Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 23, Number 176, Decatur, Adams County, 27 July 1925 — Page 3

William Jennings Bryan ’ p P ,nocratic Leader Eor A Generation

n jryan-s life >n Sai.m, HI- March Igßl jj.du.ted from Hlinol. ColM.ry Blair of Perry, L K"." eb ' SZo tested as candidate, for U. S - Se n n .te e d V De'”e' N °b Nations* Convention S defeated by Wm. Me ot _Ra"sed Third Nebraska Vol18 unteers and was its colonel during th* Spanish-American .jCO-Aga.n ran against McKinley ’ and was defeated. . 8 0i-Start t d "The Commoner at Lincoln, Neb, IW 4_Saw the defeat of Alton B. •Parker for President. AAt-Madr a tour of the world. iStXas again defeated for 19< president, this time by Wm. H. Taft. 19t2 _secured the nomination by the Democratic party of Woodrow Wilson for President. Parker for President. „ 13 to 1915—Was named as Secretary of State in the Wilson Cabinet but disagreed with his chief and resigned. , 91 6_was a Woodrow Wilson deleqate at the Democratic National Convention. 1920-Held a proxy as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at San Francisco and made an unsuccessful fight for a dry platform. (United Press Service) William Jennings Bryan was the greatest Democrat of his generation. His absolute party reign ended when kr threw the votes he controlled to Woodrow Wilson in the Baltimore National Convention of 1912 and saw a B e» sun rise on the hosts of Democracy Since the Chicago Democratic Contention in 1896 he had rulAI his party almost absolutely. Three times he had been named for the party leadership and as many times been defeated at the polls. And it takes ability in

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a beaten leader to continue leading. Th* atory of his accession to tin throne will live as long as the political history of the United States. The Chicago convention of 1896 was controlled by the free silver men. Silver was the issue. The gold men, how ever, were making a bitter tight. ‘‘Silver Dick" Bland of Missouri was the probable nominee. As the debate grew bitter, a young man. with flowing black hair, made his way to the platform. "Who is he?" asked one. "Oh, just a dub congressman from Nebraska. They’ll choke him off before long.” Half an hour later the entire convention was cheering "The Dub from Nebraska." while the state standards were carried in parade down the aisles and grouped in front of Nebraska. Biand Was Beaten. David B. Hill, one of the t great Democrats, was seated down in front. When Bryan started, Hill looked bored and yawned. When Bryan reached his climax and thundered: “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold"—anil even before the never-to-be forgetten parade of standards about the hall, Hill turned to one of his friends and said: "That ends Bland’s and every other boom in the convention.” It did. Bryan was the nominee. Strange to bay, the speech wasnlt new. either. Bryan had delivered it. climax and all. a dozen times, but never under such dramatic circumstances. Bryan made a wonderful campaign. He traveled 18,000 miles, spoke at every stopping place and was defeated by Wm McKinley by 271 electoral votes to 176 for Bryan. Senator Mark Hanna of Ohio had carefully planned the campaign for McKinley. The "free silver" issue was held up to scorn as the fallacy of a Populism gone made an Vtvil that combined all the weaknesses and, at the- same time, all the destructive forces of Greenback ;.sm and Populism. Bryan was derided as

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT, MONDAY, JULY 27,1925.

a second "Sockless Jerry" Simpson "Free Silver would close the factories and the working man would starve," was the cry of thousands of orators and hundreds of newspapers. •'Full dinner pail" parades were organized by employers all over the na tion. McKinley made n "front lawn" campaign at Canton. O,»the forerunner of the "front porch" campaigns of later years. McKinley was posed as the champion of conservatism, the defender of property rights. Suave, dignified, imposing, McKinley looked the part. The Republican press spoke of Bryan in terms compared with which Chas. Evans Hughes’ characterization of the Bolsheviks “was a compliment. To the Republican orators Bryan was a wild-eyed torch-bearer, ready to wreck the United States. Killed By Free Silver. Free silver killed Bryan politically, insofar as elective office-holding was concerned, as dead as oil killed others; gold some, and free trade others. Although the 1596 campaign was the only one that Bryan made on a striptly free silver platform, the mass of the voting public could never be convinced that Bryan was not a hairbrained theorist, whose cult was ruin la>ng after the body of Mark Hanna had rusted to dust in a Cleveland cemetery, the effect of the bitter campaign of 1896 kept its veto on Bryan's elective ambitions. In many ways Bryan was a statesman in advance of his times. He was accustomed to say that economic prog ress, while it had made legal establishment of Free Silver, 16 to 1. unnecessary, had proved the soundness of its theory. He lived to see four of his pet ideas become the law of the land, Prohibition. Woman Suffrage. Direct Election of United States Senators and Direct Primaries. Bryan was a prophet, not without honor, but without elective success in his own country. The mass of the voters cheered him. admired him. but wouldn't vote for him. His issue of imperialism fell flat. His issue of governmental ownership of the railroads was re -jected by his generation. Whether time will vindicate that, as it did oth er Bryan issues, time only can answer. Bryan’s Last Fight. In the convention of 1920, when

