SOURCE: “William Jennings Bryan,” in Four American Party Leaders, Books for Libraries Press, Inc., 1926, pp. 63-74.

In the following essay, Merriam discusses Bryan's role as a major American political leader despite personal and professional setbacks.

William Jennings Bryan is a different type of leader from any of those thus far considered. Here was a man who maintained himself in a position of very great political power for a generation, without a political organization, without wealth except his own earnings, without professional position, without holding office except for a brief period. Four years in Congress as a young man and two years as Secretary of State in his maturity constitute his official career. Yet his personal influence upon legislation and public policy is written large in American public life for over thirty years. Since 1892 he was defeated in all elections in which he appeared as a candidate, but no...