Led to his first run in the white house at the age of 86. We dont come as the grifters. Our war isnt a war of conflict. Many are fighting in defense of our families, and prosperity. We have traditions, and our traditions have been strong. Our treaties have been disregarded. We have failed and they have mocked we beg no longer. When we speak no. More we petition know more. We defy then we. Confident that we should win. The words of Williams Jenning Brian were coming to from his home and office in the state capital of lincoln, nebraska. Its commonly referred to as fair view because at the turn of the century and give you a fair view of the land. William Jennings Brian and his wife moved here back in 1902. Its now part of the brian lg each Medical Center. Were coming to from the first flow of his parlor. His study is just below us. He did much of his writing and entertaining here in this house and we want to welcome our two guests. Michael casey is a professor of history hes also a author of William Thomas of the third is the chair of the department of history at the university of nebraska here in. Lincoln gentlemen, thank you both for being here with us. Michael let me start with you to set up the speech. The man who delivered, at the setting in chicago, and the impact it had on democratic delegates in 1886. The country was very divided in 1890. Six there was a great depression. On democrats were released split down the middle. Then companies in cleveland was very unpopular as president s usually are degree. Depressions comes into the election there are course for the presidency, but everyone knows hes a dark. Order hes defending the free, silver which meant getting, supply helping, getters helping people economically. He gives a speech which people go wild when they hear it probably because he had a wonderful voice. The tape that you played was actually recorded in 1983, not 1896, the technology didnt exist yet to record a speech live in 1883. He was robust, he was rigorous, he had a voice that could be heard without 10,000 people at a. Time so he really set this up so that he would give the speech at a time at the convention where he knew the majority of delegates before. Him at the same, time no really riveting speech had been getting given yet for the silver cause. So he had found his moment and he used it to great effect. Thomas. Were gonna hear more about the goal speech. As you indicated his words recorded in 19 1890. Three here is a race where he was challenging will he mckinley. He was relatively unknown. Served only two terms and house of representatives a here. Nebraska ran for, senate won the popular vote, but lost because the republican that legislature give it to the william Jennings Brian. It was a tumultuous time in american politics. There was a major. Strike Railroad Strike in 1884 that tore the country, apart and reveal to americans maybe just how unstable the economy, was and how deep this direct pressure might become. And William Jennings ryan ran as a democrat and a paula in 1994 ran against a railroad attorney named johnston. I would like in it to the lincoln douglas. Debates he had a series of debates with john thirst, and those give him great visibility across the nation among the political class. And, so he emerged as sort of a National Figure at that time. And the country was desperate for leadership all the parties were. Divided the republicans are divided. The populists were on the scene. The republicans had won the president ial contest in nebraska in 1892. But the second place vote getter was the populist. And the democrats, cleveland was far behind. So the Democratic Party was in deep trouble in this part of the midwest. When William Jennings ryan one of 14 president ial candidates who lost the election, but change american. Politics were in lincoln, nebraska and heres more the words of William Jennings ryan from his famous cross of gold speech. Fellas, great cities. In favor of the Gold Standard. Great. Cities [inaudible] from the prairies. Bill down our cities and leave our home. Our cities bring up again. Destroy our farms. [inaudible] every city in the country. We care not about the lines the battles. Fought in it could be good, but if we can have it another nation suffers. We have a Gold Standard, we will restore by middle. Ism and england revivalism, if they dare to come out in the open fields, and effective Gold Standards a good thing. Will fight them to the outermost. Having massive devastation and the world. Supported [inaudible] the labor union, we will answer their demands for Gold Standards by saying to them you shall not [inaudible] the crown of thorns. You shall not crucify man upon a cross of gold. For michael. How long was the speech in 1986 1896 and why was it referred to as a cross of gold . It was about 45 minutes. Long cross of gold was a powerful metaphor obviously for a country in which most people were christians. And William Jennings ryan was a very serious evangelical christian. For them people want to keep the country in the gold. Standard restrict the amount of money for brian and many people who supported him this was a way of keeping americans were poor. Poor americans who were in that deeper and. That it was a way of keeping the british economy, the supreme economy in the. World the country was based on the Gold Standard. So it sounds like a very technical issue, but really its a issue of the haves against the have. Not at least thats the way that ryan. Sought so to crucify mankind and across cross of gold would be crucifying christ. In the same, way ryan and the democrats and populist democrats as well thought that the American Economy was being run for the interest of those who already had property or those