"C"1
r. i
The Commoner
HF,PTEMBEB- I019
11
Mr. Bryan says He is not so Lonesome
Now as when the Country was Wet
from The Literary Digest.
PnAcularly apropos in these .opening days of
ik- treat drought which he helped bring about
La a recent interview with William Jennings
S by Fred Lockley, in the, Oregon Daily
ToSl When Mr. Lockley met Mr. Bryan in
l-torfa'a few days ago, by a rapid association
nf Ideas it occurred to the newspaper man that
this would he the psychological moment for car
Tvne a story about the famous Nebrasakan,
wherefore he tackled the latter and. asked him
numerous questions about himself, particularly
regarding his early life, thus bringing out sev
eral things of which the public has not hereto
fore been informed. Naturally the subject of
prohibition was discust, and Mr. Bryan confided
that he was not so lonesome now as he once .
was. "I have always been, a teetotaler from
youth," he said. "Neither Mrs. Bryan nor my
self has ever permitted liquor to be served in
our home, and now I have come to see the day
when liquor can no longer be served in any
home." In the course of his remarks, Mr. Bryan
suggested that in his opinion the liquor question
would eventually reach its "angle of repose" in
this country, which expression he thereupon
elucidated as follows:
"No .ucstion is settled until it reaches its
angle of repose. Do you remember what bitter
controversy there was over the slavery question?
It has reached its angle of. repose. You never
hear it discust any mor-0. The same thing is
true of the liquor question. We shall no more
go back to the day when we shall auction off
our boys to the liquor interests than we shall go
back to the day when we auctioned off the
bodies of black men. Do you remember that
verse in the Bible where ffhey sent for Joseph
and Mary to come out of Egypt? The messenger
said, 'They are dead that sought, the young
child's life.' Yes, Herod, the slayer of children,
was dead, and so today King Alcohol is de"ad.
Where Herod slew his hundds, King Alcohol
has slain his hundreds of thousands. Woman
suffrage will also soon. reach its angle of repose,
for it is now recognized that it is not only a
woman's right but her duty to take part in
governmental activities and to help make and
enforce law.
"There are many questions that must be met
and solved. They are questions that require our
best efforts to find a wise solution. I can re
member when I was considered an anarchist for
advocating the income tax and direct election of
senators by the people; yet you have no further
discussion about those questions. They have
reached their angle of; repose. Oregon and other
Progressive states havd long ago adopted the
initiative and referendum, and soon that, too,
will reach its angle' of repose and be nationally
adopted. Every one will realize that in a democ
racy all of us should help to form as well as
obey the laws."
Of courso, Mr. Bryan's goipgs and comings
nave been as an. open book to the American
people for the last twenty-odd years, but less is
Py.n of his boyhood and early youth, and Mr.
J-ockieya main purpose in this interview was
jo secure some glimpses of that' period of The
ummoner's" lifewhich purpose he made clear
W& line of questions as folldwsV' ' ",,:li
minW I wantb know is abbuHhe old cwim
min. -hole where ybtf learned to WiA? Did. 'you
"so to catch channel catfish, or perch, when'you
ww boy? ma yu ever go rabbit-hunting?
wuat was the name of the dog that used to go
" ! ,yoii; Who was the first girl you ever wont
nrl'i you plan on being. a pirate, or a
preacuer when you grew up? I want to know
fi hl your Dybood. -Tell me about your
Th -, w did he haPPen to meet your mother?
"'- are of the kind of things I want to know."
rafY"d hen' tue advocate of silver coin in the
th r ? i to x lma recovered his breath after
bn JLVi F o Queries had been hurled at him
J'G replied:
wui therQ wasinothing in. my boyhood that
othn; eFei!t trom4 rtie boyhood of a million
BonilL i erican 'xxys- Myttfatnetfewas t-Jeffer-
" "locratajitio wasnbornoin Vircinia, near
some time before. Father graduated from Mc
Kendreo College, at Lebanoi , 111. He was sn
enthusiast on tho subject of education. It was
while he jvas teaching school that ho mot my
mother. My mother's name was Maria Elizabeth
Jennings. She was born at Walnut Hill, Marion
County, 111. My father was teaching school thero
to earn money to go to college. She was ono of
his pupils. They were married at Salem, tho
county seat of Marion County, 111. My father
was an intensely religious man. Ho was a mem
ber of ihe Baptist church and was frequently
called upon to speak at religious gatherings of
that dominination.