COMMONER AND HIS SON ’ 4 ir i fcWitL > A3 Z ' t' ' Wil 1 a. LWI — -I . I William Jennings Bryan and his Son. William Jennings, Jr., are shown in the above photo. The picture was one of the last ones taken of the elder Bryan, it being snapped during the Scopes evolution trial at Dayton. Tennessee. recently. The two Bryans took an active part in the prosecution of the case. .

i- James B. Cox of Ohio was selected as s the Democratic standard-bearer Bry- ■' an held a proxy and made the fight ’ ’’ for a dry plank in the national plat-* 1 ‘ form. With Bourke Cockran. he stag- ’ ed one of the greatest debates of a r career full of oratory. The erect '* young form that had electrified the r 1896 convention had grown somewhat s paunchy, the long, jet-black hair of yesteryear had begun to turn and was 11 much thinner. But Bryan had the n same magnetism, the same fire, the same easy flow of thought and lan1 guage, the same eloquence. Cockr ran, the great Irish orator of Tam- " many Hall, was cool. keen, logical 'I and incisive. And when it was over the convention rose and cheered its r obi hero to the echo. For perhaps 1 the last time, Bryan saw the stand- ’’ ards of the states plucked from sockets and carried in parade—for him. It was a tribute to the great n party leader who was passing—had just passed. Voted Against Bryan Then the delegates calmly returned to their seats and voted against ' Bryan’s eloquence and for his oppon- : ent’s logis and their own personal ' preferences. It was the party’s partI ing salute to a peerless but stricken political gladiator. Four years later—a little less— Bryan attended the meeting of the Democratic national committee at Washington and was barely noticed. Done alike were his friends and foes. Bryan's Early Ambitions Bryan, from a lad, had four ambitions—to be a farmer, to be a politician. to be a writer and to be lawyer. He realized all of them. Bryan was born in Salem, 111., on March 19, 1860, and, as boy, was a strong, full-limbed, little fellow, whose chief aims in life seemed to be playing and eating. Un both his father's and his mother’s side he came of honest, right-living, Godfearing people, for both the Bryan and the Jennings amities were simple, sturdy, earnest people and deeply religious. They attained great wealth, but they always of their own. oftheir own. Bryan’s father,'Silas Lillard Bryan, was a man who backed up his high Ideals with a strong character and a great capacity for work. His vacestors are said to be Irish. A certain William Bryan, a big land-owner, who lived in Culpepper County, Virginia, more than a hundred years ago, is the first one of the Bryan family whose name is known to his descendants. William Jenning’s mother was Mariah Elizabeth Jennings, who was born near Walnut Hili, Hl., in 1834. The Jennings family came from English stock. Born a Democrat Bryan's father was a democrat of Democrats and soon after his marriage entered into public life by serving in the state senate of Illinois for eight years. To this he added 12 years on 1 the-circuit bench and then was nominj ated for congress, but met with defeat. Returning from the bench he devoted his time to his law practice and to church affairs. When he was ten years old "Willie" Bryan romped and played and did his share of the chores on a farm a abort distance from Salem, which had been purchased by the elder Bryan when William was little more than a toddler. About this time William was sent to public school. After entering Whipple Academy, one of the preparatory I schools of Illinois College at Jackson- ' vßle, he suddenly took a deeper interest in bls studies and that seriousness of purpose which loomed so strongly ' in his later life became manifest. It there was a contest, whether of oratory) I

or athletics. Bryan was in it, if pos-

sible. Although not particularly fond 'of baseball or football, he was a good runner and jumper, but his first attempts at declaiming were not so sue- ' cessful. In the various debates and oratorical contests at Illinois College I In which he entered it required quite *| a number of attempts before he carried off a first girize. He persisted, however, and when he. graduated in 1881.Bryan was chosen to make the valedictiory address. It was while going to college at Jacksonville that Bryan met Miss Mary l Baird, the daughter of a merchant liv-l ing in Parry, 111. Mary Baird also was! studying at Jacksonville. TherA began a love affair that resulted in marriage in 1884. and gave Bryan a wife and a great helper in his political life all In one. Three years later, Bryan called ( to Lincoln, Neb., on business was so impressed with the beauty of the city that be made plans for moving there. Enter* Public Life v Bryan now entered into public life by becoming an active worker fpr the Democratic organization and going toi the state convention as a delegate.! Bryan was elected to congress in the

campaign of 1890.

