Pursuant to this promise, government gold reserves dwindled over the following three years. 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. Known as an orator even then, Bryan had not always favored free silver out of conviction, stating in 1892 that he was for it because the people of Nebraska were for it. If the gold standard is a good thing, why try to get rid of it? Forward-Looking Statements Except for historical information, this presentation may contain certain "forward-looking statements". [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]. What will the decision be today? [49][50], Delegates, as they waited for the committees to complete their work, spent much of the first two days listening to various orators. Afrocentrists, Evangelicals, Hebrew-Israelites and the False Revolution. Bryan continued with language evoking the Civil War, telling his audience that "in this contest brother has been arrayed against brother, father against son. We care not upon which issue they force the fight. Vilas gave a lengthy defense of the Cleveland administration's policies, so long that Russell, fearing that Vilas' speech would cut into his time, asked that the time given to the gold proponents be extended by ten minutes. [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 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. 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. "[56], As Russell concluded, to strong applause from gold delegates,[57] there was a buzz of anticipation as Bryan ascended to the podium. He says that mankind won't be crucified on a cross of gold. One after another, state conventions to elect delegates to the national convention in Chicago repudiated an incumbent elected president of their party, who had not declared whether he would be a candidate for renomination. 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. 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. UPTO 50% OFF ON ALL PRODUCTS. We defy them! He did for Rome what Jackson did when he destroyed the bank conspiracy and saved America. William Jennings Bryan delivered his "Cross of Gold" speech at the Democratic National Convention in July of 1896 as part of his bid for the party's presidential nomination. When you come before us and tell us that we shall disturb your business interests, we reply that you have disturbed our business interests by your action. The legislation also established the Mint of the United States. On the night of July 8, William Jennings Bryan revealed himself as the candidate the silverites were looking for by delivering one of the most famous speeches in American history. His sympathetic comparison contrasted the hardworking farmer with the city businessman, whom Bryan cast as a gambler. 2023 The Granger Collection LTD d/b/a GRANGER - Historical Picture Archive. doubt, because there is scarcely a State here today asking for the gold standard which is not in the absolute control of the Republican party. Contemporary estimates were an unemployment rate as high as 25%. Latuff here in this cartoon is showing the uncaring of the president to the country. William Jennings Bryan. The image that is selected for the analysis is from the pre-1856 epoch of US history, and it represents the imagination of the political and social life as it was imagined by artists. The financial Panic of 1893 intensified the debates, and when President Grover Cleveland (a Democrat) continued to support the gold standard against the will of much of his party, activists became determined to take over the Democratic Party organization and nominate a silver-supporting candidate in 1896. Full text and audio version of "Cross of Gold" at History Matters. Bryan's 1896 campaign was groundbreaking for more than his oratorical skill. It is the issue of 1776 over again. [86], Most contemporary press accounts attributed Bryan's nomination to his eloquence, though in the case of Republican and other gold-favoring newspapers, they considered it his demagoguery. [95] However, Bryan did gain the support of the Populists, as well as a convention of Silver Republicans. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [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. [11], In 1890, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act greatly increased government purchases of silver. This teaching guide helps instructors use a specific primary source set, Patronage and Populism: The Politics of the Gilded Age, in the classroom. "[92] A farmer in Iowa, in a letter to Bryan, stated, "You are the first big man that i [sic] ever wrote to. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. [54], Senator David B. Hill of New York, a gold supporter, was next. "Strictly confidential, not to be quoted for publication: I will be. Even so, in 1900, Congress passed the Gold Standard Act, formally placing the United States on that standard. "[24], In the aftermath of the 1894 election, the silver forces, led by Altgeld and others, began an attempt to take over the machinery of the Democratic Party. You shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold. The speech so electrified the convention that the delegates nominated Bryan as their candidate for president, though he was only 36 years old and his experience as an officeholder was limited to two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. "And I needed it for the speech I was to make." ; William Jennings Bryan was a leading member of the Democratic party who ran for President several times. Although the recording does not capture the power and drama of the original address, it does allow us to hear Bryan delivering this famous speech.]. 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. Circulars were being distributed in Illinois, and admirers in Nebraska, North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and other states were urging his selection among their friends. A cartoon from the magazine "Judge" criticizing William Jennings Bryan for his "Cross of Gold" speech. Out of all of the prominent business figures that arose during the Gilded Age, Andrew Carnegie is perhaps viewed in the most positive light. [10], Implementation of the BlandAllison Act did not end calls for free silver. 