One of the most famous speeches was spoken by William Jennings Bryans, and it was the "Cross of Gold" speech. Bryan spoke in favor of a highly controversial topic in the United States: Bimetallism, the idea that both gold AND silver should be coined instead of just gold. It was be the speech that would send him into the presidential nomination for the Democratic party. In the speech he says that in no way is this speech an attack on the position of the Republican Party who does not support bimetallism. After,Bryan begins to repel Republican accusations against bimetallism, starting with their claim that it will interfere with the businesses of America. Bryan responded to this claim by saying that Republican practices already interfered with business as the monopololies of the Robber Barons prevented any new businesses from taking root since big business opposed bimetallism. Bryan then responds to another claim that the democratic party passed an illegal income tax law which he defends on the basis that the law was declared unconstitutional by a single judge and people cannot predict when a judge will change his mind. He concludes his argument by stating that any man unwilling to pay his fair share to live in our nation that he did not deserve to live here. He goes on to affirm his party's position opposing national Bank just as Andrew Jackson did due to his opposition to the Bank of the United States. Another aspect of the Gold Standard that Bryan makes public is that the gold standard is almost entirely controlled by the Republican party. Bryan then questions Mckinley, who is a Republican and his election on the basis that his platform was to maintain the gold standard until a time at which it could be replaced with bimetallism by international agreement. Bryan closes his speech restating his party's position of opposing the gold standard and gives his famous quote: "you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."
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