LAD #20


William Jennings Bryan delivered one of the most famous speeches of American history on July 9, 1896 at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago about whether or not to endorse free coinage of silver of 16 to 1. Bryan's speech gained him much support and the next day of the convention he was nominated for President. Bryan begins his speech by saying that the issue of free coinage of silver is a matter of principle which would ultimately help the plain people of the nation. Bryan addresses how important those who labor such as farmers and minors are to the country and strongly supports the right to coin and issue money because it is a right of government. He continues to denounce the gold standard and also believes that there is two ideas of government which are that there are those who only believe in legislating the well-to-do and those who believe in legislating for every class. William Jennings Bryan closes his speech by saying that the Democrats will restore bimetallism and "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold"

LAD #19

The Populist Party represented a third party separate from the Democrats and Rpublicans. This party opposed "concentrated capital" of banks and big businesses in response to the growing industrialism. In the preamble the party addresses that workmen have lost all power and have been demoralized, silenced and victims of corruption. It is the Populist Party's goal to restore government to to the hands of the people and end all the poverty due to the injustices of big businesses. The platform states that the union of labor forces of the US should remain permanent and continues to say that wealth that is taken from industry without an equivalent is robbery. Furthermore the government should work on owning and managing the railroads. The platform continues on the topic of finance saying that the party demands a national currency, safe, sound, circulation increased and a graduated income tax. They also believed that the government should operate the railroads, telegragh and telegram in order to benefit the people. Land also should be held by the government and sold to actual settlers only. The party also expresses some sentiments which include: demand free ballot and fair count in all elections, money made from graduated income tax should be used to ease the burned of taxation on industries, support soldiers, protect laborers, and limit the office of President and Vice President to only one term.

LAD #19


The Dawes Act was enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in order to give individual Native Americans allotments of reservations. Section one of the act says that the President is able to survey the Native American land and divide it. Section two explains that each Native American will be able to choose an allotment and the family will choose for the underage child. In addition, an orphan's land will be choosen by a Native American agent. Section three goes on to say that this agent must certify the allotment and make two copies of the certification and send it to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Section four says that Natives who are not on their reservation or do not have one will receive one. Section five states that the Secretary of Interior will hold these reservations for 25 years and will be able to purchase and make treaties for not alloted land. Section six states that when one completes a Land Patent he or she will receive rights of a citizen of the United States. Section Seven goes on about water rights and irrigated land and section eight exempts the Five Civilized Tribes from the act. Section nine discusses the funds necessary for the act while section 10 goes into the "Power of eminent domain. " Finally section eleven states that nothing in this act will prevent their removal of the Southern Ute Native Americans from the reservation of Southwestern, Colorado.

LAD

McKinley's message about the war in Cuba was that it must stop. Althoughthe US maintained a policy of neutrality the government sent an ultimatum to Madrid demanding that Spain cease fighting in Cuba and grant an armistice to the Cuban revolutionists. Spain accepted the ultimatum and then later President McKinley asked Congress to end the conflict in Cuba due to the out of hand war spirit within the nation. With a joint resolution, the US entered into war siding with the Cubans. In McKinley's message he starts off by saying that because of the unrest in Cuba the US has suffered greatly in ways such as the capital invested, trade in addition to barbarous acts of warfare which has offended many. McKinley continues in his address to suggest how to end the raging war by saying that the US could impose a rational compromise between the two or become an active ally on one side of the situation. There were justifyible grounds for the forcible intervention which include the fact that it is the duty of the US to end the misery that existed there. Secondly, the US owes it to the citizens of Cuba to protect their life and property. A third reason was that the war between Cuba and Spain seriously hurt the commerce, trad and business of the United States and lastly, the raging war poses as a constant threat to the peace of the nation which includes the seizure of US ships. One ship seized ship known as the Maine in the harbor of Havana caused much disorder throughout the nation. The seizure of this ship ultimately proves that Spain is not able to provide safety and security to an American ship and therefore intervention is the only possible way to deal with the war. Once Cuba is secured, Congress is asked to set up a stable government and to use to the naval forces of the US to do this. McKinley then closes his message by saying that this war all rests upon the decision of Congress and that he had received word from Spain that they had suspended hosilties within Cuba. He also states that if the US is successful that we will have realized the ideals of good Christian loving people.