I deny it. [101] According to rhetorical historian William Harpine in his study of the rhetoric of the 1896 campaign, "Bryan's speech cast a net for the true believers, but only for the true believers. [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. They say we passed an unconstitutional law. [66][70], Through this passage, Bryan maintained the contrast between the common man and the city-dwelling elite. 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. free coinage of silver at silver-gold ratio of 16 to 1 issue in Bryan's Cross of Gold speech 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]. But in this contest, brother has been arrayed against brother, and father against son. Bryan made a speech called "Cross of Gold", which had a strong reaction with the audience and included religious imagery. 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. Our war is not a war of conquest; we are fighting in the defense of our homes, our families, and posterity. Russell's address was inaudible to most of the Coliseum; he was ill and died just over a week later. [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. Edition of 10 (this copy is #5). ; B. 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. 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. 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. He does use the word gold in a religious allusion, but it's given quite a different meaning. Our website may have some collections that include images that are in the public domain, not protected by copyright or where the copyright ownership is unknown. 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. In the late 1800's a populist movement was happening and people were starting to take notice. 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. Here is the line of battle. Many Americans, however, believed that bimetallism (making both gold and silver legal tender) was necessary for the nation's economic health. They complain about the plank which declares against the life tenure in office. [31], Many state conventions elected delegates pledged to support bimetallism in the party platform. He faced in the direction of the gold-dominated state delegations: There are two ideas of government. 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. His dramatic speaking style and rhetoric roused the crowd to a frenzy. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cross_of_Gold_speech&oldid=1138712489, United States National Recording Registry recordings, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox event with unknown parameters, Pages using infobox event with blank parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bryan nominated for president by the Democrats, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 05:01. 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. As the gold men spoke, Bryan ate a sandwich to settle his stomach; he was often nervous before major speeches. Bryan continued with language evoking the Civil War, telling his audience that "in this contest brother has been arrayed against brother, father against son. 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. (The cartoon appeared in the post-dated July 7 issue of Harper's Weekly, published in late June.) Despite vocal opposition led by Tennessee Representative (and future president) Andrew Johnson, the precious metal content of smaller silver coins was reduced in 1853. Pledging support for American workers, he sought high tariffs to make foreign manufactured goods unattractive and he supported the gold standard. That is the question that the party must answer first; and then it must be answered by each individual hereafter. The Democratic party has won the greatest success in its history. That was Cicero, who destroyed the conspiracies of Cataline and saved Rome. His subsequent canvass [campaign] for the United States senatorship in Nebraska was noteworthy and conspicuous on many accounts. Both of these movements helped to create the People's Party, or the Populist Party, which officially established its party platform in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 4, 1892. [27] However, part of his strategy was to remain inconspicuous until the last possible moment at the convention. "[56], Vilas quickly lost his audience, which did not want to hear Cleveland defended. 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. Because upon the paramount issue in this campaign there is not a spot of ground upon which the enemy will dare to challenge battle. 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. [87], According to the New York World, "Lunacy having dictated the platform, it was perhaps natural that hysteria should evolve the candidate. The President's move was opposed by the Democratic Governor of Illinois, John Altgeld. 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. "[92] A farmer in Iowa, in a letter to Bryan, stated, "You are the first big man that i [sic] ever wrote to. 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. [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. [51], The debate on the platform opened at the start of the third day of the convention, July 9, 1896. We are prepared to meet them on either issue or on both. 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. [83], The balloting began the following morning, July 10, with a two-thirds vote necessary to nominate. 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. [94], Bryan's nomination divided the party. He was nominated two more times as the Democratic presidential nominee, but he lost again to McKinley in 1900 and to Republican candidate William H. Taft (1857-1930) in 1908. [2] On April 2, 1792, Congress passed the Mint Act of 1792. If you want criticisms, read the dissenting opinions of the Court. 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. He says that he wants this country to try to secure an international agreement. 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. [79] As he moved towards his seat, the Coliseum burst into pandemonium. My God! 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. [90], The Pullman Company offered Bryan a private car for his trip home; he declined, not wishing to accept corporate favors. The 36-year old Bryan was an avowed bimetallist, placed himself in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson against moneyed interests and in favor of "hardy pioneers who braved all. 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. Our war is not a war of conquest. Delegates threw hats, coats, and handkerchiefs into the air. 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. Nevertheless, large crowds gathered outside the public entrances; the galleries were quickly packed. [87] The Chicago Tribune reported that Bryan had lit the spark "which touched off the trail of gun-powder". We do not come as aggressors. Therefore, we care not upon what lines the battle is fought. [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. The response, wrote one reporter, came like one great burst of artillery. Men and women screamed and waved their hats and canes. He then defended the remainder of the platform, though only speaking in general terms. Analysis Of William Bryan'S The Cross Of Gold Speech: [Essay Example], 692 words GradesFixer. We do not come as individuals. Many Republicans in the western states, dismayed by the strong allegiance of eastern Republicans to the gold standard, considered forming their own party. Accordingly, Bryan became the final speaker on the platform. The attorney in a country town is as much a businessman as the corporation counsel in a great metropolis. 