We do not come as aggressors. Our goal is not a goal of conquest. We are fighting in defense of our families and prosperity. We have traditions and our traditions have been scorned. Our in treaties have been disregarded. We have begged and they have bought an hour, amit we have balked. We brought forth confidence that we shall win. The words of William Jennings bryan. We are coming to you from his home and office in the state capital of nebraska. And hisJennings Bryan wife moved here in 1902. We are coming to you from the first floor. He did much of his riding an entertaining here in this house. We welcome our guest, a professor of history at Georgetown University. Chairalso joined by the of the department of history at the university of nebraska here in lincoln. To set up this speech, the man that delivered it and the impact that it had bought democratic delegates. The country was very divided. There was a Great Depression. The democrats were split down the middle. The incumbent president was very unpopular. Bryan comes into this convention as a dark horse candidate. He is defending the cause of free silver. This is to help people in trouble economically. He gives this speech and people go wild when they hear it. This was actually recorded later. The speech was from 1896. He was robust, vigorous. He had an amazing voice. He has really stepped this up so he could give a speech at the time when he knew that the majority of delegates were for him but at the same time, no living speech had been given at that time. He had found his moment and he used it to great affect. As you indicated, his words recorded in 1923 but here is a race in which he was challenging William Mckinley. He served only two terms in the house of representatives. He won the popular vote but lost because a republican legislator gave it to the republican candidate. It was a tumultuous time in an american politics. There was a major strike that tore the country apart and revealed to americans just how unstable the economy was and how deep this depression might become. William Jennings Bryant ran as a democrat and a populist for the u. S. Senate and ran against a railroad attorney. He gained a lot of National Attention with this Senate Campaign in 1984. He had a series of debates and this gave him great visibility across the nation. He emerged as a National Figure at that time. The country was desperate for leadership. All of the parties were divided. The republicans had won the president ial contest in nebraska in 1982. The second place votegetter was the populist. Cleveland was far behind. The Democratic Party was in deep trouble in this part of the midwest. He is one of 14 president ial candidates who lost the election of a change to politics. From nebraska, more of the words from William Jennings bryan. The great cities are in favor of the Gold Standard. The rest upon our broad and fertile prairies. Your cities will spring up again if as though by magic. Destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country. England has a Gold Standard. If they dared to come out and defend the Gold Standard, we will fight them to the uttermost. Supported by the interest and the labor is everywhere, we will answer the demand for the Gold Standard. You shall not pushed down against labor. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. How long was this speech in 1986 1896 . It was about 45 minutes long. This was a powerful metaphor for most people. William Jennings Bryan was a christian. He wanted to keep the country on the Gold Standard. They wanted to restrict the supply of money. For many people that supported him, this was a way to keeping the americans who were in debt deeper in debt. It was a way of keeping the british economy the supreme economy in the world. It sounds like a technical issue but this is a half against the have nots. To crucify mankind on a cross of gold was connected to pontus pilot crucifying christ. In the same way, they thought that the American Economy was run for the interest of those who already had property or money or banks. There was a real class divide at that time. Now, we have a lot of anger about the economy but this is not focused the same way as it was then. Every dollar that people had in their pockets could be redeemed for some old. This was really a call for cheaper money, lower Interest Rates, and greater economic opportunity. You talk about his charisma and what he meant at that time. He essentially became a celebrity. He was receiving as many as 2000 letters a day. You also write about something that he did which was viewed as revolutionary which was campaigning for the office as opposed to the strategy in ohio. They had a lot of money. He was able to get checks from john a. Rockefeller. There was no restrictions on campaign donations. Ryan could not get that kind of money. He had to go out and campaign for himself. He could not campaign on a large machine. He was a wonderful person and he loved to speak. He made necessity as a virtue. He had to go on passenger trains. He spoke as many as 6000 times and that campaign. For him, this was an opportunity to become known. Also the only chance he had to reach americans directly. He is the First Campaigner to use the road in this way and Campaign Across the country. Stephen douglas had done something similar in 1860. He was trying to take up campaigns through the south and through parts of the north. For the most part, american president ial candidate sat on their front porch and other people campaigned for them. Brian campaigned at