burden" was
commended by the Japanese-Amer-
lean Society. The Bryants were pre-
sented to the Emperor of Japan and
were everywhere accorded the honor
of foremost Americans. Later the
party went to the Philippines where
Mr.. Bryan's views on Filipino inde-
pendence were welcomed. During
the visit the savage Moros of Min
danao Island created the Nebraskan
a "datto" or chief of one of their
tribes.
Leaving the Philippines the party
went to India, the Holy Land, Tur-
key. Austria-Hu1gary, Germany.
Russia, Italy. Norway, Sweden and
other European countries, finally ar
riving in London on July 3, 1906.
Meanwhile Mr.. Bryan had Inter
viewed" King Edward VII, the EN-
peror Of Russia and other poten-
tates, and Count Leo Tolstoi, and
had made numerous speeches all of
which were reported in the AmeM-
can press and which inspired a de-
sire on the part of Democrats at
home to give him a great reception,
which was done upon his return to
American the following September.
About this time Mr.. Bryan came out
for world disarmament, an ideal which
Is said to have prompted his draft
ing in 1913. when he became secre-
tary Of state. of the particular form
of peace treaty between the United
States and foreign nations "by which
all disputes were to be submitted to
an impartial investigating commission
for year before hostilities could be-
GIN" This has been regarded as Mr..
Bryan's greatest achievement for 80
foreign nations, representing three
1ourths of the population of the
earth. became signatories to the doc
ument. About year later the World
war broke out in all its fury.
In 1908 Mr.. Bryan was again named
as the Democratic standard bearer.
The campaign was waged on the prin-
cipal issue of opposition to trusts"
and for third time the Democratic
nominee suffered defeat, polling 6,4O9,-
'104 votes to Taft's 767S,sOS and re-
ceiving 162 electoral votes to his op-
ponent's 321.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Bryan's re-
verses in politics, IL Is said, he was
"a good loser" OF Presbyterian for
bears, optimistic and of a religious
nature, his setbacks failed to make
him lose faith in his future. He re-
fused to become discouraged. For the
next four years, or until the campaign
Of 1912 which resulted in the election
of President Wilson, Mr.. Bryan con-
tinued to edit his newspaper and to
attend the councils of his party.
In his first campaign his home in
Lincoln was a mecca for prominent
Democrats, where Mrs. Bryan, a schol-
arly woman, formerly Miss Mary E.
Baird of Perry, ILL.,, who had greatly
aided her husband in his political ca
reer. was a charming hostess. The
Bryans had three children, one son and
two daughters.
Always in demand as a lecturer, es-
pecially at Chautauquas. Mr.. Bryan's
income was augmented by his writ
ings for newspapers and magazines
and his authorship Of several books
The latter included ''The First Battle"
1S9O; Under Other Flags" $500;
THE Old World and Its Ways
G90O: Heart to Heart Appeals"
G91). In addition to his Nebraska
home. Mr.. Bryan after his final de-
feat for the Presidency, established
residences in Ashville, n. c., and Mi
ami, Fla.
A few months before the time for
the 1912 Democratic National Conven-
tion, Mr.. Bryan publicly announced
he would not be a candidate, declar-
ing he was ready to enter upon a
campaign in behalf of true DEM
ocrat with even more vigor than that
with which I have fought at any time
on my own behalf"
Woodrow Wilson at this time was
governor of New Jersey and had at
tracted the attention Of the Nebras-
kan, it was said, by reason of his
progressive" legislation. The fight
on the floor Of the Baltimore conven-
tion, led by Bryan against the Tam
many men in the New York delega-
tion, is a matter of history. Despite
the fact that Champ Clark. speaker of
the House Of Representatives. led on
81 ballots for the nomination and had
clear majority of nine, which ordi-
narily would have made him the par
tvs candidate, the Nebra skan'ss elo