Bryan had a distinguished and active political career, supporting workers' rights and women's suffrage while opposing monopolies and teaching evolution in schools. But we stand here representing people who are the equals before the law of the largest cities in the state of Massachusetts. Thus has the contest been waged, and we have assembled here under as binding and solemn instructions as were ever fastened upon the representatives of a people. They manufactured that leader in the convention, a fabrication in which Bryan was only too happy to assist.[108]. Cleveland issued a statement urging Democratic voters to support goldthe next convention to be held, in Illinois, unanimously supported silver; the keynote speaker prayed for divine forgiveness for Cleveland's 1892 nomination. [88] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch opined that with the speech, Bryan "just about immortalized himself". "[67] Harpine suggested that, "by appealing in such an uncompromising way to the agrarian elements and to the West, Bryan neglected the national audience who would vote in the November election". [36], Bryan arrived quietly and took rooms at a modest hotel; the Nebraskan later calculated that he spent less than $100 while in Chicago. The session was supposed to begin at 10:00a.m., but as delegates, slowed by the long commute from the hotels to the Coliseum and fatigue from the first two days, did not arrive on time, proceedings did not begin until 10:45. The galleries were filled with white as spectators waved handkerchiefs, and it was several minutes before he could continue. However, he lost the general election to William McKinley, and the United States formally adopted the gold standard in 1900. ; William Jennings Bryan was a leading member of the Democratic party who ran for President several times. In 1921 (25 years after the original speech), he recorded portions of the speech for Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana. Standing upon this victory-crowned summit, will it turn its face to the rising or the setting sun? I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity. Here is the line of battle. As the gold men spoke, Bryan ate a sandwich to settle his stomach; he was often nervous before major speeches. The 1896 Democratic National Convention followed events unique in post-Civil War American history. [66][70], Through this passage, Bryan maintained the contrast between the common man and the city-dwelling elite. He then lowered them, descended from the podium, and began to head back to his seat as the stillness held. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [84][85] On the second ballot, Bryan still stood second, but had gained as other candidates had fallen away. They tell us that the income tax ought not to be brought in here; that is not a new idea. At Bryan's words, he threw his hat into the air, slapped the empty seat in front of him with his coat, and shouted, "My God! On the 4th of March, 1895, a few Democrats, most of them members of Congress, issued an address to the Democrats of the nation asserting that the money question was the paramount issue of the hour; asserting also the right of a majority of the Democratic Party to control the position of the party on this paramount issue; concluding with the request that all believers in free coinage of silver in the Democratic Party should organize and take charge of and control the policy of the Democratic Party. It is the issue of 1776 over again. [98], After McKinley's inauguration in March 1897, increases in gold availability from new discoveries and improved refining methods led to a considerable increase in the money supply. Historian James A. Barnes, in his historical journal article pointing out myths that have arisen about Bryan's candidacy and campaign, stated that Bryan's efforts bore fruit even before the convention: By April, 1896, many individuals were quietly working for Bryan's nomination. Question 9 30 seconds Q. At 36 years old, with two terms in Congress and a failed 1894 run for Senate under his belt, Bryan was the party's most outspoken and effective champion of silver. Mr. McKinley was nominated at St. Louis upon a platform that declared for the maintenance of the gold standard until it should be changed into bimetallism by an international agreement. Jones points out that though Bryan's speaking engagements were not deemed political by the standards of 1896, by modern measurements he was far more active in campaigning for the nomination than most of the better-known candidates.[29]. Cross of Gold speech, classic of American political oratory delivered on July 8, 1896, by William Jennings Bryan in closing the debate on the party platform at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago during the campaign for the presidential election of 1896. 