LAD #24: Cross of Gold Speech

William Jennings Bryan was able to successfully integrate the values of the Populist Party in his "Cross of Gold" speech to the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1896.  Most notably concerning the platform of bimetallism (both gold and silver should be coined by the U.S. mint), Bryan begins by saying that the money question is the issue of the hour -- asserting that silver Democrats are not here to deliberate their stand on this issue. He wished to clarify that there was no plan of hostility of the Democrats against the Republicans (even though it drastically conflicts the ideas of the Republican platform). He then defends his platform against Republican accusations -- the first of which say that bimetallism would interfere with their big business -- responding that the Republican practices have interfered with the "common man's" business. Further Republican accusations involve the Democrats passing an alleged "unconstitutional" graduated income tax law -- Bryan merely holds that he is indeed supported of such a cause (it accurately represents the Democratic ideals upon which the nation was founded - that every man must contribute his own share in order to fully deserve to enjoy their protection). Republicans also condemned the Democrats' opposition to the national bank's currency (which Bryan accepts) comparing their stand to that of Andrew Jackson's against the conspiracy that was the BUS. He also compares himself to Jefferson (he thinks that money is a function of the government, not up to the banks to be printed/ distributed). Bryan then looks at the inconsistencies of the Republican party, saying that the platform on which McKinley was elected called for a gold standard until bimetallism was achieved... if the gold standard is as beneficial as the Republicans claim, why are they waiting to replace it? Bryan thus successfully orates his position on the gold standard, combining the Populist and Democratic Parties.