Bryan’s activity in congress won him a place on the ways and means committee and then came another important event in his career *.« public speaker. This was his tariff speech delivered March 16, 1892. -t He now aimed higher and after re-' fusing to be a candidate for re-election to the house in 1894 announced that tie ) would run for the senate. This campaign gave Bryan his first real taste of defeat, but did not dis* hearten him. The Republican landslide wiped away bls efforts pnd, bis J opponent, Thurston, was elected. In the fyll of 1894. Bryan entered upon newspaper work as chief of ihei editorial staff of the Omaha WorldHerald, giving much of bis time to. this work, until the national convention of 1896. 1 ' At this time, Bryan also branched ■ out as a lecturer, and in addition to his speech-making on behalf of the Democratic party he took up Chatauqua work. This was the real beginning of , his travels over the United States. , Then came the presidential campaign of 1896 and the Chicago Demo- j critic national convention. ■] Bryan after bls second defeat tor President, started "The Commoner", a i political magazine, at Lincoln, which < with his lectures, writing and news- < paper work, gave him a comfortable < fortune. The Baltimore Convention i After Bryan's defeat by Taft in 1908 < the presidential campaign of 1912 1 brought Bryan into the public eye > again. As the head of the Nebraska delega- 1 tion. Bryan went to the Democratic national convention with Instructions to : support "Champ" Clark, but when the ' convention deadlocked and the Tam- * many delegates swung over from Un- 1 derwood to Clark. Bryan swung his forces to Wilson and gained the latt- J er's nomination. Prior to this, tn 1911, Bryan had issued a public statement, in which he gave up his life's hope, saying: “I shall never be President, but I ( would rather go to my grave with the f consciousness that I have dons right j that I have done all in my power to give to my country tbe best possible ( form of government, than to be Presl- , dent.” * What Bryan Stood fer ( These are the things Bryan stood f for year by year, during his reign: , A graduated income tax< t Federal license for corporations. .

Government operation of telegraphs and telephones. A double monetary standard. Tariff for reevnue only. Flection of Senators by popular vote The President to be Ineligible for re election. Majority vote to override a Presidential veto. Popular election of all federal judges Limitation of the term of all federal judges. A threefourth jury verdict in civil cases The Initiative and the referendum. 1g96 Free Silver. ISOO Anti-imperialism—no colonies for the United States. 1906 Government ownership and operation of railroads. The eight hour day. Ifo7 Government guarantee of national bank deposits. A postal savings bank. 1908 Annihilation of the trusts. 1911 Prohibition. Publicity for campaign contributions. World peace by international arbitra tion. 1915 Areferendum on war. Time won for Bryan quite a few of these issues. Others are still issues. Some are dead beyond recall. latter in life he left Nebraska and bought a home in Florida, becoming a citizen of that state and taking a hand ' in its politics. i -o —- GREAT COMMONER DIES IN DAYTON, TENNESSEE .Continued from Page One) was centering his whole thought on a nationwide campaign to balk the ’ teaching of evolution in the public | schools* From free silver and a single moral standard for men and | women to world peace and the word of God supreme. Bryan created and i pursued issues relentlessly throughout his long career. I Elated with the reception that had been accorded him at Winchester, Tenn., where he deliverd a stirring speech before a record crowd. Bryan I yesterday returned to the home of Richard Rodgers, his headquarters during the recent Scopes trial. I "I never felt better in my life.” he 'said again and again in response to inquiries of friends who feared his activity in speech-making over the week end might prove too great a strain. Sp he ate a hearty meal. He then ddqided to take A nap and went to his room, connecting With the front porch. Mrs. Bryan posted herself on the porch to read the newspaper. A few: i minutes later. Mrs C. Stevens. Mrs. Bryan’s housekeeper, passed through the commoner's room. ■ *T think I'm going to get a good sleep.’ Bryan toid her cheerfully Some time later Mrs Bryan heard la faint groan in her husband’s room. About four o'clock she became nerv.ous and asked’ William McCart- ■ ney, the family chauffeur, to go to • her husband and see if he was all right. McCartney was unable to rouse Bryan. Realizing something was wrong, he called a neighbor, A. B. Andrews, who summoned Doctors A. C. Broyler and W. F. Thomison. Bryan has been dead twenty minutes. the physicians said- Death occurred about 3:40 pm. Apoplexy, accompanied by a cerebral hemorrhage. was the cause, according to Dr. Broyles. That Bryan died of heart failure instead of apoplexy, w-as the belief expressed by Dr, Raymond Wallace, Chattanooga physician, who made an examination of Bryan last Friday. This examination revealed, according to Dr. Wallace, a slight dilation of the heart with missed beats. Blood pressure was normal, though the ankles showed a slight swelling which the physiciata attributed to faulty heart action. Dr. Wallace said he advised rest and change of diet but that same day Bryan went to Jasper and made a speech, followed by another speech at Winchester Saturday. Sue Hicks and McCartney Were the last to converse with Bryan before his death. "About 11:45 p.m. Mr. Bryan called me on the telephone and we talked for a few minutes," Hicks said.. "He had prepared and was having printed in booklet form the speech he was to have presented the Scopes jury had the necessity arisen. "Bryan conversed freely about fais speech and sw'd he was having several cqpies sent me for distribution Among friend*. Toward the £nd of our conversation Bryan complained of feeling ill but passed it off lightly with the remark that he would be fit as a fiddle after a few hours' sleeps I "I offered to have a physician visit

