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CHAPTER IV.

BRYAN ENTERS CONGRESS.

When Mr. Bryan entered Congress he immediately attracted attention, and his splendid personality drew men to him in Washington exactly as it had drawn men to him in Nebraska. Although it was unprecedented to give to a firstterm member a position on the all-important Ways and Means Committee, Speaker Crisp conferred that unprecedented honor upon Bryan, of Nebraska. There was criticism at this exception on the Speaker's part. The St. Louis Republic, commenting upon the personelle of it, said: "William J. Bryan, of Nebraska, is a very amiable and a very enthusiastic young man who, it is said, has made some reputation on the stump out in Nebraska; but, having no service in the House heretofore, his knowledge of the details of the tariff is necessarily limited." But it was not long before the St. Louis Republic, as well as all others who took the trouble to observe, learned that Bryan's knowledge of the tariff was about as complete as any man's could be.

One of the first bills which Mr. Bryan introduced provided for the election of senators by the people, at the option of each State. The

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people by constitutional enactment to provide the manner in which senators were to be chosen. The bill attracted considerable attention, although it failed of final passage.

During Mr. Bryan's first session he received many invitations to address gatherings in the East. Among his first speeches of this character was one delivered before the Philadelphia Young Men's Association, where he responded to the toast, "The Democracy of the West," on January 8, 1892. On that occasion he uttered these prophetic words: "Prosperity to the great West! Yesterday, the citadel of Republicanism; to-day, the battle-ground of the nation; to-morrow, and thereafter, the home of the Democracy."

Mr. Bryan was one of the most active members of the Ways and Means Committee. Thomas B. Reed was a member of that committee, and he is exceedingly graceful at repartee. But Mr. Reed occasionally finds his match. An interesting incident occurred at one meeting of the Ways and Means Committee at which Mr. Bryan neatly turned the tables on Mr. Reed. The committee was in session when the bell rang indicating the convening of the House. Mr. Reed arose ponderously from his seat and making an elaborate bow to the committee, the majority of which, by the way, were Democrats, expressed his regret at being compelled to desert his colleagues in order to take his seat in the House to listen to the

chaplain's prayer. "I trust" said he, with a touch of sarcasm, "that I do not break the committee quorum." "Oh, do not worry about that," quickly retorted Mr. Bryan. "You can leave your hat here and we will count it to make the quorum." Chairman Springer's dignity was quite upset by the roar of laughter which greeted this sally, and Mr. Reed, very red in the face but chuckling, made his way to the House.

On March 16, 1892 Mr. Bryan made his great tariff speech in the House. And by that strong and eloquent speech he made himself a national figure. It will be many a day before such a scene is re-enacted. At 2.30 o'clock Bryan arose to address the House on the tariff question, and at 5.30 closed a speech which will stand conspicuously in the recollections of thousands of representatives. It was such a speech as no one there expected, but just such a speech as Bryan's friends knew he would deliver. Hardly that either, for Bryan, with all his good record on the stump, never before delivered such a masterly combination of argument and rhetoric. No speech delivered in the House attracted one. tenth of the interest, either on the floor or in the gallery. No speech delivered in any recent Congress awoke so much comment. For three full hours the members on the floor and great crowds in the gallery listened intently to every word, and at the close of the speech tendered the young

orator an ovation. When Bryan closed, the Democratic members arose en masse, even before the House had adjourned, and rushed around the young exponent of tariff reform, each running over the other to shake his hand. From every gallery and from every quarter came exclamations of admiration. From the people as they crowded each other from the gallery, came continued and earnest expressions complimentary to the gentleman from Nebraska, and after the House had adjourned, great crowds stood at the doorways eager to catch a glimpse of the new

orator.

When the doors were opened many filed through, and a long line passed Bryan, each man taking him by the hand and congratulating him. It was a long time before Bryan, weary with his great effort, could tear himself away and find refuge in the committee-room.

Those who have attended regularly the congressional sessions for years declared that at no time could they remember when a speech received such generous attention and a speaker such a splendid ovation. It was a great audience, and it grew as Bryan proceeded with his speech. Within an hour the galleries were packed and crowded with people whose interest was clearly manifested. As a rule, members sleep or attend to their correspondence while a tariff speech is being made; but not so in this instance. Every

body woke up.

Even the press gallery was

crowded, and when this is the case the attraction must be

great.

Early in the afternoon two women sat in the gallery adjoining the press. One of these turned to the other and asked: "Who speaks on the tariff to-day?"

'Bryan, of Nebraska," was the reply.

"Umph, I never heard of him," said the first

woman.

"This is his first term," said the second woman. "But I have Republican friends in Nebraska who say that Mr. Bryan thinks he can make a speech. I've come to see."

And these women sat there. Both were interested listeners to the speech, and when Mr. Bryan had finished, C. W. Sherman, Editor of the Plattsmouth, Neb. Journal, climbed over the gallery seats, and, touching the second woman on the arm, said: "Beg pardon, madam, but can you tell me who that was who spoke?"

"That, sir," replied the woman, "is Mr. Bryan, of Nebraska, and he has made a good speech, a very good speech, indeed." Then turning to her lady friend, the woman remarked: "I shall tell my Nebraska friends that I quite agree with Mr. Bryan. I, too, think he can make a speech."

Early in the afternoon a man who had fooled the people of Massachusetts in sending him to Congress twice, slapped another member on the

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