every town in illinois, ohio, virginia and traveled all over america bringing his campaign to the people pu. As always, we want to hear from you. We are and lincoln, nebraska. This is referred to as fairview. Lets take a step back. He ran for the house of representatives, and yet he was born in salem, ill. How did the end up in nebraska . He was born in 1860 into a world that was being transformed. The civil war that followed, 18621865. He was too young to serve in the civil war. The civil war that followed, 18621865. He did not have that opportunity. Instead, he read for the bar and went into practice as a lawyer in lincoln, nebraska. He started his own law firm, a partnership. He practiced basic law in a growing urban environment. That is when he became active in politics. At the time and in many ways still, going to law school is good training to go into politics. His father was a judge in illinois. A very close associate of stephen douglas. Really, politics was in his blood. He never thought of doing anything else but in politics. He became a lawyer because he wanted to get involved in politics. He came to nebraska because he knew that the Democratic Party was very weak here. Let me go back to the way he was able to capture the imagination of the country. Have you received nomination and he lost all three times . Henry clay received the nomination. This was a little bit different 100 years ago. There was a lot more voters, and a lot more media. More money involved. Clay had a pretty small country. America was not just a country, this was a modern campaign. As you write in your book, for 14 million americans of voted in that election. That was 80 . They voted in colorado. That is the highest percentage of voters. We have never had that a High Percentage of voters again. Can you touch on his senate bid in 1894 . Cher. He started out to get the populist and democratic nomination. The populist was an Insurgent Movement in american politics rapidly rising. They had secured the house in nebraska. The irony of his 1894 Senate Campaign was that the republicans win for the legislature and the democratic candidate actually wins the governorship. There was two debates, one in lincoln and 1 in omaha. 7000 people turned out for the debate in october of 1894. Ryan started out talking about the income tax. This is the first incometax in 1894. On the rich, and they started his debate with John Thurston on that issue. The issue is down on the list in 1894. In 1895, the Supreme Court ruled that the income tax was unconstitutional. Congress passed a law, this is not constitutional. This helped to enflame the things on brians side. On bryans side. The republican majority alexa John Thurston to be the senator from nebraska. Bryan runs for president and gets the nomination and demand that he ran against was the Republican Committee chair for mckinley. Does this home reflect William Jennings bryan . It was considered quite nice for the time. It was a prize for his career. He worked here. The work here with his wife. He and his wife were partners in his career. Were joined by a how long was he in that study writing . He would have used that probably daily. The study was the heart of the home. Whaty dont you show us the desk and look like. Desk looked like. These are the partner desks that he and his wife shared. They would exchange conversation, they would compose letters, and they would formulate some of the positions he would want to take. On the top of the desk, a copy of the commoner. Why was that significant . It can best be stated right and a quote in a first edition. It would be to set aside if by kennedy to the Common People and proves to its right to the name which it has chosen. It would be set aside if by the community to the Common People. How does this reflect him when he moved in in 1892 . This reflects the life style of mr. Bryant and their family. Of mr. Bryan and their family. The two sat directly across from each other and work on everything, correct . They certainly did. His wife was a beloved wife and help make. How much of the material there is original . Very few of the pieces are original furnishings. These furnishings and this office have been collected to represent what was originally in the room based on some very fine photographs. He was seated in that chair, would it feel like his study at the turn a century . It would feel very much like his office at the turn of the century. We will check in with you throughout the program. Thank you for opening up this home to cspan cameras. Were joined from west virginia. We welcome your calls and participation. Caller i would like tyou to talk about thomas nast. He was a cartoonist who was responsible for the image that we have of santa claus. By the time that bryan ran, besides those images, he is best known for these really a fact is images of the corrupt boss of tammany hall in new york. His images of boss tweed looking like a cd devil really helped to bring tweed down. There was a prosecutor who was able to bring down the tweed ring. We will go now to sacramento, calif. Caller my question originates from the american president s series. There was a question about what Grover Cleveland thought of volumes Jennings Bryan of William Jennings bryan. I am curious what he hated him for and if that was true. I will start. You can follow up. Grover cleveland was a hard money democratic president. He did not like bryans position. It was the silver at issue and the breaking of the Cleveland Administration of the purchase act that most got the ire