Bryan was very skilled in the use of the English language. Even on the cold pages of print over a quarter of a century later the pathos, humor, and sparkle of Bryan are not lost. For example, as Bryan would tell the story of the decline and fall of Darwin from grace it took on the pathos of a Greek tragedy. It was the story of the devout young Christian who had implicit faith in the infallibility of the Scriptures, but because he became involved in the theory of evolution, fell from grace, and died an embittered old man. Undoubtedly, as Bryan told his story, more than one tear was shed for the lost soul of the poor, misguided Mr. Darwin. There was, on the other hand, much humor in the manner in which Bryan ridiculed the idea of the development of the eye from a freckle, the leg from a wart, and the process of sexual selection whereby man developed a superior brain and hairless body.

Bryan was also a master of the clever twist of phrases. The phrases quoted below are found in varying forms in Bryan’s works and were a standard part of his campaign. These sayings were of a kind that his auditors could take home and use as their own in the local fight against the evolutionists:

• A man can be both an evolutionist and a Christian, if he is not much of either.
• As we avoid smallpox because many die of it, so we should avoid Darwinism because it leads many astray.
• Darwinism, when taken seriously, swells the head and shrivels the heart.
• Theistic evolution is an anesthetic; it deadens the pain while the Christian religion is being removed.
• A man’s whole thought and view of life is revolutionized when he looks to the jungle for his ancestry.
• If we accept evolution as an explanation of creation, we are not at liberty to choose our relatives.
• It is better to trust in the Rock of Ages, than to know the age of the rocks; it is better for one to know that he is close to the Heavenly Father, than to know how far the stars in the heavens are apart.