The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-02
MIR. Brynn's Speech.

Mr.. Bryan spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen-This is the larg-
/ have had occasion to talk where the
audience filled the house, but / never had
occasion to talk where the audience filled
all outdoors. If you all vote as you are
now shouting j don't see how there can be
any question about the triumph of free
silver in the State of Ohio.
have entered upon a campaign
which means much to the American peo-
pie. If our opponents speak truly when
they describe what will in their judgment
be the effect of free coinage then the sue
cess of the Chicago ticket would certainly
other hand, we speak the truth when we
describe to you the effects of a gold stand
gold standard until foreign nations come
to our relief is an evil which cannot be
contemplated by those who love their coun-
try. We have begun an unceaSIng war
fare against the gold standard. The Re-
publican party, without declaring the gold
standard is a good thing, has declared that
the gold standard must be maintained. I
called your attention to the fact that no
party in the history of this country has
ever in a national convention commended
the gold standard. Its effects are so bad
that no party has dared to uphold it."
Here Mr.. Bryan went from the front of
the platform to the side, first excusing him
self to the audience in front as follows:
EXCUSE me for one moment and perhaps
by making them hear me on the other side
/ will be able to bring order out of con-
fusion. If you people here will be as still
as you are now for a little while 1 will
come back to you" Mr.. Bryan then spoke
from the side of the platform. saying:
II desire TO impress upon you the fact that
the enemy We are fighting in this campaign
is an enemy which has never gone into an
open battle. The advocates Of he gold
standard have never dared to submit the
gold standard to the arpitrament of a bal
lot. Every step that has been taken has
been taken by stealth and without the APP
prevail of the American people. When sill
yer was demonetized, in 1873. the people had
not discussed it, and persons who We're
members of Congress and voted upon the
measure testified that they did not under
stand that the bill demonetized silver.
When the crime was discovered and the
American people m to restore sill
yer to it's ancient place by the side CT gold,
the opponents of free coinage forced the
Bland act upon Congress as a compromise.
and as soon as the Bland act went into
TO repeal the Bland act and left nothing in
its place. But the silver sentiment grew
until 1890, and in that year the opponents
of a fre~e-coinage bill, secured another COM
law.
SENATOR SHERMAN ATTACKED.
I'm support of that measure Senator
Sherman made a speech. and in the course
of that speech he went on to say that we
required more than $i2. 600. 900 new money
every year to keep pace with population
and industry, and ne advocated that meas
ure on the ground that it gave to the peo-
pie more money, and yet, in his rec
objection, published only a few months
ago, you will find that Senator Sher-
ma there says he was in favor of the
Sherman law simply to prevent free coin
age and that he was ready to vote for its
repeal the day after it was enacted if he
could prevent the substitution of free coin
age. There you will find the chief - the
chief supporter OF the gold-standard poll
cy in the United States-supporting IA bill
because it gave money TO the American peo-
pie, and then declaring that he would have
voted for the repeal of ii the very next
day. (App1aIse.) They secured the repeal
OF the Sherman law, and they pretended
that when hey got that out of the way
they would restore silver to its former
place. There were some who said that the
trend of the Sherman law was 10 that end.
and that we had to clear away the rubbish
before we could build up a good system:
and there were others who said that if we
stood by free silver we would drive Europe
% bimetallism. But those who made this
argument have proven they We're not sin
cere and that their purpose was 10 deceive
the American people. tApplause.)
I'm this campaign every party. in its plat
form so far, has declared the principle of
birGetallistn is better tftan "A gold standard.
md yet in spite of these declarations you
know there is a body Of people in the