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. [98] The Democratic candidate failed to gain a majority of the labor vote; McKinley won in working-class areas as well as wealthy precincts. [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. Unfortunately, no recordings exist of his original speech. [82] The convention passed the platform in Bryan's absence and recessed. You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard. 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. (Wikipedia). He stood second out of fourteen candidates in the first ballot, behind Bland. [58] Bryan's lecture tours had left him a well-known spokesman for silver. 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. There was loud cheering as Bryan stood there, waiting for his audience to calm. 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 majority of cartoons are from the 1908 campaigan, but there cartoons that feature 1920 election and Bryan's borther Charles Bryan. Among those who spoke against the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was Nebraska Representative William Jennings Bryan. 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. 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. There are two ideas of government. We have begged, and they have mocked when our calamity came. The issue was whether to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. We defy them! It demonstrated the need for better communications in wartime. [4] When silver prices rose relative to gold as a reaction to the California Gold Rush, silver coinage was worth more than face value, and rapidly flowed overseas for melting. [64] According to Bensel, the self-deprecation helped disarm the delegates. They tell us that this platform was made to catch votes. Source: Official Proceedings of the Democratic National Convention Held in Chicago, Illinois, July 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, 1896, (Logansport, Indiana, 1896), 226234. 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. He had already begun work on a speech. 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. In passing the Coinage Act, Congress eliminated bimetallism. from Harper's Weekly, 18 July, 1896. 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. 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. In the "Cross of Gold" speech, Bryan argued that the Democratic Party's focus on bi-metallism in its platform was justified because a gold standard alone could not solve the country's problems at the time, including debt, small business failure, and monopolies. [53] Tillman's speech, scheduled to be the only one in support of silver except Bryan's, was so badly received that Senator Jones, who had not planned to speak, gave a brief address asserting that silver was a national issue. 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. Grant Hamilton cartoon for Judge Magazine on William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech, Democratic National Convention, Chicago, July 9, 1896. The speech was given at the Democratic National Convention, so the audience was pledged delegates from the 50 states of the US so that . The silver would be struck into dollar coins to be circulated, or else stored and used as backing for silver certificates. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. According to William Jennings Byran:. It showed American support for european economic interests in East Africa. W.J. The income tax is a just law. [32], The 1896 Democratic convention opened at the Chicago Coliseum on July 7, 1896. 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. time before some commentator alludes to William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech at the 1896 Democratic convention as the leading example of an orator's ability to sway listeners. We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more. It revealed that the U.S. had become a world power. 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! South Carolina Senator Benjamin Tillman was to be the other pro-silver speaker, and originally wished to close the debate. He says that mankind won't be crucified on a cross of gold. 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? We say in our platform that we believe that the right to coin money and issue money is a function of government. 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. [40], The only gold man who put together any sort of campaign for the Democratic nomination was Treasury Secretary John G. Carlisle, but he withdrew in April, stating that he was more concerned about the platform of the party than who would lead it. What we need is an Andrew Jackson to stand as Jackson stood, against the encroachments of aggregated wealth. "[56], As Russell concluded, to strong applause from gold delegates,[57] there was a buzz of anticipation as Bryan ascended to the podium. They have tried to strain it to mean that which it does not mean. Standing upon this victory-crowned summit, will it turn its face to the rising or the setting sun? [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. Mr. Jefferson, who was once regarded as good Democratic authority, seems to have a different opinion from the gentleman who has addressed us on the part of the minority. Why doesnt he tell us what he is going to do if they fail to secure an international agreement. Political cartoons are generally regarded as a hypertrophied imagination of the political or social reality of the particular time epoch. [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. People who were free-silver thought that currency reform would end them. We care not upon which issue they force the fight. 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. Content can enter the public domain when copyright has expired, has been forfeited or is not applicable. They manufactured that leader in the convention, a fabrication in which Bryan was only too happy to assist.[108]. BRYAN: CROSS OF GOLD. Both men spoke to hundreds of thousands of people from their chosen venues. [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. He did for Rome what Jackson did when he destroyed the bank conspiracy and saved America. Other delegations, seeing that Bryan would be nominated, also switched, securing the victory. From the beginning of the speech, Bryan suggests that his cause is righteous and. 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. Second, like many people, Bryan thought the gold standard disadvantaged the working classes and farmers by keeping the price of debt high. Ah, my friends. His sympathetic comparison contrasted the hardworking farmer with the city businessman, whom Bryan cast as a gambler. 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. 7.5 x 4.75 in. 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. 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. However, he lost the general election to William McKinley, and the United States formally adopted the gold standard in 1900. 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. The Republican Party made policies that supported big business. It offers discussion questions, classroom activities, and primary source analysis tools. 19. Gold and silver factions in some states, such as Bryan's Nebraska, sent rival delegations to the convention. [64], Bryan's opening claimed no personal prestige for himselfbut nevertheless placed him as the spokesman for silver. When this debate is concluded, a motion will be made to lay upon the table the resolution offered in commendation of the administration and also the resolution in condemnation of the administration. We come to speak of this broader class of business men. Not only that, but as he listens he can hear with ever increasing distinctness the sound of the waves as they beat upon the lonely shores of St. Helena. Reprinted in The Annals of America, Vol. [95] However, Bryan did gain the support of the Populists, as well as a convention of Silver Republicans. 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