28 Monday Mar 2016. We have simply called attention to what you know. I want to suggest this truth, that if the gold standard is a good thing we ought to declare in favor of its retention and not in favor of abandoning it; and if the gold standard is a bad thing, why should we wait until some other nations are willing to help us to let it go? [87] The Chicago Tribune reported that Bryan had lit the spark "which touched off the trail of gun-powder". [97] Bryan won the South and most of the West, but McKinley's victories in the more populous Northeast and Midwest carried him to the presidency. [51], The debate on the platform opened at the start of the third day of the convention, July 9, 1896. Even so, in 1900, Congress passed the Gold Standard Act, formally placing the United States on that standard. [75] The lengthy passage as he discussed the platform and the Republicans helped calm the audience, ensuring he would be heard as he reached his peroration. They complain about the plank which declares against the life tenure in office. It also repealed the statutory provisions allowing silver bullion to be presented to the Mint and returned in the form of circulating money. If they say bimetallism is good, but that we cannot have it until other nations help us, we reply that, instead of having a gold standard because England has, we will restore bimetallism, and then let England have bimetallism because the United States has it. [82] The convention passed the platform in Bryan's absence and recessed. The Republican Party made policies that supported big business. William Jennings Bryan, gifted orator and three-time presidential candidate was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. [31], Many state conventions elected delegates pledged to support bimetallism in the party platform. They are also most often funny. Many Republicans in the western states, dismayed by the strong allegiance of eastern Republicans to the gold standard, considered forming their own party. Nevertheless, Senator John W. Daniel of Virginia was by an overwhelming vote elected temporary chairman, and a Committee on Credentials was appointed that seated Bryan and his contesting Nebraska delegation.[47]. Some people, for the most part Democrats, joined the far-left Populist Party. Cross of Gold speech, classic of American political oratory delivered on July 8, 1896, by William Jennings Bryan in closing the debate on the party platform at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago during the campaign for the presidential election of 1896. The audio portion is an excerpt. What we need is an Andrew Jackson to stand as Jackson stood, against the encroachments of aggregated wealth. [87], According to the New York World, "Lunacy having dictated the platform, it was perhaps natural that hysteria should evolve the candidate. We do not come as aggressors. He would subsequently win the Democratic nomination for president in 1900 and again . With a two-thirds vote of the delegates needed to nominate, almost every silver delegate would have to vote for the same candidate to assure success, though any organized support from gold delegates would greatly damage a silver candidate's chances. I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity. Some of the impoverished died of disease or starvation; others killed themselves.[15]. Subscribe 84K views 7 years ago This is a speech from Democratic Candidate William Jennings Bryan, which he originally delivered in 1896. 12, 18951904: Populism, Imperialism, and Reform (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1968), 100105. Bryan's 1896 campaign was groundbreaking for more than his oratorical skill. Nevertheless, he won the nomination without the votes of the gold delegates, most of whom either left the convention or refused to vote. People who were free-silver thought that currency reform would end them. One of the first candidates to appear widely on his own behalf, he was the original whistle-stop campaigner. [11], In 1890, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act greatly increased government purchases of silver. The Washington Post newspaper recorded, "bedlam broke loose, delirium reigned supreme. The cartoon depicts two contradictory sides of Carnegie: the business titan and the philanthropist. But Bryan first wished to tie the silver question to a greater cause:[46][76], Upon which side will the Democratic Party fight; upon the side of "the idle holders of idle capital" or upon the side of "the struggling masses"? The Democratic Party wanted to create more upward mobility for people. "[67] By then, as he spoke in a sincere tone, his voice sounded clearly and loudly through the hall. At the. You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard; we reply that the great cities rest upon our broad and fertile prairies. The sympathies of the Democratic Party, as shown by the platform, are on the side of the struggling masses, who have ever been the foundation of the Democratic Party.[77]. According to Barnes: The people of the South and the West had for years been convinced of the enormity of the "crime of 1873", and they had long since come to regard silver as the sword that would cut the Gordian knot of privilege. [50], "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman lived up to his nickname with an incendiary address which began with a reference to his home state's role in beginning the Civil War. William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" oration was primarily an expression of his (A) fundamentalist religious beliefs (B) neutral stance toward the belligerents of the First World War (C) advocacy of free and unlimited coinage of silver (D) opposition to teaching the theory of evolution in public schools (E) anti-imperialist convictions We defy them! [59] According to political scientist Richard F. Bensel in his study of