Jeffersonville, IN Speech, 1896-10-06

Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

Speech by William Jennings Bryan
Tuesday, October 6, 1896 at 7:45am
Depot, Jeffersonville, IN

Source: INDIANA BIDS HIM WELCOME, Silver’s Great Champion Receives Marked Attention in Harrison’s State., Omaha World-Herald (Morning Edition), Wednesday, October 7, 1896

"I am informed that your city was laid out and platted by Thomas Jefferson. I am always glad to go into any community where they have a special interest in the name of Jefferson, because we are in this campaign attempting to revive the principles of Jefferson and apply them today to the solution of the questions of today. They called Jefferson an anarchist and a demagogue and a disturber of the peace.

When Jefferson opposed the banks of issue, when he complained against putting the issuance of a volume of paper money in the hands of private individuals who could then expand it or contract it at will, he incurred the opposition of the banking elements of his day just as we have incurred the opposition of the banking element of our day when we oppose the issue of paper money by the national banks.

The national banks what to retire the greenbacks and treasury notes, which now cost the people nothing, and substitute in the place of those notes, bonds upon which the people will pay interest and the bankers will draw the interest. I am not surprised they opposed Jefferson, because those enjoying special privileges always oppose the people who attempt to take these special privileges away from them. (Great applause.) We are in a canvass this year which has for its main object the restoration of the gold and silver money of the constitution."