Debate on Platform

"Cross of Gold"

According to the agreement on debate, Senator Tillman, of South Carolina, was recognized by the chair. His speech was received with both hisses and applause. It was largely sec

tional in character and before his time had expired, he had to give up the floor to Senator Hill of New York, who talked against the Platform as brought in by the majority.

"Senator Hill insisted that the

safest and best course for the Conven-
tion to pursue was to take the first
step forward by declaring for interna-
tional bime tallism. In his judgment,
our country could not afford to ignore
the action of other nations in this mat-
ter. If it were attempted, the country
might as well do away with all commercial
treaties and all features of the tariff
laws relating to trade with other countries.

"He declared it unwise for the party
to hazard the race with the single issue,
for that was about the only respect in
which the platform differed from the Repub-
lican platform. He attacked the income fea-
ture, defended the recent issue of bonds,
and declared that defeat for their platform
would be better than victory." 17.

There was some cheering and applause when he retired but the assembly was in no mode for cold intellectual arguments. For this reason, his colleague in arms, Governor Russell, of Lassachusetts fared worse than he did. His showing was poor in

17. Great Leaders and National Issues, p. 595.

comparison with Hill and he also yielded to popular opinion when he sat down.

Perhaps it was because the last two speakers had failed to put their appeal on an emotional basis, perhaps it was because the majority wanted to hear the silver argument, or because Mr. Bryan was known to be a fluent and forceful orator that the assembly seemed to go mad as he proceeded to the platform.

"As he confronted the twenty thousand yelling, cursing, shouting men before him they felt at once that indescribable magnetic thrill which beasts and men alike experience in the presence of a master. Serene and self-possessed, and with a smile upon his lips, he faced the roaring multitude with a splendid consciousness of power. Before a single word had been uttered by him, the pandimonium sank to an inarticulate murmur, and when he began to speak, even this was hushed to the profoundest silence. 18.

His speech was calculated to please; when he had to refer to an utterance of an opponent, it was in a courteous and friendly manner, and his speech embodied sentiments familiar and acceptable to the common people in his party. He assailed the business men of the East because of their selfish and narrow definition of the term "businessman.

"We say to you that you have made the
definition of a business man too limited
in its application. The man who is employed
for wage is as much a business man as his

18. Peck, p. 498.

employer, the attorney in a country town
is as much a business man as the corpora-
tion counsel in a great metroplis; the
merchant at the cross-roads store is as
much a business man as the merchant of New
York; the farmer who goes forth in the
morning and toils all day who begins in
the spring and toils all summer - and who
by the application of brain and muscle to
the natural resources of the country creates
wealth, is as much a business man as the man
who goes upon the board of trade and bets
upon the price of grain; the miners who go
down a thousand feet into the earth, or climb
two thousand feet upon the cliffs, and bring
forth from their hiding places the precious
metals to be poured in the channels of trade
are as much business men as the few finan-
cial magnates who, in a back room, corner
the money of the world. We come
We come to speak
for this broader class of business men.

He spoke in defence of the income tax; he opposed the issue of currency by the National banks; speaking of the rising of the people in the few months preceding the convention, he

said:

"Why this change? Ah, my friends is
not the reason for this change evident to
any one who will look at the matter? No
private character (McKinley), however pure,
no personal popularity, however great, can
protect from the avenging wrath of an indig-
nant people a man who will declare that he
is in favor of fastening the gold standard
upon this country, or who is willing to
surrender the right of self-government and
place the legislative control of our af-
fairs in the hands of foreign po tentates
and powers.

"It is the issue of 1776 over again."