Pacific Junction, IA Speech, 1896-09-08

Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

Speech by William Jennings Bryan
Tuesday, September 8, 1896 at 7:30am
Depot, Pacific Junction, IA

Source: RATIO IS SIXTEEN TO ONE, Republican Votes Are Coming to Bryan in Large Numbers., Omaha World-Herald (Morning Edition), Wednesday, September 9, 1896

"When I stared east I knew our people out here were all right, but I did not know how they might be down there. I found, however, that they were about as much stirred up down there as you are out here. All over this country those who toil and are engaged in the productive industries are interested in having enough money to do business with, and those who have money instead of property and want to make dollars rise in value are opposed to it. I believe we have more people on our side than we have against us. I have the greatest respect for financiers, but I believe the best financier is the man who attends to his own business. Falling prices mean hard times. Debts do not fall, however, and consequently the living expenses must be decreased and as the living expenses decrease, so is the prosperity of the merchant decreased, and I know of no way to restore prosperity except by increasing the power of the people to consume, and the only way you can do that is to enable them to get more for what they produce than they have been getting. ("Here is one Republican silver vote," shouted a voice in the crowd.) I am much obliged, sir. I will just put you down in the place of one deserter. As long as we get sixteen Republican silver votes to every one deserter, we cannot complain." (Cheers.)