The herald., 1896-11-03
GEMS FROM BRYANS SPEECHES

~
! will add to the general distress. So long
as the scramble for gold continues, prices
must fall, and a general fall in prices is
but another definition of hard times.
If they are in fact desirous of securing
bimetallism, we may expect them to
point out the evils of a gold standard
and defend bimetallism as a system
If. on the other hand. they are bending
their energies toward the permanent
establishment of a gold standard, under
cover of declaration in favor of inter-
national bimetallism, 1 am justified In
suggesting that honest money cannot be
expected at the hands of those who deal
dishonesty with the American people.
It Is true that few of your financiers
would fashion a new figure-a figure
representing Columbia her hands bound
fast with fetters of gold, and her ia ce
turned toward the east, appealing for
assistance to those who live beyond the
sea, but this figure can never express
your idea Of this nation.
gold standard encourages the hoard
ing of money, because money is rising;
1t also discourages enterprise and par
alyzes industry. On the other hand, the
restoration of bimetallism will discour-
age boarding, because when prices are
steady or rising. money cannot afford
to lie idle in the bank vaults. The farm
ers and wage-earners together consti-
tute d considerable majority Of the peo-
pie of this country. Why should their
interests be ignored in considering the
financial legislation?
Thomas Benton said that in searching
history he could find but one parallel to
Andrew Jackson. That was Cicero who
destroyed the conspiracy of Catiline 10
save Rome. He did for Rome what Jack
son did when he destroyed the bank con-
spiracy and saved America.
My friends, We shall declare that
this nation is able to legislate for its
own people on every question, withou.
waiting for the aid or consent of any
other nation on earth. and upon that
issue We expect to carry every single
state in the union. I shall not SANDER
the fair state of Massachusetts, nor
New York, by saying that when it's citi-
zens are confronted with the propo-
jition, is this nation able to attend to
its own business? ?-I will not slander
either one by saying that the people of
those states will declare our helpless
impotency as a nation to attend to our
own business.
1t is the issue of 1776 over again.
our ancestors were the 5000, 900 who had
the courage to declare their political in
dependence of every other nation upon
earth. Shall we, their descendants.
when we have grown to 7O0O0,0 900, de-
clare that we are1ess Independent than
our forefathers? No, my friends, it will
never be the Judgment of this people.
If they dare to come out and in the
good thing, we shall fight them to the
uttermost. Having behind us the pro-
ducing masses of this nation and the
world; having behind us the CONNER
cial interests, and the laboring interests,
and all the toiling masses we shall an
swer their demands for gold standard
by saying to them, You shall not press
down upon the brow of abor this crown
of thorns. You shall rot cruelty man.
kind upon a cross of gold"
If the gold standard is the standard
of civilization, why. my friends, should
we not have it? So. if they come to
meet us on that, we can present the his
tory of our nation. More than that, we
can tell them this, that they will search
the pages of history in vain to find a
single instance in which the common
people of any land have ever declared
in favor of sold standard
They can find where the holders of fixed
have.
There are two ideas of government
There are those who believe that if you
just legislate to make the well-to-do
their prosperity will leak
through on those below. The Demo-
cratic idea has been that II you legis-
late to make the masses prosperous
their prosperity will find its way UP
through every class. and rest upon it.
Mr. Carlisle said in 1878 that this was
L struggle between the idle holders of
die capital and the struggling masses
yho produce the wealth and pay the
axes of the country, and, my friends,
1t is simply a question that we shall
iecide, upon which side shall the Demo-
cratic party fight? Upon the side of
he Idle holders OF idle capital, or upon
the side of the struggling masses? That
IS the question that the party must an
;wer first, and then it must be answered
nv each individual Ieraa fter