Birmingham state herald., 1896-07-12
Bryan's Great Speech 6
the Chicago Convention


Of business men. An! my friends, we say not one word against those who live upon the Atlantic coast, but those hardy pi- oneers who braved all dangers of the will derness, who havemade the desert to bos- som as the rose-those pioneers away out there, rearing their children near to na- lures heart, where they can mingle their voices with the voices of the birds-out there where they have erected school houses for the education of their young and churches where they praise their Creator, and cemeteries where sleep the ashes of their dead-are as deserving of the consideration of this party as any people in this country. Great applause) We have petitioned and our petitions have been scorned. We have entreated and our entreaties have been disregard ed and they have mocked and our ca lamity came
 Defiance Hurled at the East
 We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more. We defy them. Great applause and confusion in the si- yer delegations.) The gentleman of Wis consin has said that he feared a Robes pierre. My friends, in this land of the free we need fear no tyrant who will spring up from among the people. What we need Is an Andrew Jackson, to stand as Jackson stood against the encroach- ments of congratulations of wealth. Great applause)
 They tell us that this platform was made to catch votes. We reply to them that changing conditions makee new is- sues; that the principles upon which rest democracy are as everlasting as the hills, but that they must be applied to new conditions as they arise Conditions have arisen and we are attempting to meet those conditions. They tell us that the income tax ought not to be brought in here that it is a new idea. They crit icise us for our criticism of the supreme court of the United States. My friends we have not criticised. We have simply called attention to what you know If you want criticisms, read the dissenting opinion of the court. That will give you criticism (Applause) They say we passed an unconstitutional law I deny 1t. The income tax was not unconStitu- tional when it was passed. It was not unconstitutional when it went before the supreme court for the first time. 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. Applause and a voice Hit 'em again.'D
 The income tax is a just law It simply intends to put the burden of government justly upon the backs of the people. I am in favor of an income tax. (Ap- plause.)
 When find a man who is not willing to pay his share of the burden of the government which protects him, I find a man who is unworthy to enjoy the blessings of government like ours. (Applause.) He says that we are op- posing the national bank currency. It is true. If you will read what Thomas Burton said you will find that he said that in searching history he could find but one parallel to Andrew Jackson. That was Cicero, who destroyed the con- spiracy of Cataline and saved Rome. He did for Rome what Jackson did-de- stroyed the bank conspiracy-and saved America (ApplauSe.)
 We say in our platform that we believe that the right 10 coin money and issue money is function of government. We believe it. We believe 1t is a part of sov- ereignty, and can no more with safety be delegated to private individuals than we could afford to delegate to private indi- viduals the power to make penal statutes or levy laws for taxation. (Applause) MT Jefferson, who was once regarded as good democratic authority, seems to have different opinion from the gentle men who have addressed LIS on the part of the minority. Those who are opposed to the proposition tell us that the issue of paper money is a function of the bank, and that the government ought to go out of the banking business
 I stand with Jefferson rather than with them, and tell them as he did that the Issue of money is function of the g0v- ernment, and that the banks ought to go out of the government business. They complain about that plank which de clares against the life tenure in office. They have tried to strain 1t to mean that which 1t does not mean. What we op- pose in that plank is the life tenure that is being built up at Washington, which excludes from party representation in the benefits the humber members of our society. cannot dwell longer in my limited time. (Cries of "Go on; go on.:)
 Will Not Repudiate Existing Contracts.
 Let me call attention to two or three great things. The gentleman from New York says that he will oppose an, amend ment providing that this change in our laws shall not affect contracts already made. Let me remind him that there is no intention of affecting these contracts which, according to the present laws, are made payable in gold. But if he means to say that we cannot change our mone- tary system without protecting those who have loaned money before the change was made, want to ask him where, in law or in morals, he can find authority for not protecting the