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. Bryan had been a dark horse candidate with little support in the convention. No, my friends, that will never be the verdict of our people. Old leaders have been cast aside when they refused to give expression to the sentiments of those whom they would lead, and new leaders have sprung up to give direction to this cause of freedom. He says he also wants to amend this platform so as to provide that if we fail to maintain the parity within a year that we will then suspend the coinage of silver. However, he stated, facing towards the gold delegates, "when you come before us and tell us that we are about to disturb your business interests, we reply that you have disturbed our business interests by your course. He does use the word gold in a religious allusion, but it's given quite a different meaning. The audio portion is an excerpt. The government pledged to stand behind the silver dollars and treasury notes issued under the act by redeeming them in gold. 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. But in this contest, brother has been arrayed against brother, and father against son. They criticize us for our criticism of the Supreme Court of the United States. 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. 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. However, as late as June, the gold forces, which still controlled the Democratic National Committee (DNC), continued to believe that the nominee could be pro-gold. Bryan consented, on condition that his own time was extended by the same amount; this was agreed to. 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. Hamilton proposed a monetary system based on bimetallism, in which the new currency would be equal to a given amount of gold, or a larger amount of silver; at the time a given weight of gold was worth about 15 times as much as the same amount of silver. Subscribe 84K views 7 years ago This is a speech from Democratic Candidate William Jennings Bryan, which he originally delivered in 1896. In the late 1800's a populist movement was happening and people were starting to take notice. from Harper's Weekly, 18 July, 1896. President Cleveland sent federal troops to Illinois to end the Pullman strikeworkers at the Pullman Palace Car Company, which made railroad cars, had struck after wages were cut. [1], Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests, and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. Which? He then defended the remainder of the platform, though only speaking in general terms. Mark Zuckerberg - Zuckerberg in April 2019. Although Bryan ran again on a silver platform in the 1900 presidential election, the issue failed to produce the same resonance with the voters. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. William Jennings Bryan, gifted orator and three-time presidential candidate was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. [64], Bryan's opening claimed no personal prestige for himselfbut nevertheless placed him as the spokesman for silver. Many Republicans in the western states, dismayed by the strong allegiance of eastern Republicans to the gold standard, considered forming their own party. Our ancestors, when but three millions in number, had the courage to declare their political independence of every other nation; shall we, their descendants, when we have grown to seventy millions, declare that we are less independent than our forefathers? 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. The Cross of Gold was a speech given by William Jennings Bryan at the Democratic National Convention in 1896 which advocated for bimetallism, or the use of both gold and silver in funding the currency. Mr. Carlisle said in 1878 that this was a struggle between the idle holders of idle capital and the struggling masses who produce the wealth and pay the taxes of the country; and my friends, it is simply a question that we shall decide upon which side shall the Democratic Party fight. With the powerful words he used, Bryan showed his support to the Populists. He always regarded it as the best point he made during the speech, and only the ending caused more reaction from his listeners: We say to you that you have made the definition of a business man too limited in its application. As Bryan was not deemed a major contender for the nomination, even delegates committed to a candidate could cheer him without seeming to betray their allegiance. BRYAN: CROSS OF GOLD. After speeches on the subject by several U.S. In his "Cross of Gold" speech, Bryan argued that the debate over monetary policy was part of a broader struggle for democracy, political independence and the welfare of the "common man." Bryan's speech was met with rapturous applause and a celebration on the floor of the convention that lasted for over half an hour. It marked the first american victory over a European power. The "Cross Of Gold" speech was a speech by William which helped propel the convention to nominate him as a Democratic presidential candidate. I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity. BRYAN CARRIES ON THE SHOULDERS OF HIS ADMIRERS AFTER HIS ORATION. Sources. South Carolina Senator Benjamin Tillman was to be the other pro-silver speaker, and originally wished to close the debate. The humblest citizen in all the land when clad in the armor of a righteous cause is stronger than all the whole hosts of error that they can bring. [99], Bryan's speech is considered one of the most powerful political addresses in American history. One farmer in the gallery had been about to leave rather than listen to Bryan, whom he deemed a Populist; he had been persuaded to stay. "[92], When McKinley heard that Bryan was likely to be the nominee, he called the report "rot" and hung up the phone. Mr. The Akron Journal and Republican, no friend to Bryan, opined that "never probably has a national convention been swayed or influenced by a single speech as was the national Democratic convention". [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]. They can find where the holders of fixed investments have. [44] Bryan had been waiting outside the committee room when his rivals were seated by a 2723 vote; contemporary accounts state he was "somewhat surprised" at the result. The gentleman from Wisconsin has said he fears a Robespierre. 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. Text and audio version of `` cross of gold silver Purchase Act greatly increased government purchases of at... Consented, on condition that his own time was extended by the amount..., Illinois needed it for the speech I was to be the other pro-silver speaker bryan's cross of gold political cartoon analysis and against... Whether to endorse the free coinage of silver to gold of 16 1! 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