Mr. He says that he wants this country to try to secure an international agreement. In his address, Bryan supported "free silver" (i.e. The Republican Party platform for the election, formulated at its convention in St. Louis in June, declared, We are unalterably opposed to every measure calculated to debase our currency. When the Democrats gathered a few weeks later, their platform called for the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold. In an eloquent plea for the coinage of silver and an attack on the thesis that gold was the only sound backing for currency, Bryan closed with the peroration, you shall not press down on the brow of labor this crown of thorns. Bryan made a speech called "Cross of Gold", which had a strong reaction with the audience and included religious imagery. The response, wrote one reporter, came like one great burst of artillery. Men and women screamed and waved their hats and canes. We defy them! What we need is an Andrew Jackson to stand as Jackson stood, against the encroachments of aggregated wealth. Mark Zuckerberg - Zuckerberg in April 2019. In November he lost to the Republican candidate, William McKinley. I shall object to bringing this question down to a level of persons. 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]. The attorney in a country town is as much a businessman as the corporation counsel in a great metropolis. Political cartoons historically and currently play a significant role in public discourse about serious and important issues. from Harper's Weekly, 18 July, 1896. [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. 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. But if he means to say that we cannot change our monetary system without protecting those who have loaned money before the change was made, I want to ask him where, in law or in morals, he can find authority for not protecting the debtors when the act of 1873 was passed when he now insists that we must protect the creditor. In a speech called "Cross of Gold," it is difficult to ignore the religious imagery that Bryan employs. The third ballot saw Bland still in the lead, but Bryan took the lead on the fourth ballot. If they ask us why we did not embody all these things in our platform which we believe, we reply to them that when we have restored the money of the Constitution, all other necessary reforms will be possible, and that until that is done there is no reform that can be accomplished. He had already begun work on a speech. It is true. [68] He denied, however that the contest was personal; he bore no ill-will towards those who supported the gold standard. [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. Three months later, at Memphis, an organization was perfected, and the silver Democrats went forth openly and boldly and courageously proclaiming their belief and declaring that if successful they would crystallize in a platform the declaration which they had made; and then began the conflict with a zeal approaching the zeal which inspired the crusaders who followed Peter the Hermit. He decried the gold standard, concluding the speech, "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold". If the gold standard is a good thing, why try to get rid of it? The 1896 Democratic National Convention followed events unique in post-Civil War American history. Although Hamilton understood that adjustment might be needed from time to time as precious metal prices fluctuated, he believed that if the nation's unit of value were defined only by one of the two precious metals used for coins, the other would descend to the status of mere merchandise, unusable as a store of value. [27] The leader of those who left was Colorado Senator Henry M. Teller; he was immediately spoken of as a possible candidate for the Democratic nomination. Our war is not a war of conquest. They tell us that the income tax ought not to be brought in here; that is not a new idea. They called for the return to pre-1873 laws, which would require the Mint to take all the silver offered it and return it, struck into silver dollars. ; D. The Democratic Party understood the economy from the point of view of workers and farmers. The money went for speakers, pamphlets, and other means of conveying their "sound money" campaign to the voter. In 1921 (25 years after the original speech), he recorded portions of the speech for Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country. 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. I shall not slander the fair state of Massachusetts nor the state of New York by saying that when citizens are confronted with the proposition, Is this nation able to attend to its own business?I will not slander either one by saying that the people of those states will declare our helpless impotency as a nation to attend to our own business. According to William Jennings Byran:. It was not in any concerted or open action, however, that Bryan had his strength; it was in the friendly predisposition of the mass of the delegates that he had hopes.[30]. However, he lost the general election to William McKinley, and the United States formally adopted the gold standard in 1900. This speech, delivered at the Democratic National Convention, helped win the Bryan, former Representative to Congress for Nebraska, the presidential nomination of the Democratic party. 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. We say in our platform that we believe that the right to coin money and issue money is a function of government. Why doesnt he tell us what he is going to do if they fail to secure an international agreement. Even so, in 1900, Congress passed the Gold Standard Act, formally placing the United States on that standard. 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. The Populists would reach the high water mark of their political power in 1896, when the Democratic Party nominated William Jennings Bryan as its candidate for President of . 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. Conclusion: -main message of Latuff's cartoon process . 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. 7.5 x 4.75 in. It simply intends to put the burdens of government justly upon the backs of the people. W.J. ( July 8, 1896 ), classic of American political oratory delivered by William Jennings Bryan ( Bryan, William Jennings) in closing the debate on the party platform at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1896. [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. It is intended to spark pedagogical creativity by giving a sample approach to the material. Sources. That is the question that the party must answer first; and then it must be answered by each individual hereafter. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. 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. Of these, only Senator Blackburn, a silver supporter, sparked much reaction, and that only momentary. The cartoon depicts two contradictory sides of Carnegie: the business titan and the philanthropist. [90] The only paper to predict, after Bryan gave his speech, that he would not be nominated was The Wall Street Journal, which stated, "Bryan has had his day". [82] The convention passed the platform in Bryan's absence and recessed. 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. Why is it that within three months such a change has come over the sentiments of the country? 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. Why, if they tell us that the gold standard is a good thing, we point to their platform and tell them that their platform pledges the party to get rid of a gold standard and substitute bimetallism. [96] Bryan spoke on silver throughout the campaign; he rarely addressed other issues. (The cartoon appeared in the post-dated July 7 issue of Harper's Weekly, published in late June.) Our ancestors, when but 3 million, had the courage to declare their political independence of every other nation upon earth. [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. 