of clover cleveland of Grover Cleveland. The Democratic Party, especially from the east where cleveland was from. People who believed in Thomas Jefferson and that the government should not do very much in the economy. During the depression of the 1890s, Grover Cleveland said that the people should support the government but the government should not support the people. This is different from what bryan believed. He was a liberal. He believed the government should help those who could not help themselves. He wanted to reset the balance between Corporate Power and the power of workers and small farmers. Cleveland had broke the strike with federal troops. The cleveland attorney general was grovers attorney. For bryan, cleave the thought that he represented all that he did not like about politics. Cleveland thought that he represented all that he did not like about politics. Theyre filled with convictions and bereft of charisma who are willing to lead a charge against secular forces. Bryan was a champion of those who needed help. He was a man of great conviction. One of the things he was trying to do that was most difficult was to take on the economic powerful class that had emerged in american politics in a way that did not look like class for their class warfare. He was trying to speak to the people without tearing down but instead attempting to build up. That was a very hard case to make. He did it beautifully but it was a very difficult attempt to repeal the inadequacies of American Society at the time without looking like someone who was just tearing down the american ideal. Those are your words. They are parallel to someone today an american politics . Im not sure. There are people who want to be William Jennings bryan. Sarah palin, might try to be. They believe that a small greedy elite is after the majority of americans. Bryan was representative of a movement. A movement that people believe that Corporate America was taking the country in a revolutionary direction. We have come to grips and come to peace with big business. We cannot imagine a society where that is not there. We just looked at the desk that he worked with mary side by side. Most businesses were like that in the 1870s and 1860s and 1850s. They were small partnerships and firms. That time before 1896 was a time of enormous industrial growth. 0 colossal corporations. These were corporations with enormous resources, and thomas wolfe, enormous power. Enormous wealth, a enormous power. The change was arresting. Bryan was speaking to that massive transition and American Society and life. I want you to listen to the 1900 campaign in which William Jennings bryan talk about the issue of transparency. On election is a public affair. This is held for the benefit of the public and as a means through which the people select their officials. There is no sound reason for secrecy in regards to Campaign Methods and publicity will prove a purifying influence in politics. The people of to know what influences are at work in the campaign. They will decide whether any party has made it impossible to protect the rights of the people. Has anything changed a century later . That sounds like the base of citizens united. Obviously, people love money. They want the government to do the things they want the government, too. There is a lot of influence if you have a lot of money. Bryan was in favor of public financing. He did not want private individuals to give any money to elections. He realized that would not fly at the time. His idea was to let least publicize the donations. Lets make sure that everyone knows it is above board. Standard oil was involved. He wanted that to be known. The First Campaign finance law which had passed which banned corporations from taking money directly. Influence and money is still something we argue about all the time and fight about all the time. Good evening, how are you today . Just fine. I have a question i wanted to ask. I just got the program and i wanted to understand, William Jennings bryan, was he a supporter of the gold and Silver Standard for currency in america . Prices would have gone up, but that also meant that people who produced crops would have also been able to see what they made for their crop go up. The Interest Rate would have gone down if more was in circulation. It sounds archaic to us today, but the best way to think of it is just, as cheaper money, more money in peoples pockets, Interest Rates will go down. He got the nomination in 1886. He is renominated in 1900. What happened in 1904 . The democrats decided to go for a candidate who they thought could appeal to a more traditional, conservative electric electorate. They chose a man who did not go against around the country giving speeches. Politics,e of brians but none of his charisma, none of his appeal to ordinary americans, and he got killed in a landslide. And then the party comes back to William Jennings bryan in 1908. Why . The party is in great need of a leader. It is a party that is divided by region. It had a great deal of difficulty united around uniting around a candidate in making its voice heard in a national election. William Jennings Bryan was a tremendous charismatic figure. Teddy roosevelt becomes president and and William Howard taft is elected in 1908. Lets go back to Something Else that was rather revolutionary, the debate that took place and how that occurred, technically speaking, in 1908. It was not a debate the way we have debates now. It was the first time in which both candidates recorded on wax cylinders. You