Editing Cross of Gold speech (section)

=== Silver advocates take control ===
Although Bryan had decided on a strategy to gain the nomination—to give a speech which would make him the logical candidate in the eyes of delegates—he faced obstacles along the way. For one thing, he began the 1896 convention without any official status—the Democratic National Committee, which made the initial determination of which delegations would be seated, had chosen the pro-gold Nebraskans to represent their state.{{sfn|Cherny|p=56}} Bryan had been waiting outside the committee room when his rivals were seated by a 27–23 vote; contemporary accounts state he was "somewhat surprised" at the result.{{sfn|Bensel|p=57}} The DNC's action could be reversed, but not until the convention's credentials committee reported.{{sfn|Cherny|p=59}} However, Barnes deemed the actions by the committee immaterial to the outcome due to the silver strength in the convention:

{{quote|Anyone who doubts the power the silverites were ready to unleash in a disciplined and irresistible attack needs only to read the results of the election of temporary chairman. The gold men, though they possessed the machinery of the party, had neither the power nor the strength to challenge their opponents. They could only beg them to spare the party the humiliation of broken traditions and the overthrowing of established control. Nevertheless, Senator [[John W. Daniel]] of Virginia was by an overwhelming vote elected temporary chairman, and a Committee on Credentials was appointed that seated Bryan and his contesting Nebraska delegation.{{sfn|Barnes|p=376}}}}

{{quote box | align = right | width = 24em | quoted = true | salign = right
| quote = We demand the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1 without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nation. We demand that the standard silver dollar shall be a full legal tender, equally with gold, for all debts, public and private, and we favor such legislation as will prevent for the future the demonitization of any kind of legal tender by private contract.
| source = From the money plank of the Democratic platform{{sfn|Official Proceedings of the 1896 Democratic National Convention|p=254}}}}

Good luck favored Bryan—he was considered for various convention roles by the silverites, but each time was not selected. The temporary chairmanship, for example, would have permitted him to deliver the [[keynote address]]. However, Bryan, lacking a seat at the start of the convention, could not be elected temporary chairman.  Bryan considered this no loss at all; the focus of the convention was on the party platform and the debate which would precede its adoption. The platform would symbolize the repudiation of Cleveland and his policies after the insurgents' long struggle, and Bryan was determined to close the debate on the platform. Bryan, once seated, was Nebraska's representative to the Committee on Resolutions (generally called the "platform committee"), which allocated 80&nbsp;minutes to each side in the debate and selected Bryan as one of the speakers. [[South Carolina]] Senator [[Benjamin Tillman]] was to be the other pro-silver speaker, and originally wished to close the debate. However, the senator wanted 50 minutes to speak, too long for a closing address, and at Bryan's request agreed to open the debate instead.  Accordingly, Bryan became the final speaker on the platform.{{sfn|Williams|pp=80–81}}{{sfn|Bensel|pp=206–209}}

Delegates, as they waited for the committees to complete their work, spent much of the first two days listening to various orators. Of these, only Senator Blackburn, a silver supporter, sparked much reaction, and that only momentary. Delegates called for better-known speakers, such as Altgeld or Bryan, but were granted neither then; the Illinois governor declined, and the Nebraskan, once seated, spent much of his time away from the convention floor at the platform committee meeting at the [[Palmer House Hilton|Palmer House]].{{sfn|Bensel|pp=128–129}}

The debate on the platform opened at the start of the third day of the convention, July 9, 1896. The session was supposed to begin at 10:00&nbsp;a.m., but as delegates, slowed by the long commute from the hotels to the Coliseum and fatigue from the first two days, did not arrive on time, proceedings did not begin until 10:45.  Nevertheless, large crowds gathered outside the public entrances; the galleries were quickly packed. Once the convention came to order, [[Arkansas]] Senator [[James K. Jones]], chair of the Committee on Resolutions, read the proposed platform to cheers by many delegates; the reading of the pro-gold minority report attracted less applause.{{sfn|Bensel|pp=206–209}}

[[File:Russell before Cross of Gold.png|thumb|upright|In a 1900 engraving, former Massachusetts Governor [[William Russell (governor)|William E. Russell]] is shown preceding Bryan in addressing the convention.]]

"Pitchfork Ben" Tillman lived up to his nickname with an incendiary address which began with a reference to his home state's role in beginning the Civil War.{{sfn|Williams|p=81}} Although Tillman endorsed silver, his address was so laced with [[Sectionalism#In the United States|sectionalism]] that most silver delegates remained silent for fear of being seen as supporting him.{{sfn|Bensel|pp=210–213}} Tillman's speech, scheduled to be the only one in support of silver except Bryan's, was so badly received that Senator Jones, who had not planned to speak, gave a brief address asserting that silver was a national issue.{{sfn|Jones|p=226}}

Senator [[David B. Hill]] of [[New York (state)|New York]], a gold supporter, was next. As Hill moved to the podium, a reporter friend passed Bryan a note urging him to make a patriotic speech without hint of sectionalism; Bryan responded, "You will not be disappointed."{{sfn|Williams|pp=81–82}} Hill gave a calm speech defending the gold position, and swayed few delegates.{{sfn|Jones|p=226}} He was followed by two other gold men, Senator [[William Freeman Vilas|William Vilas]] of [[Wisconsin]] and former [[Massachusetts]] Governor [[William Russell (governor)|William E. Russell]]. Vilas gave a lengthy defense of the Cleveland administration's policies, so long that Russell, fearing that Vilas' speech would cut into his time, asked that the time given to the gold proponents be extended by ten minutes. Bryan consented, on condition that his own time was extended by the same amount; this was agreed to. "And I needed it for the speech I was to make." Bryan later wrote, "This was another unexpected bit of good fortune. I had never had such an opportunity before in my life and never expect to have again."{{sfn|Williams|p=82}}

Vilas quickly lost his audience, which did not want to hear Cleveland defended. Russell's address was inaudible to most of the Coliseum; he was ill and died just over a week later. As the gold men spoke, Bryan ate a sandwich to settle his stomach; he was often nervous before major speeches. Another reporter approached him and asked him who he thought would win the nomination. "Strictly confidential, not to be quoted for publication: I will be."{{sfn|Williams|p=82}}