"[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. Delegates called for better-known speakers, such as Altgeld or Bryan, but were granted neither then; the Illinois governor declined, and the Nebraskan, once seated, spent much of his time away from the convention floor at the platform committee meeting at the Palmer House. Many Americans, however, believed that bimetallism (making both gold and silver legal tender) was necessary for the nation's economic health. Document Analysis: "Cross of Gold" In 1896, three years after the "Panic of 1893", a man by the name of William Jennings Bryan delivered one of the most historical speeches to this day. "[1], As Bryan spoke his final sentence, recalling the Crucifixion of Jesus, he placed his hands to his temples, fingers extended; with the final words, he extended his arms to his sides straight out to his body and held that pose for about five seconds as if offering himself as sacrifice for the cause, as the audience watched in dead silence. On the fifth ballot, the Illinois delegation, led by Governor Altgeld, switched its votes from Bland to Bryan. Leave a comment. At the time, Bryan was a former member of Congress from Nebraska who had been working tirelessly to build support for his candidacy. 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. 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]. As yet, no one at the convention had effectively spoken for that cause, which was paramount to the delegates. Our ancestors, when but 3 million, had the courage to declare their political independence of every other nation upon earth. Welcome to a series on William Jennings Bryan's famous 1896 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. [28], Bryan believed that he could, if nominated, unite the disaffected behind a strong silver campaign. This was close enough to the market value to make it uneconomic to export either US gold or silver coins. 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 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. 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. Four years previously, the former Nebraska congressman had electrified Democratic delegates with his "Cross of Gold" speech, which defined the policy of "free silver" as a moral crusade and helped propel him to the party's presidential nomination . ; B. 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. [11], In 1890, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act greatly increased government purchases of silver. bimetallism), which he believed would bring the nation prosperity. 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. [68] He denied, however that the contest was personal; he bore no ill-will towards those who supported the gold standard. 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. They have tried for thirty yearsthirty yearsto secure an international agreement, and those are waiting for it most patiently who dont want it at all. 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. [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. It revealed that the U.S. had become a world power. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The gentleman who just preceded me [Governor Russell] spoke of the old state of Massachusetts. 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[54] He was followed by two other gold men, Senator William Vilas of Wisconsin and former Massachusetts Governor William E. Russell. Never before in the history of this country has there been witnessed such a contest as that through which we have passed. His speeches impressed many; even some of his opponents later conceded that Bryan was the most compelling speaker they had ever heard. The "Cross Of Gold" speech was a speech by William which helped propel the convention to nominate him as a Democratic presidential candidate. He does use the word gold in a religious allusion, but it's given quite a different meaning. See Also:"I Am a Democrat and not a Revolutionist": Senator David Bennett Hill Defends the Gold Standard"Pitchfork Ben" Tillman Addresses the 1896 Democratic Convention, "I Am a Democrat and not a Revolutionist": Senator David Bennett Hill Defends the Gold Standard, "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman Addresses the 1896 Democratic Convention. It also repealed the statutory provisions allowing silver bullion to be presented to the Mint and returned in the form of circulating money. [81] Newspaper accounts of the convention leave little doubt but that, had a vote been taken at that moment (as many were shouting to do), Bryan would have been nominated. [8] During the economic chaos of the Panic of 1873, the price of silver dropped significantly, but the Mint would accept none for striking into legal tender. 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. The cartoon charges Mister Bryan with disrespect for religion Bryan ended his. Standing upon this victory-crowned summit, will it turn its face to the rising or the setting sun? So if they come to meet us on that, we can present the history of our nation. "And I needed it for the speech I was to make." Mark Zuckerberg - Zuckerberg in April 2019. He did for Rome what Jackson did when he destroyed the bank conspiracy and saved America. In later years Bryan delivered numerous variations on the speech, some captured on early phonograph recordings. 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. 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. The money went for speakers, pamphlets, and other means of conveying their "sound money" campaign to the voter. William Jennings Bryan, gifted orator and three-time presidential candidate was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. [10], Implementation of the BlandAllison Act did not end calls for free silver. ; William Jennings Bryan was a leading member of the Democratic party who ran for President several times. The President's move was opposed by the Democratic Governor of Illinois, John Altgeld. They went away apologetically, not having known Bryan sought the nomination. William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), the U.S. congressman from Nebraska, three-time presidential nominee and secretary of state, emerged near the end of the 19th century as a leading voice . 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. Publishing regularly in Harper's Weekly . 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 0063664 Add to Lightbox File Size: 2506 x 3240 px @300dpi Image Source Credit: GRANGER. The audio portion is an excerpt. Even so, in 1900, Congress passed the Gold Standard Act, formally placing the United States on that standard. [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. [49][50], Delegates, as they waited for the committees to complete their work, spent much of the first two days listening to various orators. He then lowered them, descended from the podium, and began to head back to his seat as the stillness held. We say to you that you have made too limited in its application the definition of a businessman. 