On July 9th 1896, William Jennings Bryan gave his Cross of Gold Speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The issue up for debate was whether or not endorsing the coinage if silver at a ration of 16:1 for gold was a good idea. Opening up, Bryan states that he could run for the democratic nomination and would have possibly won, but he is here for the fight to save humanity. The people debating this issue have turned on their friends and family, man against man. The new generation is fighting for this idea, old leaders are being replaced for their refusal to agree with the idea of silver coinage. He then goes on to talk about workers calling them all businessmen, the people in the West deserve to be considered when this idea is thought about, just as much as the Easterners. The people need someone to stand up for them against what he calls aggregated wealth. The income tax outlawed by the Court should be in effect, it should be constitutional. He then goes into the differences of the Republican idea of the money being controlled by the government.. The Republican Party, who boasted about winning the election, are starting to fear losing. Because of that, he is confident that his party will win. The Democratic Party will fight the Republicans for the right to coin silver. The people he claims, shall not be crucified on a cross of gold.
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