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 Gold, Silver, and the Labor Vote

 


 "A Mighty Risky Experiment"
  Cartoonist:  William Allen Rogers
  Source:  Harper's Weekly
  Date:   August 22, 1896, p. 817

Click to see a large version of this cartoon...

Click to see a large version of this cartoon

Complete HarpWeek Explanation:
William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic presidential nominee, wears the costume of a fool (court jester) and a dunce cap announcing his nomination by the Populist Party in late July. He wields a large, jagged sword of “Wild-Eyed Finance” (i.e., free coinage of silver) with which he aims to cut the value of the gold dollar in two. He promises not to injure the workingman, but the coin resting on the laborer’s neck means that if the candidate’s monetary policy is carried through successfully, then it will kill the country’s labor force.
 

 

 

 
 

 

     
 

 

 
     
 

 

 
     
 

 

 

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