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. Pledging support for American workers, he sought high tariffs to make foreign manufactured goods unattractive and he supported the gold standard. Bensel ties the delegates' response to Bryan's address to their uncertainty in their own beliefs: In a very real sense, adoption of the silver plank in the platform was akin to a millennial expectation that the "laws of economics" would henceforth be suspended and that the silver men could simply "will" that silver and gold would, in fact, trade on financial markets at a ratio of sixteen to one. We have petitioned, and our petitions have been scorned. For twenty years, Americans had been bitterly divided over the nation's monetary standard. We believe it is a part of sovereignty and can no more with safety be delegated to private individuals than can the power to make penal statutes or levy laws for taxation. That will give you criticisms. Therefore, we care not upon what lines the battle is fought. There was loud cheering as Bryan stood there, waiting for his audience to calm. [72] When Bryan resumed, his comparison of miner with miser again electrified the audience; the uproar prevented him from continuing for several minutes. i. Other copies or versions of these images might be available elsewhere. 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. I shall object to bringing this question down to a level of persons. [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. free coinage of silver at silver-gold ratio of 16 to 1 issue in Bryan's Cross of Gold speech 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. They complain about the plank which declares against the life tenure in office. 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. Many Republicans in the western states, dismayed by the strong allegiance of eastern Republicans to the gold standard, considered forming their own party. . The majority of cartoons are from the 1908 campaigan, but there cartoons that feature 1920 election and Bryan's borther Charles Bryan. [36], Bryan arrived quietly and took rooms at a modest hotel; the Nebraskan later calculated that he spent less than $100 while in Chicago. How is it today? The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error. "[69] The gold men, during the address, paid close attention and showed their appreciation for Bryan's oratory. Both men had electoral problems: Bland at age 61 was seen by some as a man whose time had passed; Boies was a former Republican who had once decried bimetallism. [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. [83], The balloting began the following morning, July 10, with a two-thirds vote necessary to nominate. [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. 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. [97] Although McKinley outpolled him by 600,000votes, Bryan received more votes than any previous presidential candidate. Latuff here in this cartoon is showing the uncaring of the president to the country. The income tax is a just law. 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. Why, that man who used to boast that he looked like Napoleon, that man shudders today when he thinks that he was nominated on the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The task of relieving the jobless fell to churches and other charities, as well as to labor unions. With the powerful words he used, Bryan showed his support to the Populists. Contemporary estimates were an unemployment rate as high as 25%. We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more. It simply intends to put the burdens of government justly upon the backs of the people. "[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". What we need is an Andrew Jackson to stand as Jackson stood, against the encroachments of aggregated wealth. 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. Although he would only be 36 years old in 1896one year above the constitutional minimumhe believed the silver question could carry him not only to the nomination, but to the presidency. 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. [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. 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. Original size at 383 480. [7], The Coinage Act of 1873 eliminated the standard silver dollar. 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. Born Mark Elliot Zuckerberg May 14, 1984 (age 38) White Plains, New York, U.S. Education: Harvard University (dropped out) Occupations: Internet entrepreneur, philanthropist. In his address, Bryan supported "free silver" (i.e. The 1880s saw a steep decline in the prices of grain and other agricultural commodities. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. [27] However, part of his strategy was to remain inconspicuous until the last possible moment at the convention. The next day the convention nominated Bryan for President on the fifth ballot. Introduction: -attractions of a political cartoon ii. Bryan also ran in the years 1900 and 1908 which became failures. [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]. [99], Bryan's speech is considered one of the most powerful political addresses in American history. BRYAN CARRIES ON THE SHOULDERS OF HIS ADMIRERS AFTER HIS ORATION. Question 9 30 seconds Q. If the gold standard is a good thing, why try to get rid of it? Instructors: CLICK HERE to request a free trial account (only available to college instructors) Primary Source Readers 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: CROSS OF GOLD. The policemen were swept away by the flood of delegates, who raised Bryan to their shoulders and carried him around the floor. Afrocentrists, Evangelicals, Hebrew-Israelites and the False Revolution. I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Here is the line of battle. South Carolina Senator Benjamin Tillman was to be the other pro-silver speaker, and originally wished to close the debate. [63], I would be presumptuous, indeed, to present myself against the distinguished gentlemen to whom you have listened if this were a mere measuring of abilities; but this is not a contest between persons. The task of relieving the jobless fell to churches and other charities, as well to! In this cartoon is showing the uncaring of the most powerful political addresses in American history silver. 1890, the balloting began the following morning, July 10, with a two-thirds vote necessary nominate! 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