Except for a limited number of special speaking 

 tours, Bryan was unable to concentrate on his presi- 

 dential hopes until he had completed serving his 

 term as Representative from Nebraska in the Lame 

 Duck Session of Congress in March 1895. Once free 

 of his responsibilities, Bryan actively solicited speaking 

 engagements from every region of the country, and 

 his calendar soon became so crowded that he could 

 not begin to answer the demand. "' His great tour 

 of the nation during the winter of 1895-1896 was, in 

 retrospect, a rehearsal of the canvass of 1896, groom- 

 ing him for the candidacy where his greatest strength 

 seemed to lie — in the agricultural regions of the 

 South and West. He had already attracted support 

 in the South; the impact of his oratory in that region 

 seemed little different from what it had been in Iowa 

 and Nebraska."'' In 1895, the times seemed more 

 auspicious. Bryan had become widely known as a 

 spokesman for the free coinage of silver and audiences 

 were ready and eager to listen to his famous lecture, 

 "Bimetallism." "" Even the promoters of lyceums 

 were anxious to arrange traveling coinage debates 

 and engage Bryan as a speaker.'-^* 



During the late spring and summer, Bryan traveled 

 into the South and the Middle West, delivering a 



135 Bryan papers, letters to Bryan from A. S. Colyar, Nashville, 

 Tennessee, March 12, and F. E. Buford, editor of the Bruiuivick 

 Gazelle, Lawrenceville, Virginia, March 16, 1895. Many other 

 appeals to Bryan may be found in the Bryan papers. 



136 Bryan papers, clipping file: the Atlanta Conslilulion. June 

 15, 1893, reported that an Atlanta audience had cheered 

 mightily at Bryan's eloquent and witty oration on government 

 econoiny, tariff reform, and bimetallism. "It was a splendid 

 ovation . . . the enthusiastic audience rose up and pro- 

 claimed him with wild shouts the Andrew Jackson of modern 

 times . . . . " 



"~ C. Selden Smart, business manager of the Arena Publish- 

 ing Co., of Boston, regarded Bryan so highly that he hoped to 

 publicize the young man's views on silver. See Bryan papers, 

 letter from Smart to Bryan, February 18, 1895. See also, letter 

 dated April 24, 1895, from P. A. Regan of Boise, Idaho, in- 

 viting Bryan to deliver his "famous lecture — Bimetallism" at 

 Boise. 



138 Bryan papers, letter from J. E. Brockway, manager of the 

 Brockway Lecture Bureau at Pittsburgh, to Bryan, .-Xpril 15, 

 proposing the coinage debates. Bryan lectured under the 

 auspices of the Shearer Lecture and Music Bureau ; see Bryan 

 papers, J. L. Shearer letters to Bryan, July 30 and August 5, 

 1895. The Lincoln Nebraska State Journal, a Republican paper, 

 commented with a fair degree of accuracy on Bryan's plan to 

 conduct a lecture tour: "He hopes by this method to increase 

 both his bank account and his reputation throughout the 

 country" (January 14, 1895, Bryan clippings collection, Ne- 

 braska State Historical Society). 



number of major addresses as well as scores of minor 

 speeches."' On May 23, at Memphis, "the storm 

 center of the South ... in the agitation of the all 

 absorbing currency question," Bryan addressed an 

 "honest money" meeting on the day following a speech 

 by Secretary of the Treasury John G. Carlisle in favor 

 of gold."" .Shortly thereafter, he appeared in Spring- 

 field, Illinois, as the guest of honor at the Illinois 

 Democratic silver convention. By this time, he was 

 being spoken of as "David" or "Young Moses," 

 appellations which must have gladdened his heart.''" 

 Throughout the summer, he toured in this fashion, 

 debating at some places, orating at others. At 

 Mexico, Missouri, "His magic oratory seemed to 

 intoxicate his listeners. Even the local bankers seemed 

 to agree with the silver-tongued orator from Ne- 

 braska." '*- In New Orleans, the reaction was little 

 different: "His speech was a masterpiece of eloquence, 

 the happiest combination of argument, pathos, and 

 humor. New Orleans has heard many of the world's 

 famous orators, but none have excelled and few have 

 equalled the brilliant speaker from Nebraska." '^' 

 By late summer, the interest in Bryan's lecture tour 

 had grown and changed somewhat in emphasis: his 

 supporters were beginning to ask for him because they 

 regarded him as a possible candidate for high office. '^^ 

 Bryan spent September visiting the Far West — 

 Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, California, Oregon, 

 Washington, and other states."'' His lecturing con- 

 tinued through fall at such diverse points as Dallas, 



"" Bryan papers, letter from Bryan to L. \V. Hubbcll, genera! 

 manager of the St. Louis-Aurora Mining Co., Aurora. Mis- 

 souri, May 9, 1895. On the way from Lincoln, Nebraska, to 

 Memphis, Bryan spoke at several smaller communities, a 

 practice which put him into direct contact with the ordinary 

 folk from whom he hoped to gain his strongest support. 



no Bryan papers, clipping lile, St. Louis Republic, May 9. 

 1895. 



m Ibid., Chicago Times-HeralJ, June 6, 1895. 



H2 Ibid., St. Louis Republic, May 28, 1895. 



"3 Ibid., New Orleans Times-Democrat, June 11, 1895. 



'" Ibid., letter from Charles M. Rosser, Terrell, Texas, to 

 Bryan, August 21, and October 12, 1895; John W. Tomlinson, 

 Birmingham, Alabama, to Bryan, August 26, 1895. 



i*' Nebraska Stale Journal, .August 13?, 28, 29?, 1895 (Bryan 

 clipping collection, Nebraska State Historical Society). See 

 Bryan papers, letters during 1895 to Bryan from J. B. Osborne, 

 Rawlins, Wyoming, August 14; C. S. Thomas, Denver, August 

 15; James A. Summett, Portland, Oregon, August 14; J. J. 

 Kelly, Portland, August 24; Adolph Sutro, mayor of San 

 Francisco, September 19; E. C. D. Shortridge, Bismarck, North 

 Dakota, September 24; M. A. Miller, Lebanon, Oregon, 

 n.d. (inspirational oratory). 



70 



BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY .^ND TECHNOLOGY 



