by David Haddad

William Jennings Bryan was the greatest orator of his day. The late 19th / early 20th century U.S. politician denounced American imperialism, corporatocracy, Wall Street war profiteering, the military-industrial complex, colonialism, American entry into foreign wars, loans by American banks to warring countries, the pernicious influence of corporate media, and who after finally rising to the position of Secretary of State resigned out of deeply held anti-war principles.

Many of the issues William Jennings Bryan (WJB) confronted at the dawn of the 20th century still haunt us today. Politicians are owned. Oligarchs are the real rulers. The military-industrial complex has grown exponentially from what it was in Bryan's day. The ill-effects of colonial meddling still foment wars and jeopardize world peace. Yellow journalism dominates today's media.

In his own time, WJB stood firmly against right-wing Republican Christian fundamentalist William McKinley. WJB clearly saw McKinley's "gun powder gospel" as a gross perversion of "the Nazarene's" message of peace. McKinley's imperialist war in the Philippines cost the lives of 200,000 Filipino civilians. Sound familiar? Madeleine Albright upped the bidding to 500,000 Iraqi children.

Subsequent American "liberations" in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, right up through Bush's "crusades" in Iraq and Afghanistan, show that McKinley's foreign policy of the "gunpowder gospel" and war for profit is alive and well in the 21st century.

If WJB is remembered at all, it is as a Bible-thumping prosecuting attorney in the Scopes trial, as portrayed in the historically innacurate Inherit the Wind.

Thomas Scopes was a Dayton, Tennessee schoolteacher. In a publicity scheme concocted by Dayton civic leaders, Scopes agreed to be arrested for teaching the theory of evolution in defiance of Tennessee law. He was never jailed. He was never demonized by anyone on the prosecution side. Indeed, during the trial, Scopes went swimming with WJB's son to escape the Tennessee summer heat! Scopes was convicted and fined but the rulings were later reversed.

WJB looked foolish in court when he agreed to be questioned by defense attorney Clarence Darrow regarding his literal interpretation of the Bible. There's no hiding that fact. Yet, we do a disservice to WJB and to our understanding of American history if we stop there--if we fail to consider the "scope" of WJB.

William Jennings Bryan was the nominee of the Democratic Party for the office of the presidency three times--1896, 1900, and 1908. He lost twice to William McKinley and once to William Howard Taft. Wall Street backing of the Republican candidates played a major role in all of WJB's losses.

There has never been an American presidential candidate remotely like WJB before or since. Maybe a combination of Henry Wallace and George McGovern would come close. The political fate of those two candidates is symptomatic of the inexorable political drift of the United States to the fanatical Right ever since.

Our play, The Scope of William Jennings Bryan, takes place four days after the Scopes trial. WJB was exhausted from the stress of the week-long drama, the July heat, and the relentless criticisms of reporters, most notably H.L. Mencken.

Mencken was a journalist, unapologetic heavy drinker, militant atheist, Social Darwinist, and public intellectual along the lines of the late provocateur, Christopher Hitchens. Mencken wasn't particularly interested in using his considerable literary skills to help society. As a Libertarian, his exaggerated sense of self-importance wouldn't permit it. He was more interested in mocking for mocking's sake. Mencken's puerile denunciations of WJB were particularly mean-spirited, even after WJB's death. "He died of a busted belly," wrote Mencken. One suspects that Mencken's hatred for WJB had more to do with Mencken's inner demons than WJB's ill-advised courtroom testimony.

After the trial, WJB insisted upon going from town to town in Tennessee to thank his supporters. The play imagines his last stop, the nearby town of Winchester. Thousands of people gather to hear The Great Commoner speak.

WJB summarizes for the crowd his "Closing Argument," a speech he was never able to make in court, due to the legal maneuverings of defense attorney Darrow.

WJB's Closing Argument certainly mentioned biblical objections. Nor did he want children, "the little ones" to be taught that they are living in a godless universe. (It is supremely ironic that Darrow used this same concern a year earlier in his successful defense of the two Chicago teenagers, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, convicted of murdering Loeb's 14 year old cousin. And equally ironic is Darrow's support for WJB in each of his runs for the presidency!)

But it also warned of the use of the Theory of Evolution to justify Social Darwinism and Eugenics—both very real at the time.

Finally, the Closing Argument discussed the contradictions within the theory of evolution itself. Evolution is debated to this day, most notably in the books by Cambridge professor Stephen C. Meyer in Darwin's Doubt and Signature in the Cell.

In the play, WJB prepares to leave after giving a brief summation of his Closing Argument. But he is exhorted by the crowd to speak on. The loquacious Bryan is more than happy to oblige.

Prompted by questions from the crowd, Bryan offers his views on American imperialist foreign policy, plutocracy, the sorry state of the media and many other issues which could have been taken straight from today's headlines.

WJB makes several eerily accurate prophecies which will leave modern audiences wondering why his message of peace wasn't heard 130 years ago.

Although it's not in the play, it is worth noting that WJB had a friendship with Tolstoy. Yes, WJB met Tolstoy. And the Czar! Bryan traveled to many countries, including Russia, in 1903. He reminded Czar Nicholas II of his pledge to give a bit more autonomy to the Russian people. (Would that young Nicki had listened).

But toward the end of the play, WJB paraphrases Tolstoy's ideas of the true source of religious sentiment, along with his own apologia of religious faith. WJB's words are not those of an intolerant Christian preacher, but of a truly liberal and enlightened spiritual guide. WJB's lofty ideas are enough to send anyone, even Mencken, to kneel in the nearest church.

Where is WJB now that we really need him? Fortunately, WJB always had a great relationship with Mexico and now he's here in San Miguel at the Santa Ana Theater.

Friday, Saturday, July 25, 26, 6-7:30pm
Teatro Santa Ana, Biblioteca, Relox 50a
$170 tickets: https://labibliotecapublica.org/taquillaeventos/

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David Haddad is a late bloomer who has only been writing plays for about ten years. He is not shy about tackling controversial subjects. His latest play, "Yahweh the Floorwalker,"" was awarded 2nd Prize in the 2024 New York City International Script Competition. It was also produced at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival at Duquesne University. David likes satire, and is hopeful that his latest (a parody of Trump), "Donipus Rex," gets produced here in San Miguel, and in the States in the coming months.

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