Quotessence
Home / Authors / William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan Quotes

Former United States Secretary of State

Filter quotes by topic

AllIfsBryanGovernmentMenPeopleBelieveEvolutionHumansMatterMayRightsViewsCausesEarthForceHas BeensHypothesisLawLibertyNations

Famous William Jennings Bryan Quotes

“New York is the city of privilege. Here is the seat of the Invisible Power represented by the allied forces of finance and industry. This Invisible Government is reactionary, sinister, unscrupulous, mercenary, and sordid. It is wanting in national ideals and devoid of conscience... This kind of government must be scourged and destroyed.”

KindGovernmentForceCitiesNew YorkIndustryConscienceIdealsPrivilegeJewInvisibleFinanceDestroyedSeatsSinisterReactionariesMercenary
Author:William Jennings Bryan
Create image

“The poor man who takes property by force is called a thief, but the creditor who can by legislation make a debtor pay a dollar twice as large as he borrowed is lauded as the friend of a sound currency. The man who wants the people to destroy the Government is an anarchist, but the man who wants the Government to destroy the people is a patriot.”

PeopleMenWantGovernmentForceSoundPoorPayHe ManDollarsPropertyThievesCurrencyPatriotLegislationAnarchistBorrowedPoor ManCreditorsDebtors
Book:The First Battle: A Story of the Campaign of 1896
Create image

“In our election manifesto is: we keep the right to create money and to bring in circulation, for the cause of the government ... Those who do not share this view, reply us to the issue of paper money is for the banks, the government should stay out of the banking business. I agree with Jefferson's opinion ... and just like him I say again: the issue of money is a matter for the government and the banks should stay out of government activity.”

ShouldMatterGovernmentCausesViewsOpinionIssuesShareActivityPaperElectionAgreeBankingCirculationManifestosPaper Money
Author:William Jennings Bryan
Create image

“Our government, conceived in liberty and purchased with blood, can be preserved only by constant vigilance. May we guard it as our children's richest legacy, for what shall it profit our nation if it shall gain the whole world and lose “the spirit that prizes liberty as the heritage of all men in all lands everywhere”?”

IfsMenWorldMayChildrenWholeGovernmentSpiritNationsLosesLibertyBloodLandGainsOur ChildrenConstantProfitWhole WorldLegacyPrizeHeritageVigilance
Book:In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan
Create image

“There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that, if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity will leak through on those below. The DEMOCRATIC idea, however, has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous, their prosperity will find its way up through every class which rests upon them”

IfsWayBelieveWellsHas BeensTwoIdeasGovernmentPoliticalPoliticsClassDemocracyRichPoliticianMassDemocraticDemocratProsperityOrdinary PeopleProsperousLegislatureBourgeoisieLeaksCommon InterestsTrickle Down EconomicsSupply Side Economics
Author:William Jennings Bryan
Create image

“The chief duty of governments, in so far as they are coercive, is to restrain those who would interfere with the inalienable rights of the individual, among which are the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to the pursuit of happiness and the right to worship God according to the dictates of ones conscience.”

GovernmentIndividualLibertyRightsDutyWorshipConsciencePursuitChiefsInterferePursuit Of HappinessWorship GodRight To LifeBryanInalienable Rights
Book:Heart to Heart Appeals
Create image

“The government being the peoples business, it necessarily follows that its operations should be at all times open to the public view. Publicity is therefore as essential to honest administration as freedom of speech is to representative government. Equal rights to all and special privileges to none is the maxim which should control in all departments of government.”

ShouldGovernmentViewsRightsSpecialHonestEqualSpeechEssentialsPrivilegeAll TimeAdministrationOperationsDepartmentRepresentativesFreedom Of SpeechMaximsEqual RightsPublicityBryanRepresentative Government
Book:The Royal Art
Create image