who already had. Money those who already had banks and big industries. So is really a class divide and american politics at that time. Now, you know we have a lot of anger about that conley. But the anger isnt focused on money the way it was then. Then, every dollar people hide in their pockets could be redeemed for a dollar in the treasury. Gold, wine would have to be redeemed in silver as well which means a lot more dollars could have been minted in. Coin there could be more silver us in circulation then there was. Gold so it was really a call for cheaper money. Lower interest rates. And greater Economic Opportunity for a Small Business. Person for a small farmer. And a worker of one to be a Small Business person or. Former in your book 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 in the eternity six campaign. You also write about something he did that was viewed as revolutionary, which is campaigning for the office as opposed to william mckinley, who had the frankfort strategy in ohio. Can you explain . Mckinley had a lot of money for the campaign. He was able to get checks from rockefeller. Big investors could write checks. There were no restrictions whatsoever, you connected nations back in 1890. Six brian couldnt get that kind of money. He had to get that money. Himself he couldnt depend on a large machine to do that for. Him hes a good, speaker as i said before. For him this was a positive. Thing he made an essences necessity to be. Richer he traveled at least 18,000 miles on trains, he didnt have his own jet as many candidates do. Now he spoke to at least many times a day for example. So for him, this was an opportunity, then as will said to become known. Also he believed the only chance he had really to reach americans directly. Its also the First Campaign or to use the railroad in this, way and to really Campaign Across the country. Stephen douglas had done something similar in 1860 in the crisis of the nation. Trying to take a Campaign Swing through the south, and parts of the north, and revitalize the Democratic Party. But for the most, part after 18, 60 american president ial candidates sat on their front porch and other people campaigned for them. And bryan went out there and campaigned at every whistle stop town in ohio, virginia pennsylvania, new york, and traveled all over america bringing his campaign to the. People as always we want to hear from you in sea on cspan. [inaudible] we are in lincoln, nebraska. The home referred to as fear of yet. William Jennings Bryan and his wife moved here in 19 oh. To thomas lets take a step back. He ran for the house of representatives. Served two terms, though he was born in selma, illinois. Walk us through and how he ended up here. He was born in 1860, to a world that was being transformed. The he was too young to serve in the civil war and that something he actually came back to again and again in his public. Life he hadnt served in the military. So many men in politics, in his period of political activity had served in the military. So you dont have that opportunity as a young man. Instead, he read for the. Barr wanted to practice as a lawyer in lincoln, nebraska in the 18 eighties. He started his own law firm. A partnership with gulf tab it. He practiced basic law in a growing urban environment in the prairie. And that is when he became active in politics. If i could just add. At the, time in many ways, still to go to law school, it was a good feet to go to. Politics here was one to go to politics. His father was a judge in illinois. A very close associate of Stephen Douglas is, and his father helped Illinois State constitution in the late 18 sixties. Certainly politics was in his blood. And he never thought of doing anything else but politics in a serious. Way he became a lawyer because you want to get involved in politics. He moved to nebraska partly because he knew the Democratic Party was very weak here and it would give him an opportunity for a young man to improvise quickly within the Democratic Party of the state. Let me go back to the way he was able to capture the in a nation of the country. Three times getting the democratic nomination. Has that ever happened where youve received a nomination and lost all three times . The first time the person you propelled the first time henry clay, received twice for the wig party. Of course a little bit different from 100 years. Ago this is a lot more voters. A lot more media. For a lot more media involved. Im like, clay a pretty small country with population. America was published by the early 18 hundreds. This is a modern campaign all three of them in the sense that Clays Campaign was. Not you read in your book that voted in an election in 1886 and about 80 of testable. Its women in colorado. A couple other western states which he won actually. Yes. 80 . Thats the highest percentage of eligible voters in the election for men to the president. Weve never had that high of a percentage of voters in the system. If you could touch briefly on his senate bid in 1884. Sure. Will he started out campaigning to get both the populace and democratic nomination. Both part the populist of course was this Insurgent Movement in politics. Rapidly rising. They had secured the house in nebraska. And the irony of his 1884 Senate Campaign is that the republicans win the legislature, and the democrats, the democratic candidate actually wins the governorship. This reverses what had been the case before. So bryan campaigns largely, its interesting there were two debates. What a, lincoln won in. Omaha 7000 people turned up for the debate in lincoln in october of 1880. Four and 15,000 people turned up for the debate in omaha. So this was a great event. To come to this political, campaign and be part of it for the public. What bryan started out talking largely in the campaign about the income tax. This was an important issue. The democrats had passed the first income tax since the civil war in 1894. And bryan had been part of. That it was a 2 flat tax on anyone making for thousand dollars a year. So on the. Rich he started his debate with john on that issue. Then he moved on to the Pacific Railroad and its monopoly power. The silver issue was a down on the list in 1884. It wasnt a significant as it would become in 1886. Do we go back to income tax really quickly . 