WILLIAM J. BRYAN
DIES SUDDENLY
DAYTON, TENN.
(Continued from Page One!
paign.
His career has been likened to that
of Henry Clay who also was three
time nominated for the presidency
and as many times defeated. Clay,
too, became a Secretary of State.
Friends of Bryan insisted that, Ike
Clay, he was too conscientious, con
sistent and scrupulous for a politi
cian and that the famous “Whig’s
declaration “1 would rather be right
than President” well described
the man from Nebraska.
Born, Salem, III.
The former Secretary of State was
born in Salem, 111., March 19, 1^60
His father was Silas Lillard Bryan
a native of Culpepper county, Vir
ginia, a lawyer and judge. The son
after graduating from Illinois Col
lege in 1 SSI and Union College of
Law, Chicago, in 1SS3 entered the
law office of Lyman Trumbull, for
mer United States senator. Sub
sequently he removed to Jacksonville,
111., where he practiced law until 1887
when he settled in Lincoln, Neb.
During the presidential campaign
of 1SSS young Bryan’s speeches in
behalf of the Democratic ticket at
tracted attention and in 1890 he ac
cepted a nomination for Congress in
the First Nebraska district, a Repub
lican stronghold, “because, no one
else would have it,” he said, since
it was believed no Democrat could
win. He was elected and served
from 1891 until 1S95. He was made
a member of the important Ways
and Means committee in his first
term.
Two speeches in this period gave
Mr. Bryan nationwide prominence,
one against the policy of protection,
delivered on March 16, 1892, and the
other against the repeal of the sil
ver purchase clause of the Sherman
Act on August 16, 1S93. In the lat
ter he advocated “the free and un
limited coinage of silver, irrespec
tive of international agreement, at
a ratio of 16 to 1, a policy with
which his name was afterwards
most prominently associated until
he entered the cabinet of President
Wilson.
Nomination a “Miracle."
The first nomination of Mr. Bry
an for the Presidency at the Demo
cratic National Convention in Chica
go on July, 1S96, has since been char
acterized as one of the “miracles"
of American politics. The nominee,
after serving in Congress, had run
for the United States Senate and
been defeated by Senator John M.
Thurston of Nebraska. Abandoning
the law, Mr. Bryan became editor
of the Omaha World-Herald and
championed the cause of bimetallism
as vigorously with the pen as he
had upon the forum. He had been
beaten for a third term in Congress
on the issue of “sound money" and
when the time came for the Nation
al convention this question was rend
ing both big political parties. There
were Free Silver Republicans as well
as Democrats, but the nominee of
the former, Henry M. Teller of Col
orado, threw his support to Bryan
when the Nebraskan won the nomi
nation at Chicago.
The “cross of gold" speech by Bry
an, which has been quoted oftener,
perhaps, than any other of his words,
and which made him a rival of Will
iam McKinley for the presidency—
came at the close of a debate on the
floor of the convention in advocacy
of a free silver plank. Men nation
ally prominent in the party has pre
ceded him, and opposed the plank
unless it should provide for bimetal
lism by international agreement. The
situation was tense when the Ne
braskan, then only 36 years old—one
year more than the Constitutional
requirement for a president—arose
to speak. Every was tired; everybody
seemed ready for compromise. Not
so the delegate from Nebraska. There
was fire in his eye when he began
to speak:
“I would be presumptuous, indeed,
to present myself against the distin
guished gentlemen to whom you
have listened,” he said, “if this were
a mere measuring of abilities; but
this is not a contest between per
sons. The humblest citizen in all
the land, when clad in the armor
of a righteous cause, is stronger
than all the hosts of error. I come
to speak to you in defense of a cause
01 liberty—the cause of humanity!”
Wall Street Evil.
Then charging the evils of the day
—the idle mills, the social unrest and
low wages—to the scarcity of money
and the “idle holders of idle capi
tal in Wall St.,” he continued:
“The individual is but an atom;
he is born, he acts, he dies! but prin
ciples are eternal; and this has been
a contest over a principle. Having
behind us the producing masses of
this nation and the world, supported
by the commercial interests, the la
boring interests and the toilers ev
erywhere, we will answer those who
I demand a single gold standard by
saying:
“You shall not press down upon
the brow of labor this crown of
thorns. You shall not crucify man
kind upon this cross of gold.”
His Nomination Stampeded.