'I cannot remember tho time when I was not
planning to go to college. I was born at Salom
on March 19, 1860. My father was judge of tho
circuit-court and his interest in public life threw
the caro ofNthe family largely upon my mother.
She was a woman of unusual intelligence. My
mother and father, like my wife and myself,
were comrades, and my mother was in full sym
pathy with my fatheY religiously, intellectually,
and politically. It was the impress of her life on
mine that helped largely to mold my character.
In 1872 my father was a candidate for con
gress. With Greeloy ho went down to defeat, as
did the rest of tho democratic candidates. Ho
was defeated by only 240r votes. I was only
twelve years old at that time, but I was greatly
interested in tho campaign. Right then and
there I determined to go into politics. As I
grow older I planned to enter tho law and make
a competence bofore entering politics, but cir
cumstances changed my plans.
"I didn't go to school until I was ten years
old. My mother taught mo at homo. I wont
through the grammar grades and high school
at Salem, 111., and in the fall of 1875, when I
was fifteen, I was sent to Whipple Academy, at
Jacksonville, a preparatory school, for Illinois
collego. Two years later I went to Illinois col
lege, where I graduated-in 1881. The next two
years I spent at tho College of Law at Chicago.
The law course at that time was a two-year
course. I began the practise of law at Jackson
ville July 4, 1883."
As might have been expected, Mr. Bryan was
most interested in debating and public speaking
while in college. He also paid some attention to
athletics and won prizes for jumping. As we read:
"Shortly after reaching Jacksonville I was
elected to the Sigma Pi, and for tho following
six years I took a very active interest in it. I
was particularly Interested in debating. Teachers
frequently assign a student the affirmative or
the negative side of a question for debate, with
out regard to whethej the student believes in
tho side of the subject he is to uphold. Per
sonally, I believe this is a mistake. I have al
ways believed it unwise to argue against one's
convictions. I myself have always refused to up
held a side in which I did not believe, and I have
always advised others to do the same. I think
persons suffer a certain moral impairment when
they tryto make others believe what they them
selves do not believe. Unless you have a deep
and abiding faith in a cause you cannot impress
others with your sincerity.
"I began my public speaking with declamations.
I took part in three contests. In tho first I was
pretty well down tho list. In tho second I was
third, and in the third I was second. In my
sophomore year i wm--
"um.Uif.r T " " 4i,a h for oratory. This
Siveme the privilege of representing my college
fnVthemstate 'orator! contest. Th s wa; , ho l the
Jeffirant i 1"JttU wasnDorimn Virginia, ncui
uerson s homecatlontioellmO'His' parents died
lllinnti Vs ourteen yeiirs old and -ho wentffto
uraois, where -fiifc brothel anttrsters had -gone
Sn nf 1880. In this state oratorial contest I
::n seCond place. When I first entereu uie
Academy I attended tho intercollegiate contest
at Jacksonville. Then and there I made up my
ifl that if it was possible I would represent
mv co ege in tlJ state oratorical contest, on or
during the four years in oneg , dIctoraJh
which suited in my hemg en bu(, an
"In many of lsf he T,oyfl could beat
me inthe one-hnndre ajar a ua
being eleven M'ni or less of an
lfJZ nly n0 th,ng'
that was tho broad jump, or. as it Js unuaJJf
called, tho standing jump. When I ontorod tfip
academy I could Jump nino foot in tho nroap
jump. When I graduated my record was twefve
foot. Sevoral years after graduation I returned
t tho college and tho studontg inducod rad Co
compote In tho broad Jump. I won tho prUo-.hy
jumping twelve foot, four inches. In ono other
ovont I was always ablo to take the prize, and
that was in tho backward Jump. I was ablo to
Jump nino foot backward. If you think that a
easy, try it omo time." p
Most of Mr. Bryan's childhood was spent on
tho farm. Of his lifo thoro ho says:
"Wo had a crook that ran through our pasture.
