LAD #20: Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech: Mesmerizing the Masses

The issue of this speech was about the free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16:1, silver to gold. The point was that this would help the poor by putting more money into circulation. Bryan was a democrat and wanted to help everyone be more equal and spread the wealth of the country among many people not just a few. Furthermore, he favored an income tax because it would take more money from the rich. He wanted the government to have control over the country’s money and not the banks. On the other hand, Republicans wanted the wealthy to stay wealthy because they thought the wealth would eventually find its way down to the lower classes. In the end, Bryan is in favor of the silver coinage system.