the 1896 Democratic convention, "Although the silver men knew they would win this fight, they nonetheless needed someone to tell themand the gold menwhy they must enshrine silver at the heart of the platform. "[69] The gold men, during the address, paid close attention and showed their appreciation for Bryan's oratory. Why is it that within three months such a change has come over the sentiments of the country? This takeover was considered far more important than was the choice of presidential candidate, and the committee decided to take no position on who should win the race for the nomination, reasoning that the victor, no matter who he was, would be a silver man. Introduction: -attractions of a political cartoon ii. The farmer who goes forth in the morning and toils all day, begins in the spring and toils all summer, and by the application of brain and muscle to the natural resources of this country creates wealth, is as much a businessman as the man who goes upon the Board of Trade and bets upon the price of grain. His opponent, William Jennings Bryan (who Littlefield suggested was represented by the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz) was famous for his "Cross of Gold" speech. He cared about politics and his religion equally. "[61] Bryan would say little that he had not said beforethe text is similar to that of a speech he had given the previous week at Crete, Nebraska[62]but he would give the convention its voice. We demand that the standard silver dollar shall be a full legal tender, equally with gold, for all debts, public and private, and we favor such legislation as will prevent for the future the demonitization of any kind of legal tender by private contract. We reply that when we advocate a thing which we believe will be successful we are not compelled to raise a doubt as to our own sincerity by trying to show what we will do if we are wrong. If the gold standard, and I might call your attention to the fact that some of the very people who are in this convention today and who tell you that we ought to declare in favor of international bimetallism and thereby declare that the gold standard is wrong and that the principles of bimetallism are betterthese very people four months ago were open and avowed advocates of the gold standard and telling us that we could not legislate two metals together even with all the world. [46] However, Barnes deemed the actions by the committee immaterial to the outcome due to the silver strength in the convention: Anyone who doubts the power the silverites were ready to unleash in a disciplined and irresistible attack needs only to read the results of the election of temporary chairman. Why, as individuals we might have been glad to compliment the gentleman from New York [Senator Hill], but we knew that the people for whom we speak would never be willing to put him in a position where he could thwart the will of the Democratic Party. We come to speak for this broader class of businessmen. Lafayette, CA: d press, 1995. They criticize us for our criticism of the Supreme Court of the United States. All rights reserved. [64] Throughout the speech, Bryan had the delegates in the palm of his hand; they cheered on cue. No, my friends, it will never be the judgment of this people. 2023 The Granger Collection LTD d/b/a GRANGER - Historical Picture Archive. Born Mark Elliot Zuckerberg May 14, 1984 (age 38) White Plains, New York, U.S. Education: Harvard University (dropped out) Occupations: Internet entrepreneur, philanthropist. Why doesnt he tell us what he is going to do if they fail to secure an international agreement. There was loud cheering as Bryan stood there, waiting for his audience to calm. ; B. On the fifth ballot, the Illinois delegation, led by Governor Altgeld, switched its votes from Bland to Bryan. [54] He was followed by two other gold men, Senator William Vilas of Wisconsin and former Massachusetts Governor William E. Russell. Afrocentrists, Evangelicals, Hebrew-Israelites and the False Revolution. From the money plank of the Democratic platform[48], Good luck favored Bryanhe was considered for various convention roles by the silverites, but each time was not selected. "[91] Bryan's words gave rise to later economic and political philosophies, including Huey Long's 1930s Share Our Wealth program, with its trigger phrase, "Every Man a King" inspired by Bryan's speech. In passing the Coinage Act, Congress eliminated bimetallism. This handout is a great resource for helping students analyze this key political cartoon from the Populist Movement and the Election of 1896 featuring William Jennings Bryan and the "Cross of Gold" speech. I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Never before in the history of this country has there been witnessed such a contest as that through which we have passed. The gentleman from Wisconsin has said he fears a Robespierre. Bryan considered this no loss at all; the focus of the convention was on the party platform and the debate which would precede its adoption. Historian Stanley Jones, in his study of the 1896 election, suggests that western Democrats would have opposed Cleveland even if the party had held its congressional majority in 1894; with the disastrous defeat, they believed the party would be wiped out in the West if it did not support silver. He also proposed the establishment of a mint, at which citizens could present gold or silver, and receive it back, struck into money. [59] As he concluded his historical recitation, he reminded the silver delegates that they had come to crown their victory, "not to discuss, not to debate, but to enter up the judgment already rendered by the plain people of this country".