LAD #24: Bryan's Cross fo Gold

The most famous speech in American history was written and orated by William Jennings Bryan on July 9th, 1896.  Given at the Democratic Convention in Chicago, this speech centered around endorsing the free coinage of silver at a 16 to 1 ratio to gold.  Bryan starts off his speech by explaining to the crowd that men are born, live and die, but that principles are forever lasting.  He declares that the matter at hand is one of these principles.  Around this time, a section of the Democratic Party called the silver Democrats took over the Party and spread across the country. There goal was to campaign to try and get silver to be coined freely.  These men were unselfish and put their opinions aside and agreed with the majorities views.  Bryan explains that northern businessmen got in the way because they were only following their interests, as opposed to those of the common man.  He believes that the miners and farmers were equally as good as the businessmen in New England.  Bryan explains that this fight for the free coinage of silver is one of the average man, as many farmers needed this to pay off debts. He views the income tax as something good for the people and that government should play a bigger role in coining money. Bryan stood firm in his belief that Americans must move toward bimetallism, instead of just gold.