I romembor vory distinctly tho old swlmming
holo In tho crook in which I learned to swim.
I also romombor with a groat deal of pleasnro
bringing homo upon rare occasions a ton-inch
mudcat. Whan I could got a mudcat of that Bizo
It was a rod-letter day. Wo didn't havo trout
fishing, ns tho boys do out horo. Wo caught
porch and catfish.
"My ono great diversion as a boy was hunting
rabbits. Many a timo when I was doing tho
'chores In tho winter I would got so cold tlwt I
wanted to go into the house to got warm, but tho
sight of a rabbit-track would so interest mo that
I entirely forgot tho cold, and, whistling to my
dog, off I would go on tho track of tho rabbit.
I hunted rabbits with a dog long boforo I could
handle a gun. As I becamo older I became a
very 'successful rabbit-hunter. Occasionally J
hunted quail, but somehow or other tho quail
woul always fly between tho shot and got away.
Of lato years most of my hunting has been do
votod to hunting ducks. Am I a good duck
huntor? You may judge as to my ability asp,
duck-hunter when I toll you tho only place
whore the legal limit has over disturbed mo has
been on n lake near Galveston, wlioro I hunt
ducks as the guest of Colonel Moody. T
"You asked mo If I am a good swimmer. I am
only an ordinary swimmer. When I was young
less attention was paid to seeing that boys hod
a good timo than is the case nowadays. When
ever I see an Inland community that fixes up
an artificial swimming-pool for tho boys
joico. It seems to mo such an expenditi
certainly justified. I bollove that now is the
IrA-
ro tys
proper, time to urge upon the people of tho na
tion tlie Jraportanco of a systematic effort in thew
way jof promoting athletic games."
Mr. Bryan gives his wifo credit for much of
his success in life. She has helped him In his
work, and has been an advisor in whoso Judg
ment ho expresses great confidence. The account
continues:
"I met my wifo in Jacksonville, while at col
lego. I was boarding with relatives near the
Jacksonville Female Academy, at which inatitu
tlon Mary Elizabeth Baird was a student. It was
not long bofore wo becamo acquainted. We be
came engaged in our junior year. She was tho
valedictorian of her class, graduating on Wednes
day, I was tho valedictorian of my class, gradu
ating tho following day. When wo becamo en
gaged I still had to go another year to collego
before graduation. After finishing college I
planned to spend two years at tho lav school.
Then I had to establish a law practice before
I could get married. So ours was a rather long
engagement. It was four years from the timo
wo were engaged until I was In a position to
support a wife. After our marriage my wife
studied law and was Admitted to the bar. Sho
did this without any thought of practicing law,
but so wo might have more sufjjects In common,
also that sho might help mc in my library work
"When I was thirty years old I was offorcd the
democratic nomination for 'congress. I was of
fered It largely because no other democrat
wanted t. It was realized that it was next to
impossible for a democrat to be elected. The im
possible happened, however, and I was elected
by a very satisfactory majority. When I entered
politics my wife took up the study of pllt'lcal
questions. I want to say right here that my Svifo
has not only been my helper In my Investiga
tions, but sho Has been my adviser as well a'n
adviser in- whose judgment I have great confi
dence. In fact, I know of no other living pdrgon
in whose Judgment I havo more confldcnceVn
any question than in that of my wife. One HI tfje
regrets of my life is that my mother didd 'ten
days before I was nominated fdr the first 'time
for president. It made me glad that Mr, Mc
Kinley's mother was alive when he was nomin
ated, for I know with what joy she Iearn'ed of
her son's nomination, Just as my nomination
would havo been a great joy to my moilfer
M
,
i
i
u
i
9
A,
m
51
.Xtl
4
a
. rati
flKi
,!.lb.
. . Ot i
UtsS,
tt&i
kA-itoLa--.