[66]. "[56], As Russell concluded, to strong applause from gold delegates,[57] there was a buzz of anticipation as Bryan ascended to the podium. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. His subsequent canvass [campaign] for the United States senatorship in Nebraska was noteworthy and conspicuous on many accounts. Because upon the paramount issue in this campaign there is not a spot of ground upon which the enemy will dare to challenge battle. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. He mocked McKinley, said by some to resemble Napoleon, noting that he was nominated on the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Those who are opposed to this proposition tell us that the issue of paper money is a function of the bank and that the government ought to go out of the banking business. Welcome to a series on William Jennings Bryan's famous 1896 Cross of Gold speech. [1] Bryan's address helped catapult him to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination and is considered one of the greatest political speeches in American history. [37] He arrived convinced that he would win the nomination. The temporary chairmanship, for example, would have permitted him to deliver the keynote address. In a speech called "Cross of Gold," it is difficult to ignore the religious imagery that Bryan employs. [65] Bryan then recounted the history of the silver movement; the audience, which had loudly demonstrated its approval of his opening statements, quieted. The bankers did not want loans repaid in an inflated currencythe gold standard was deflationary, and as creditors, they preferred to be paid in such a currency, whereas debtors preferred to repay in inflated currency. Political Cartoon featuring William Jennings Bryan carrying the "Cross of Gold . This statement attracted great cheering, and Bryan turned to rhetorically demolish the compromise position on bimetallismthat it should only be accomplished through international agreement: It is the issue of 1776 over again. It demonstrated the need for better communications in wartime. Ah. The full text of William Jenning Bryan's famous "Cross of Gold" speech appears below. The gentleman from New York says that he will propose an amendment providing that this change in our law shall not affect contracts which, according to the present laws, are made payable in gold. William Jennings Bryan and the Cross of Gold Speech - US 101 - YouTube In 1896, former Nebraska Congressman William Jennings Bryan became the Democratic nominee for President by delivering. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.[76]. [54], Senator David B. Hill of New York, a gold supporter, was next. I had never had such an opportunity before in my life and never expect to have again. [94], Bryan's nomination divided the party. He then defended the remainder of the platform, though only speaking in general terms. As yet, no one at the convention had effectively spoken for that cause, which was paramount to the delegates. It revealed that the U.S. had become a world power. The next day the convention nominated Bryan for President on the fifth ballot. He did for Rome what Jackson did when he destroyed the bank conspiracy and saved America. Full text and audio version of "Cross of Gold" at History Matters. 7.5 x 4.75 in. BRYAN CARRIES ON THE SHOULDERS OF HIS ADMIRERS AFTER HIS ORATION. Bryan also ran in the years 1900 and 1908 which became failures. Despite vocal opposition led by Tennessee Representative (and future president) Andrew Johnson, the precious metal content of smaller silver coins was reduced in 1853. Bryan, a former Democratic congressman from Nebraska, gained his party's presidential nomination in July of that year after electrifying the Democratic National Convention with his Cross of Gold speech. My friend, in this land of the free you need fear no tyrant who will spring up from among the people. Contemporary estimates were an unemployment rate as high as 25%. The attorney in a country town is as much a businessman as the corporation counsel in a great metropolis. We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more. Upon the side of the idle holders of idle capital, or upon the side of the struggling masses? In January 1791, at the request of Congress, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton issued a report on the currency. [32], The 1896 Democratic convention opened at the Chicago Coliseum on July 7, 1896. They tell us that this platform was made to catch votes. "[60] Bensel noted, "The pump was more than primed, it was ready to explode. The thirty-six-year-old former Congressman from Nebraska aspired to be the Democratic nominee for president, and he had been skillfully, but quietly, building support for himself among the delegates. They say we passed an unconstitutional law. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. The new unit of currency was defined to be equal to 24.75 grains (1.604g) of gold, or alternatively, 371.25 grains (24.057g) of silver, establishing a ratio of value between gold and silver of 15:1. The bill, as modified by amendments sponsored by Iowa Senator William B. Allison, did not reverse the 1873 provisions, but required the Treasury to purchase a minimum of $2 million of silver bullion per month; the profit, or seignorage from monetizing the silver was to be used to purchase more silver bullion. For one thing, he began the 1896 convention without any official statusthe Democratic National Committee, which made the initial determination of which delegations would be seated, had chosen the pro-gold Nebraskans to represent their state. The dissidents nominated their own ticket; the split in the vote would contribute to Bryan's defeat. Nevertheless, large crowds gathered outside the public entrances; the galleries were quickly packed. Now, my friends, let me come to the great paramount issue. [64], Bryan's opening claimed no personal prestige for himselfbut nevertheless placed him as the spokesman for silver. Cleveland friend and former Postmaster General Donald M. Dickinson wrote to the President in June 1896 hoping that the delegates would recognize "common sense" and be frightened at the thought of nominating a radical. If they ask us here why it is we say more on the money question than we say upon the tariff question, I reply that if protection has slain its thousands the gold standard has slain its tens of thousands. [64] According to Bensel, the self-deprecation helped disarm the delegates. William Jennings Bryan (nicknamed the "Boy Orator of the Platte" and "The Great Commoner") was a Nebraska politician and orator who rose to fame in 1896 when he secured the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Critics contended that the inflation which would follow the introduction of such a policy would harm workers, whose wages would not rise as fast as prices would, and the operation of Gresham's law would drive gold from circulation, effectively placing the United States on a silver standard. [106] Historian R. Hal Williams suggested that the opposite philosophy, of legislation for the masses leading to prosperity for all, advocated by Bryan in his speech, informed the domestic policies of later Democratic presidents, including Franklin Roosevelt with his New Deal.[107]. However, Bryan, lacking a seat at the start of the convention, could not be elected temporary chairman. It is for these that we speak. If the gold standard is a good thing, why try to get rid of it? The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error. Why? We demand the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1 without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nation. When McKinley and his advisers, such as industrialist and future senator Mark Hanna, realized that the views were more than transitory, they began intensive fundraising from corporations and the wealthy. Once the convention came to order, Arkansas Senator James K. Jones, chair of the Committee on Resolutions, read the proposed platform to cheers by many delegates; the reading of the pro-gold minority report attracted less applause. American cartoon by Grant Hamilton, 1896, on William Jennings Bryan's 'Cross of Gold' speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which won Bryan the presidential nomination. There is more reason for him to do that than for us to expect to fail to maintain the parity. In his address, Bryan supported "free silver" (i.e. [105] Author and political commentator William Safire, in his political dictionary, traced the term "trickle-down economics" (common in the Reagan era) to Bryan's statement that some believe that government should legislate for the wealthy, and allow prosperity to "leak through" on those below. We are prepared to meet them on either issue or on both. "[89] The New York Times disparaged Bryan as "the gifted blatherskite from Nebraska". Instructors: CLICK HERE to request a free trial account (only available to college instructors) Primary Source Readers Senators, Bryan rose to speak. Congress did so, but the debates showed bitter divides in both major parties between silver and gold factions. [19] Among those defeated for Senate was Bryan in Nebraska. Source: Official Proceedings of the Democratic National Convention Held in Chicago, Illinois, July 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, 1896, (Logansport, Indiana, 1896), 226234. It made no secret of these preparations. my friends, we say not one word against those who live upon the Atlantic Coast; but those hardy pioneers who braved all the dangers of the wilderness, who have made the desert to blossom as the rosethose pioneers away out there, rearing their children near to natures heart, where they can mingle their voices with the voices of the birdsout there where they have erected schoolhouses for the education of their children and churches where they praise their Creator, and the cemeteries where sleep the ashes of their deadare as deserving of the consideration of this party as any people in this country. The only gold man who put together any sort of campaign for the Democratic nomination was Treasury Secretary One of the leaders of the silver movement was Illinois Governor Altgeld; a native of Germany, he was constitutionally barred from the presidency by his foreign birth. 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