[94], Bryan's nomination divided the party. With the powerful words he used, Bryan showed his support to the Populists. Updates? Other delegations, seeing that Bryan would be nominated, also switched, securing the victory. [63] Two alert police officers had joined Bryan as he left the podium, anticipating the crush. [5] It was not until 1834 that Congress acted, changing the gold/silver ratio to 16.002:1. What will the decision be today? The Democratic party has won the greatest success in its history. My friends, we shall declare that this nation is able to legislate for its own people on every question without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nation on earth, and upon that issue we expect to carry every single state in the Union. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. More than a century after Bryan delivered that speech, his words still have power, and some of his metaphors still appear in political speeches and platforms. Omissions? I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity. In 1896 William Jennings Bryan gave possibly his most famous speech, " The Cross of Gold" Speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. There were a large number of potential candidates seen as having less support; these included Vice President Adlai Stevenson of Illinois, Senator Joseph C. Blackburn of Kentucky, Senator Teller, and Bryan.[43]. The miners who go 1,000 feet into the earth or climb 2,000 feet upon the cliffs and bring forth from their hiding places the precious metals to be poured in the channels of trade are as much businessmen as the few financial magnates who in a backroom corner the money of the world. They say we passed an unconstitutional law. His subsequent canvass [campaign] for the United States senatorship in Nebraska was noteworthy and conspicuous on many accounts. If they tell us that the gold standard is the standard of civilization, we reply to them that this, the most enlightened of all nations of the earth, has never declared for a gold standard, and both the parties this year are declaring against it. [64] According to Bensel, the self-deprecation helped disarm the delegates. 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. Here is the line of battle. [41], 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. What we oppose in that plank is the life tenure that is being built up in Washington which establishes an office-holding class and excludes from participation in the benefits the humbler members of our society. Speakers in some states cursed Cleveland; the South Carolina convention denounced him. This paper presents a formal analysis of political cartoons using methods from classical semiotics, semiotic morphisms, and in particular the study of blends. As the gold men spoke, Bryan ate a sandwich to settle his stomach; he was often nervous before major speeches. 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. When I find a man who is not willing to pay his share of the burden of the government which protects him, I find a man who is unworthy to enjoy the blessings of a government like ours. It was clear to listeners as he worked his way through the comparisons that he would refer to the farmer, and when he did, the hall exploded with sound. He cared about politics and his religion equally. We come to speak of this broader class of business men. That will give you criticisms. [52] Although Tillman endorsed silver, his address was so laced with sectionalism that most silver delegates remained silent for fear of being seen as supporting him. [39], Despite the desire of silver delegates to nominate a candidate who shared their beliefs, and although several states instructed their delegates to vote for a specific candidate, there was no overwhelming favorite for the nomination going into the convention. Never before in the history of this country has there been witnessed such a contest as that through which we have just passed. Why is it that within three months such a change has come over the sentiments of the country? The government pledged to stand behind the silver dollars and treasury notes issued under the act by redeeming them in gold. Mr. McKinley was the most popular man among the Republicans ; and everybody three months ago in the Republican Party prophesied his election. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. i. 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. We defy them! "[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". At the time, Bryan was a former member of Congress from Nebraska who had been working tirelessly to build support for his candidacy. Bryan's 1896 campaign was groundbreaking for more than his oratorical skill. Jones deemed the Democrats likely to nominate a candidate who would appeal to the Populist Party, and Bryan had been elected to Congress with Populist support. It did not become unconstitutional until one judge changed his mind; and we cannot be expected to know when a judge will change his mind. It is true. . This teaching guide helps instructors use a specific primary source set, Patronage and Populism: The Politics of the Gilded Age, in the classroom. [42] Going into the convention, the two leading candidates for the nomination were former Congressman Bland, who had originated the Bland-Allison Act, and former Iowa Governor Horace Boies, with Bland considered the frontrunner. In his address, Bryan supported "free silver" (i.e. . [Note on the recording: In 1896 recording technology was in its infancy, and recording a political convention would have been impossible. German-born political cartoonist Thomas Nast gave America some of its most enduring symbols: the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, and Uncle Sam. We defy them! Delegates threw hats, coats, and handkerchiefs into the air. The third ballot saw Bland still in the lead, but Bryan took the lead on the fourth ballot. [17] In his conclusion, Bryan reached back in history: When a crisis like the present arose and the national bank of his day sought to control the politics of the nation, God raised up an Andrew Jackson, who had the courage to grapple with that great enemy, and by overthrowing it, he made himself the idol of the people and reinstated the Democratic party in public confidence. For these images we dont claim any copyright or other intellectual property rights and neither do our contributors, we just provide you with access to a high resolution copy to use in line with the terms of the license you buy. The merchant at the crossroads store is as much a businessman as the merchant of New York. 