him but he laqghed and said there was no need of any alarm ‘lt's Just a little bad feeling, Sue,” he told me ‘l'll he all right In a few minute*. "SV« hung up and the next I heard he was dead.” It was a few minutes after four that McCartney entered Bryan's room and called him. The Commoner did not stir and McCartney shook him "He didn’t awaken so I shook him again,” the chauffeur told the United Press. "Then I placed my hand on his forehead to see If he was all right and he felt cold to my touch. "I jerked the sheet aside and felt hl* face It was cold too. His hands were cold, and then I knew that he was dead. "Mrs Bryan sat just outside the door reading and I tailed to her Mrs. Bryan, I'm afraid something has happened to Mr Bryan.' “She dropped her papers and her face went whitA She knew be was dead before she came in and touched him. "Darling, darling,” she called and went to his side and shook him. He didn't answer and she fell across the bed crying. I went in and helped her qway and out on the porch where she dropped into a chair. I yelled for Mr. Hicks and some of the others -—I don't remember it all very distinctly, it was such a shock —and somebody, I don’t know who, came running. "His lawyer friends went into his room and came out solemn-faced. One of them cried a little. We called a doctor but be couldn’t do anything but tell us something we already knew —that Mr- Bryan was dead." The physician drew the sheet over the commoner’s face and then attended Mrs. Bryan who was righting against a collapsq. After the first outburst of her grief she bore up bravely. She reclined on a bed in the adjoining room and lay faint ly while preliminary arrangements Iqdjoinin oaormnd -nsginay fyobtbg were made for disposition of her husband’s bodyt News of the death spread rapidly through the town. Dayton loved Bryan and the shock of the report was a stunning blow to the citizens Many refused to believe the reporte and hastened to the residence where the commoner lay. Soon a solemn gathering of the townsfolk who. recently had cheered him in bis prosecution of John T. Scopes, assembled at the borne. All stood respectfully bareheaded, some tearfully, trying to realize the news that seemed almost unbelievable. Because everyone, including himself. believed he had passed through the strenuous days of the evolution rial without suffering the least detriment to bls health. Bryan’s death -ame as a tremendous shock. Only a few hours before the end. he had talked with friends of the big battle ahead in connection with the Scopes case. Friends suggested he lake a vacation before continuing the fight, but. Bryan refused to desist. At the time of his death, one of Bryan's chief ambitions was for the creation of the proposed Bryan uni.versity at Dayton He had planned to confer today with the promoters of the proposed college with the idea of arranging a financial program and the curriculum. After the confer l ence he was to nave addressed a mass meeting at the Dayton court house. This was to have been the final demonstration of Dayton in his honor before he leftTentative arrangements are for the body to remain here until Tuesday tight when it will be shipped to Washington for burial. Telegrams of condolences and sympathy poured in on the bereaved widow from all parts of the natJon today!. The bitter words that passed between the principals in the Scopes evolution trial were forgotten and Bryan’s opponents came forward with sattements testifying to their high regard for him. “I am pained to bear of the death of Mr. Bryan,” said Clarence Darrow, chief defense, lawyer, in the evolution trial, who subjected Bryan to a merciless examination on his knowledge of the Bible and scientific subjects. "I have known Bryan since 1896 and supported him twice for the presidency. He was a man of strong convictions and always espoused his cause with ability and courage. “1 differed with him on many questions but always respected his sincerity and devotion. I am very sorry for N'.s family and for his friends who loved him.” o Auto Stolen Here A Ford coupe belinging to Vernon Arnold, of Kirkland township, was stolen in tbi* city Saturday evening. The car had been parked near the business district and when Mr. Arnold started to go home his car was gone. Authorities were notified, but not trace of the car has yet been found.

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