William Jennings Bryan – The Cross of Gold Speech (Excerpt)
“…There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it.
You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard. I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country…
If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and t`he world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

1. In the first paragraph Bryan refers to two ideas of government; paraphrase the two ideas below:
a.



b.

2. According to Bryan, which part of the United States is supporting the gold standard?

3. Based on the reading above, what does Bryan argue is indispensable to the United States? Provide a quote to support your answer.

4. What imagery does Bryan use in the final paragraph?

5. Based on Bryan’s statements, what is the most harmful to farmers on the prairies? Provide a quote to support your answer.