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 [49][50], Delegates, as they waited for the committees to complete their work, spent much of the first two days listening to various orators. [83], The balloting began the following morning, July 10, with a two-thirds vote necessary to nominate. The sympathies of the Democratic Party, as described by the platform, are on the side of the struggling masses, who have ever been the foundation of the Democratic Party. [87] The pro-silver Cleveland Plain Dealer called Bryan's speech "an eloquent, stirring, and manly appeal". 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. Bryan consented, on condition that his own time was extended by the same amount; this was agreed to. Hear William Jennings Bryan deliver his Cross of Gold speech at the Democratic National Convention, William Jennings Bryan: presidential campaign poster, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Cross-of-Gold-speech, The Library of Congress - "Cross of Gold" Speech, Public Broadcasting Service - Cross of Gold Speech. Some, wrote another reporter, like demented things, divested themselves of their coats and flung them high in the air. The next day the convention nominated Bryan for President on the fifth ballot. Full text and audio version of "Cross of Gold" at History Matters. Bryan did not think it was necessary for the United States to hold in reserve an amount of gold equal in value to all the paper money in circulation. He would subsequently win the Democratic nomination for president in 1900 and again . It is for these that we speak. Why? We do not come as aggressors. 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"? On the fifth ballot, the Illinois delegation, led by Governor Altgeld, switched its votes from Bland to Bryan. At the time, there was no mint in the United States; foreign coins were used. [93] The Republican nominee was slow to realize the surge of support for Bryan after the nomination, stating his view that the silver sentiment would be gone in a month. bimetallism), which he believed would bring the nation prosperity. I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. [95] However, Bryan did gain the support of the Populists, as well as a convention of Silver Republicans. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The response, wrote one reporter, came like one great burst of artillery. Men and women screamed and waved their hats and canes. Bryan, having established the right of silver supporters to petition, explained why that petition was not to be denied: It is for these that we speak. However, he lost the general election to William McKinley, and the United States formally adopted the gold standard in 1900. For twenty years, Americans had been bitterly divided over the nation's monetary standard. Bryan made a speech called "Cross of Gold", which had a strong reaction with the audience and included religious imagery. The late 19th century saw divergent views in economics as the laissez-faire orthodoxy was questioned by younger economists, and both sides found ample support for their views from theorists. 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. We say to you that you have made too limited in its application the definition of a businessman. is not the change evident to anyone who will look at the matter? An 1896 cartoon of William Jennings Bryan supporting "Free Silver." What exactly did he mean that money did not need to be "backed" by gold? I deny it. Leave a comment. Many Republicans in the western states, dismayed by the strong allegiance of eastern Republicans to the gold standard, considered forming their own party. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. 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]. Some of the impoverished died of disease or starvation; others killed themselves.[15]. The individual is but an atom; he is born, he acts, he dies; but principles are eternal; and this has been a contest of principle. In November he lost to the Republican candidate, William McKinley. Born Mark Elliot Zuckerberg May 14, 1984 (age 38) White Plains, New York, U.S. Education: Harvard University (dropped out) Occupations: Internet entrepreneur, philanthropist. The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error. The most famous speech in American political history was delivered by William Jennings Bryan on July 9, 1896, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we will fight them to the uttermost. ; D. The Democratic Party understood the economy from the point of view of workers and farmers. [2] On April 2, 1792, Congress passed the Mint Act of 1792. 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. There are those who believe that, if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity will leak through on those below. Accordingly, Bryan became the final speaker on the platform. [102] Bryan's emphasis on agrarian issues, both in his speech and in his candidacy, may have helped cement voting patterns which kept the Democrats largely out of power until the 1930s. [72] When Bryan resumed, his comparison of miner with miser again electrified the audience; the uproar prevented him from continuing for several minutes. One Indiana voter wrote, "God has sent you amongst our people to save the poor from starvation, and we no [sic] you will save us. [20], Bryan had long planned to run for president. [71] The police in the convention hall, not sharing the enthusiasm for silver, were described by the press (some of whose members were caught up in the frenzy) as standing as if they thought the audience was about to turn on them. Ah. That was Cicero, who destroyed the conspiracies of Cataline and saved Rome. Never before in the history of American politics has a great issue been fought out as this issue has been by the voters themselves. The full text of William Jenning Bryans famous Cross of Gold speech appears below. Among those who spoke against the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was Nebraska Representative William Jennings Bryan. 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