The convention was stampeded
for Bryan, who was nominated over
I eight other candidates on the fifth
ballot, following a speech by a Geor
gia delegate in which the eloquent
young orator was referred to as “a
Saul come to lead the Israelites to
Battle.” Subsequently Bryan receiv-,
ed the nominations of the People’s
and the National Silver parties.
The nominee broke all speaking
records in his first campaign, trav
eling more than 18,000 miles and
; making about 600 speeches in 27
states. He polled 6,502,925 votes to
McKinley’s 7,104,779 and received in
the Electoral College 176 votes to
| his opponent’s 271. Although defeat
S ed, Mr. Bryan remained the leader
of his party and, after the Spanish
Ameriean 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.
Nominated Second Time.
In 1900, when again nominated for
the presidency, he made “anti-imper
ialism” the paramount issue but re
fused to omit an explicit party de
claration in favor of free coinage
of silver in the party platform. This
time he was defeated with a popu
lar vote of 6,358,133 as against ?,
207,923 for his opponent. He receiv
ed 155 electoral votes to McKin
ley’s 292.
Returns To Nebraska.
Mr. Bryan returned to Lincoln, and
starred the publication of a weekly
political journal called “The Com
moner.” Four years later, 1904, al- j
though not actively a candidate for
the nomination, which eventually
went to Judge Alton B. Parker, he
vigorously opposed Democratcy’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 follow
ers as “The Perless Leader,” in
several enterprises that kept him in
the public eye. Notable among these
was his trip around the world on
which he started September 21, 1905.
Accompanied by his wife, son and
daughter, Mr. Bryan first went to
Japan, and China where he was
hospitably entertained and made nu
merous addresses one of which, en
titled, “The White Men’s Burden” was
commended by the Japanese-Amer
ican Society. The Bryans were pre
sented to the Emperor of Japan and
were everywhere accorded the hon
or of foremost Americans. Later the
party went to the Philippines where
Mr. Bryan’s views on Filipino inde
pendence were welcomed. During
this visit the savage Moros of Min
I danao Island created the Nebraskan
a “datto” or chief of one of their
tribes.
Accorded Reception Home.
I Leaving the Philippines the party
went to India, the Holy Land, Tur
key, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Rus
sia, Italy, Norway, Sweden and other
European countries, finally arriving
in London July 3, 1906. Meanwhile
Mr. Bryan had “interviewed” King
Edward VII, the Emperor of Rus
sia, and other potentates, and Count
Leo Tolstoi and had made numerous
speeches all of which were reported
in the American press and which in
spired a desire on the part of Demo
crats at home to give him a great
reception which was done upon his
return to America the following Sep
tember.
Advances Disarmament.
About this time Mr. Bryan came
out for world disarmament, an ideal
which is said to have prompted his)
drafting in 1913, when he became
Secretary of State, of the particular
form of peace treaty between the
United States and foreign nations
“by which all disputed were to be
submitted to an impartial investigat
ing commission for a year before
hospitalities could begin.” This has
been regarded as Mr. Bryan’s great
sit achievement for thirty foreign na
tions, including the Central Powers,
and representing three-fourths of the
population of the earth, became sig
natories to the document. About a
year later the World War broke out
in all its fury,
Takes Another Run.
In 1908 Mr. Bryan was again nam
ed as the Democratic standard bear
er. The campaign was waged on the
principal issue of opposition to
“trusts” and for a third time the
Democratic nominee suffered defeat,
polling 6,409,104 votes to Taft’s 7,
678,908 and receiving 162 electoral
votes to his opponent’s 321.
Notwithstanding Mr. Bryan’s re
verses in politics, it is said, he was
“a good loses.” Of Presbyterian
forbears, optimistic and of a reli
gious nature, his setbacks failed to
make him lose faith in his future.
He refused to become discouraged.
For the next four years, or until the
campaign of 1912 which resulted in
the election of President Wilson, Mr.
Bryan continued to edit his newspa
per 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
scholarly woman, formerly Miss Mary
E. Baird of Perry, 111., who had
greatly aided her husband in his po
lotical career as a charming hostess
The Bryans had three children, one
son and two daughters.
Services In Demand.
Always in demand as a lecturer,
especially at Chautauquas, Mr. Bry
an’s income was augmented by his
writings for newspapers and maga
zines and his authorship of several
books. The latter included “The
First Battle,” (1897); “Under Other
Flags,” (1904); “The Old World and
Its Ways,” (1907); “Heart to Heart
Appeals,” (1917). In addition to his
Nebraska hom^, Mr. Bryan after his
final defeat for the Presidency, es
tablished residences in Ashville, N.
