In his speech to the Democratic Convention, William Jennings Bryan combines the platform of the Populist Party and his stance on bimetallism. Bryan begins by saying that the issue of money was a large one and exclaimed that Silver Democrats were at the convention to declare their stance on the issue and to publicize their ideas with the common man, which is the the group of people their are trying to reach. Bryan emphasizes the fact, although very hostile to Republicans, the Democratic platform was not as hostile as it really was and went on to defend it. To the Republicans who said that bimetallism was an attack on business, Bryan said that Republicans stance was hurting the common man whose lives had been interrupted and thrown off course because of the use of gold. A graduated income tax that was allegedly "unconstitutional" to Republicans, Bryan quickly addressed this too. Staying firm on the fact that every man has to contribute equally to the nation so that each person can equally enjoy the protection the country provides. Republicans went on to condemn the Democrat opposition to the nations currency, which Bryan accepts as truth, and compared it how Andrew Jackson saved the nation from the B.U.S. Bryan then compares himself to Jefferson thinking that money is a function of the government, and not of the private banks. It was now Bryan's turn to attack the Republican platform, as he mentions the inconsistencies of its platform and of William McKinley. McKinley was elected saying he would soon convert the mono-metal nation to bimetallism, but then why were they saying that gold was more beneficial than a combination? Great Britain had a gold standard so perhaps this is where the influence came from, but Bryan questions why McKinley is following the Europeans. Bryan successfully explains his platform, by eloquently combining the Democratic and Populist ideals.
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