"You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold." -William Jennings Bryan, Cross of Gold Speech (1896) The Cross of Gold Speech (1896), delivered by former Representative of Nebraska William Jennings Bryan at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on July 9, 1896, is among the greatest political speeches in American history. The gold standard had been a contentious issue...