1885 the supreme rule taxes that they can fax is unconstitutional. As you can imagine, its a pretty thing to do for the highest court in the land to say the president size that law and its unconstitutional. So that helped to inflame things on bryans side in the 1886. Campaign and if you can enforce the irony that in the signing of the 17th amendment which signified . What yes the direct a what senators. Bryan is of course expecting to get elected. And hoping to get elected. The republican minute majority elects and john to be the senator from. Tabasco the other irony is that thurston becomes the Republican Committee chair in 1886. So bryan runs for president gets the nomination. And the man he ran against an 1894 is the Republican Committee chair. Were gonna look at his study in just a. Moment does his home reflect William Jennings bryan . In many. Weighs a great home at the time. It was considered as you can see its well furnished. He made a lot of money speaking so in that way it was. Apprize it was a prize for his career. But he worked. Here he worked here with his, wife mary, very closely in. Fact youll see they worked on together. Thats the important thing to that i mentioned about. Him he and his wife or partners in their career, which is often true of political wives. Now you dont think that much in 1896 of that being the case but certainly was a mix. Case is part of the Historical Society and hes in the study of William Jennings bryan and his wife. Thanks so much for sharing your time and insight with us on the American History so often how often did he use his home and how often we see in the city . Writing he wouldve used the study probably daily when he was in lincoln. The study was the heart of the home as he said. Would you walk in and show us if you would the way the dusk looked like and also the artifacts that were on top of the desk. Well this is the partners desk that he and his wife shared. They would exchange conversation. Compose writings, and, letters and help formulate some of the positions that he may have wanted to take for the day. On the top of the, desk a copy of the kilometer. What was . That why was that significant in his life . I know he has signed the copy that strictly in front of you. I think it could best be stated right in a quote from the first physician of the commoner which i have right here. Its as the common or will be to satisfy if by identity to the common people, it proves its right to be the name which has been chosen. You study the. Man youve studied his. Home you studied his life. Would you find especially interesting about William Jennings bryan, and how it reflected in his home here that he moved in in 1902 . The home can really tell us a lot about the lifestyles of misses and mr. Bryan and their family. I think one of the most important stories that came out of the restoration of the house was the role of his wife and interpretation of her life which is best represented here in this office. The two set directly across each, other and worked on basically everything together. Is that correct . They certainly. Did bryan had said that his wife was a beloved wife and helpmate. How much of the material there is original . Very few of the pieces of bryans furnishings survived. The furnishings in this office have been collected to represent what was originally in the room, based on some very fine 19 oh wait photographs of the spaces. But if he was seated in the cheer adjacent to, you would it feel comfortable . Would it feel like his chair at the turn of the century . It would feel very much like his study at the turn of the century, even the open. Bible with historical state, society will check in with you throughout the program. Thanks so much for opening up this home to cspan viewers. James is joining us from state albany west virginia, as we welcome your calls and participation in this the third of our cities looking at the life and political career of William Jennings bryan. Go ahead. James and you talking about Thomas Thomas massed. Thomas missed was a great cartoonist. Responsible for among other things the most popular image we have of santa claus. A german immigrant. Popular images, he came up with the democratic elephant. But the time that brine ran in 1896 im not sure if nast was still alive. He is known for these vitriolic and effective images of boston town hall in 18, sixties 18 seventies, these images of boss tweed looking like a savvy devil you might say, really help to put him down. It was actually his a democratic candidate at the time, the important prosecutor in new york city. Samuel, leader democratic candidate for 1876 who really prosecuted , and was able to really bring down the as it was. Known and of course we know but that the. Spew my question resonates from the american president series. And historian was asked about what cleveland [inaudible] he said that cleveland hated William Jennings bryan and that he was cut off and he was unable to finish. Im curious what he hated him for, and if its true . Thank you. You want to take . It ill start michael and you can follow up. He didnt like Grover Cleveland was a ha