Bryan, William J. (1860-1925)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1925 Jul 28 p. 1

Birth date: 1860 Mar 19

WM. J. BRYAN DIES SUNDAY

Aged Commoner Dies While in Bed at his Temporary Home in Dayton

Death comes to aged commoner just after his triumphant fight holding up fundamental religion. he died July 26, 4:45 p. m., while taking a nap in his temporary home in Dayton. In regard to his health and spirit just preceding his decease, the "Topeka Daily Capital" brings out the following.

The great commoner was in the best of spirits and expressed himself as "feeling fine" when he retired shortly after lunch, about 1:30 o'clock. He had attended services at the Southern Methodist Episcopal church before lunch and had partaken of a hearty meal before retiring to his room.

A companion of Mrs. Bryan passed thru the room and noticed him breathing heavily and rushed for the nearest neighbor, A. B. Andrews, who, on reaching the scene, summoned doctors W. F. Thomison and A. C. Broyles, who, on examination, said Bryan had been dead probably fifteen minutes. Mrs. Bryan, the chaueffeur [sic] and her companion were in the house when he died.

Mrs. Bryan was writing on the porch when her husband passed away.

Dayton Shocked by Tragedy

The town was shocked by the tragedy and five minutes after the doctors' examination revealed that Mr. Bryan was dead, the streets near the home were thronged with people. Mrs. Bryan is said to be entirely composed and is bearing up wonderfully under the terrible blow.

She expressed the desire that her husband be buried in Arlington cemetery and feels it may be arranged in that he hods the title of colonel.

Another Anti-Evolution Law

Mr. Bryan said that while much ado was being made about the Tennessee law, nothing had been said concerning the act provided by congress, the teaching of evolution theories in the District of Columbia. He declared that while the Tennessee law was specific in that it prohibited teaching that mankind originated from lower animals, the District of Columbia law prohibited the teaching of anything that would reflect upon the Bible.

Mr. Bryan expressed pleasure that the Scopes trial had suddenly collapsed before he was permitted to make his prepared speech, declaring that now he could present it to the people of the country just as he wanted it without interruptions from opposing counsel and without having to make extemporaneous replies to preceding speeches. He appeared concerned over the coming battle between fundamentalism and modernism and seemed eager for the fray.

Bryan's Early Ambitions

Bryan, from a lad, had four ambitions — to bee a farmer, to be a politician, to be a writer and to be a lawyer. He realized all of them.

Bryan was born in Salem, Ill., on March 19, 1860, and as a boy, was a strong, full-limbed, little fellow, whose chief aims in life seemed to be playing and eating. On both his father's and his mother's side he came from honest, right-living, god-fearing people, for both the Bryan and Jennings families were simple, sturdy, earnest people and deeply religious. They never attained great wealth, but they always had plenty for the care and comfort of their own.

Opponent of Evolution Theory

An avowed opponent of the Darwin theory of evolution, Bryan made many addresses on the subject. Speaking in 1923 before the legislature of West Virginia, which was considering a bill to prohibit the teaching of the Darwin theory in the schools of that state, Bryan said:

"School teachers paid by taxation should not be permitted to teach under the guise of science or philosophy anything that undermines faith in God, impairs belief in the Bible of discredits the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Evolutionists rob the Savior of the glory of the virgin birth, the majesty of His deity and the triumph of His resurrection. They weaken faith in the bible by discarding the miracles and the supernatural and by eliminating form the Bible all that conflicts with their theories. they render the book a scrap of paper."

Later in an address in New York Mr. Bryan denounced the Darwin theory as the greatest enemy of religion and declared that in the schools it was undermining Christianity. "I don't object to scientific truth," he said, "for no truth disturbs religion. What we object to is for any scientist to put forth his guess and demand that we substitute it for the word of God. Evolution is an enemy of the Bible and furnishes a respectable excuse for men to deny the Bible." Among his writings on the subject were "The Menace of Darwinism," and "The Bible and Its Enemies."