Portland, ME Speech, 1896-09-26

Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

Speech by William Jennings Bryan
Saturday, September 26, 1896
Union Station Square, Portland, ME

Source: VISITS MR. SEWALL, Mr. Bryan at the Home Town of His Colleague Is Given a Royal Welcome., Omaha World-Herald (Sunday Edition), Sunday, September 27, 1896

"I desire to say to the Democrats of [[illegible]] that the Democrats of the union [[illegible]] complaint to make of the man [[illegible]] which you have fought your [[illegible]] election battle. We understand the circumstances which have surrounded you. We understand the difficulties which you have had to overcome, and we believe that when all these have been considered, that you have made a fight so gallant and so brave that you may well be satisfied with the work you have done. We know there was but little more than a month worth of time for the Democrats to go out and present the free coinage of silver to those who have been against it.

We understand, too, that your opponents had money without limit to organize their campaign and scatter literature broadcast throughout the state. And we know the Democrats of Maine had no money to carry on the necessary work. Yet in spite of all these obstacles we rejoice in the fact that the Democratic candidate for governor, standing on a silver platform, in spite of the [[illegible]]rtion of the gold standard men, received 2,000 more votes than the Democratic party did two years ago. (Applause.)

We bid you Godspeed in the work you are carrying on. And when the people of Maine have studied the money question as seriously and deeply as the people in other parts of the country have, you can expect a majority of the people in Maine to register themselves in favor of an American system as against a foreign system of finance." (Applause.)