C., and Miami, Fla.
A few months before the time for
the 1912 Democratic National con
vention, Mr. Bryan publicly announc
ed he would not be a candidate, de
claring he was “ready to enter upon
a campaign in behalf of a true De
mocrat with even more vigor than
that with which I have fought at
any time on my own behalf.”
Wilson Attracts Attention
Woodrow Wilson at this time was
Governoz 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 con
vention, led by Bryan against the
Tammany men in the New York
delegation, is a matter of history.
Despite the fact that Champ Clark,
Speaker of the House of Represen
tatives, led on 27 ballots for the
nomination and had a clear majority
of nine, which ordinarily would have
made him the party’s candidate, the
Nebraskan’s eloquence and persist
ence against “domination of the par
ty by Wall street” resulted in fail
ure of the Missourian to get the ne
cessary two-thirds of the convention
and in the designation of Wilson.
Mr. Bryan and Mr. Wilson held
many ideals in common. When Mr.
Wilson was elected president he ap
pointed Mr. Bryan Secretary of State.
Secretary of State.
The two years Mr. Bryan occupied
a place at the head of Mr. Wilson’s
cabinet were years of perplexity and
stress. The Mexican embroglio, the
Japanese anti-alien land controversy
in California and the correspondence
■with Germany and Austria-Hungary,
antecedent to America’s entrance in
to the war, were problems that gave
the Nebraska statesman many sleep
less nights.
During his term of office, because
of an insult to the United States flag
and the refusal of “Dictator” Huerta,
of Mexico to fire a salute as an apol
ogy, American troops were dispatch
ed to Vera Cruz, which was captur
ed April 21, 1914. Subsequently the
soldiers and -warships were with
drawn, Huerta was deposed and a
Constitutionalistic government under
Venusitiana Carranza, who was favor
(Continued on Page Six)
Cal M. Brosius
Nails, fifty varieties, Automobile Glass,
Glass, Locks, Hinges,
Stockholm Tar, Roof Pitch,
Hyd. Lime, BBI. Lime, Paints.
Plate Glass, Glass Cutting,
Colors, Terps, Oils,
Chimney Brick, Fibered Plaster,
Varnish, Stains, Putty,
Corner Bead, Corner Lath,
Mirrors, Belting, Cement
Medusa,
White Atlas,
Keens,
Metal Lath,
Cedar, Oak, Maple,
Arch Brick,
Fire Clay,
Plaster Paris,
Hickory, Iron Bark,
Beaver Board,
Gal. Cor. Iron,
Pulleys,
Flooring,
Fir, Spruce, Maple,
Ceiling,
Rustic,
Doors,
Windows,
Lumber,
Fir Lath,
Fire Brick,
Spruce Finish,
Mouldings,
Z-Lath,
Plaster Board,
Mahogany,
Roof Paper,
Building Paper,
Asbestos Paper,
Shingles,
Sash Rail,
Fir Finish,
LIBBY OWENS WINDOW GLASS, Single and Double Strength,
Standard Oil Products, Rubber Matting, White Sand,
ASBESTOS STRIP SHINGLES, HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS,
METAL BASEMENT SASH AND FRAMES,
Sidewalk Coal Hole Covers Sidewalk Walk Lights, Etc.
CAL M. BROSIUS
BUILDING SUPPLIES
C.M.B.I
CAL M. BROSIUS
Builders’ Supplies
When things Look
BLACK Phone the
Seward Steam Laundry
Telephone Main 148
HOTEL ANCHORAGE
F. L REED, Proprietor
Rooms with Bath. Sample Rooms in Connection
Strictly Modern Prices Reasonable
Steam Heat Good Service
HOT AND COLD WATER IN EVERY ROOM
Bus meets all trains and boats
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
HOTEL SEXTON
GEORGE SEXTON, Proprietor
SEWARD'S HOMEY HOTEL, WHERE THE OLDTIMERS
MEET
VAN GILDER HOTEL
HOT AND COLD WATER IN EVERY ROOM
STEAM HEAT
J. S. BADGER
HOTEL SEWARD
OSCAR DAHL, Proprietor
HOMEY, COMFORTABLE ROOMS AND BATH
Convenient to Depot and Dock