William Jennings Bryan and the Railroad
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September 19

Baltimore, MD (Excerpt)

Omaha World-Herald (Morning Edition), Omaha, NE, 21 September, 1896.

"My Friends: It is the purpose of the Democratic party in its platform to restore prosperity to those who produce the wealth of this country, and when the wealth producers are prosperous then everybody who lives upon the wealth producer will share in that prosperity. (Applause.) A law which makes money dear, makes everybody try to get hold of money, and a law which makes property cheap, makes everybody try to get rid of property. (A voice: "That's right.")

The gold standard is bad, because it makes money the only thing worth having, and, therefore, intensifies the struggle to get it. (Applause.)

Our opponents tell us the gold standard is good for the laboring man. My friends, I had rather risk the laboring man to find out what is good for him than to leave the great monopolists of the country to find out what is good for the laboring man. (Applause.) Our opponents appeal to the laboring man to stand by the money changers in Wall street. I want to ask the laboring man when the money changing class ever did anything to help the laboring man from the creation down do now. (Cheers and cries of "none.")

"Our opponents tell us we are arraying class against class. I deny it. (A voice, "So do I.") We are simply telling people that they have aright to keep other men's hands out of their pockets. (Cheers.) Our opponents are trying to array the laboring men of this country against the farmers of this country. My friends, I want you laboring men to investigate and find out who it is that has stood by the laboring man in all their struggles to improve their condition—is it the farmer or is it the president of the railroads?" (Great applause.)

© Nathan Sanderson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008