Saginaw, MI Speech, 1896-10-17

Speech by William Jennings Bryan.

Speech by William Jennings Bryan
Saturday, October 17, 1896
Union Driving Park, Saginaw, MI

Source: EDITOR SPEAKS NOT, Newspaper Man Who Questions Mr. Bryan Is Silent When His Turn Comes., Omaha World-Herald (Sunday Edition), Sunday, October 18, 1896

"I am told that some of your people are very much concerned for fear the Democrats, in their platform, have not been sufficiently considerate of the Supreme Court of the United States. Some of your people are worried because there is a plank in the Democratic platform which expresses a hope that the court may at some future day reconsider the decision rendered a year ago and will permit the people of the United States to pay some of the expenses of the government. (Loud cheering.)

I want you to read the Democratic platform on that question and when you [[illegible]] become thoroughly frightened by it, I want you to read what one of the dissenting judges said about that decision. I want to read to you what justice Brown, who was selected from your own state and instead of being an anarchist or a Democrat or a Populist, or a silver Republican, is a Republican, and being a Republican certainly no man ought to accuse him of not being [[illegible]]lently polite to the supreme court. Let me read you what he said: 'While I have no doubt that congress will find some means of surmounting the present crisis, my fear is that in some moment of national peril this decision will rise up to frustrate its will and paralyze its arm.'"

JUSTICE BROWN'S WORDS.

"Now, remember these words which I am about to read: 'I hope it may not prove the first step toward the submergence of the liberties of the people in a sordid despotism of wealth.' (Cheers.)

My friends, it was a Republican who said that, a judge of the supreme court of the United States, and while I am a Democrat, I endorse what that Republican judge said, and I think, my friends, that the policy that lies behind that decision means a submergence of our liberties in a sordid despotism of wealth. (Cheers). And before anybody calls me an anarchist for believing I want him to take an anarchist's badge and pin it on Justice Brown of the supreme court." (Great cheering.)