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. [58] Bryan's lecture tours had left him a well-known spokesman for silver. Bryan's speeches evolved over time; in December 1894, in a speech in Congress, he first used a phrase from which would come the conclusion to his most famous address: as originally stated, it was "I will not help to crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. Gold Democrats looked to the President for leadership, but Cleveland, trusting few in his party, did not involve himself further in the gold efforts, but spent the week of the convention fishing off the New Jersey coast. [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]. He was known for his deeply held religious beliefs and his popular touch, which earned him the moniker "the Great Commoner." BRYAN CARRIES ON THE SHOULDERS OF HIS ADMIRERS AFTER HIS ORATION. My friends, we have made no criticism. He sent letters to national convention delegates, urging them to support silver, and enclosing copies of his photograph, writings, and speeches. ; B. 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"? In later years Bryan delivered numerous variations on the speech, some captured on early phonograph recordings. [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. We do not come as aggressors. Ah, my friends. We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more. 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. Gold and silver factions in some states, such as Bryan's Nebraska, sent rival delegations to the convention. Although Altgeld and his adherents urged voters to distinguish between Cleveland and his party, the Democrats lost 113 seats in the House in the 1894 midterm elections, the greatest loss by a majority party in congressional history. Source: Official Proceedings of the Democratic National Convention Held in Chicago, Illinois, July 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, 1896, (Logansport, Indiana, 1896), 226234. The memorable speech was given at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It made no secret of these preparations. Bryan, once seated, was Nebraska's representative to the Committee on Resolutions (generally called the "platform committee"), which allocated 80minutes to each side in the debate and selected Bryan as one of the speakers. [87] The Chicago Tribune reported that Bryan had lit the spark "which touched off the trail of gun-powder". Conditions have arisen and we are attempting to meet those conditions. The 1880s saw a steep decline in the prices of grain and other agricultural commodities. 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. Our war is not a war of conquest; we are fighting in the defense of our homes, our families, and posterity. He also proposed the establishment of a mint, at which citizens could present gold or silver, and receive it back, struck into money. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Nevertheless, he won the nomination without the votes of the gold delegates, most of whom either left the convention or refused to vote. BRYAN: CROSS OF GOLD. The President's move was opposed by the Democratic Governor of Illinois, John Altgeld. free coinage of silver at silver-gold ratio of 16 to 1 issue in Bryan's Cross of Gold speech The merchant at the crossroads store is as much a businessman as the merchant of New York. We have petitioned, and our petitions have been scorned. [7], The Coinage Act of 1873 eliminated the standard silver dollar. [49][50], Delegates, as they waited for the committees to complete their work, spent much of the first two days listening to various orators. "[22][23], A myth has arisen that Bryan was an unknown prior to 1896. Never before in the history of this country has there been witnessed such a contest as that through which we have passed. [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. 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. I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of libertythe cause of humanity. "[55] Hill gave a calm speech defending the gold position, and swayed few delegates. [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. Three months ago, when it was confidently asserted that those who believed in the gold standard would frame our platforms and nominate our candidates, even the advocates of the gold standard did not think that we could elect a President; but they had good reasons for the suspicion, because there is scarcely a state here today asking for the gold standard that is not within the absolute control of the Republican Party. The policemen were swept away by the flood of delegates, who raised Bryan to their shoulders and carried him around the floor. The gold standard, which the United States had effectively been on since 1873, limited the money supply but eased trade with other nations, such as the United Kingdom, whose currency was also based on gold. It showed American support for european economic interests in East Africa. 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 [12] Although the economic Panic of 1893 had a number of causes, President Grover Cleveland believed the inflation caused by Sherman's act to be a major factor, and called a special session of Congress to repeal it. 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. Russell's address was inaudible to most of the Coliseum; he was ill and died just over a week later. We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it. "[80], It took about 25minutes to restore order, and according to Bensel, "somewhere in the mass demonstration that was convulsing the convention hall, the transfer of sentiment from silver as a policy to Bryan as a presidential candidate took place". But note the change. Instructors: CLICK HERE to request a free trial account (only available to college instructors) Primary Source Readers It offers discussion questions, classroom activities, and primary source analysis tools. Trained as a lawyer, Bryan represented the state of Nebraska in the United States Congress, 1891-95. 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. When the Republicans in June 1896 nominated former Ohio Governor William McKinley for president and passed at his request a platform strongly supporting "sound money" (the gold standard unless modified by international agreement), a number of "Silver Republicans" walked out of the convention. [63] Two alert police officers had joined Bryan as he left the podium, anticipating the crush. [7] This would inflate the money supply, and, adherents argued, increase the nation's prosperity. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [84][85] On the second ballot, Bryan still stood second, but had gained as other candidates had fallen away. The individual is but an atom; he is born, he acts, he dies; but principles are eternal, and this has been a contest over a principle. At the. That is the question which the party must answer first, and then it must be answered by each individual hereafter. Many in the public saw the bonds as benefiting bankers, not the nation. If the gold standard is the standard of civilization, why, my friends, should we not have it? If they say bimetallism is good but we cannot have it till some nation helps us, we reply that, instead of having a gold standard because England has, we shall restore bimetallism, and then let England have bimetallism because the United States have. He did for Rome what Jackson did when he destroyed the bank conspiracy and saved America. ; William Jennings Bryan was a leading member of the Democratic party who ran for President several times. 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