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William Jennings Bryan Quotes

Former United States Secretary of State

William Jennings Bryan, born on March 19, 1860, and died on July 26, 1925, was a prominent American politician, lawyer, orator, and writer. He was known for his active participation in political and religious affairs and left a profound mark on American history.

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Famous William Jennings Bryan Quotes

“Next to the ministry I know of no more noble profession than the law. The object aimed at is justice, equal and exact, and if it does not reach that end at once it is because the stream is diverted by selfishness or checked by ignorance. Its principles ennoble and its practice elevates.”

Ifs Knows Doe Ends Law Next Justice Principles Practice Objects Ignorance Equal Noble Profession Selfishness Streams Ministry Noble Profession

Book:The Life and Speeches of Hon. Wm. Jennings Bryan

Source: The Life and Speeches of Hon. Wm. Jennings Bryan

“Belief in God is almost universal and the effect of this belief is so vast that one is appalled at the thought of what social conditions would be if reverence for God were erased from every heart.”

Ifs Heart Would Be Belief Social Conditions Effects Universal Reverence Belief In God Social Conditions

Book:In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

Source: In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

“If it be true, as I believe it is, that morality is dependent upon religion, then religion is not only the most practical thing in the world, but the first essential.”

Ifs World Firsts Believe I Believe Morality Essentials Practicals Being True Dependent Practical Things

Book:The menace of Darwinism

Source: The menace of Darwinism

“If there is no God there is no hereafter. When, therefore, one drives God out of the universe he closes the door of hope upon himself.”

Ifs Universe Doors Hereafter There Is No God Hopes Up

Book:In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

Source: In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

“If we desire rules to govern our spiritual development we turn back to the Sermon on the Mount.”

Ifs Spiritual Desire Turns Development Sermons Spiritual Development Sermon On The Mount

Book:In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

Source: In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

“If you want criticisms, read the dissenting opinions of the Court. That will give you criticisms.”

Ifs Want Giving Opinion Criticism Court

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“When we advocate a thing which we believe will be successful we are not compelled to raise a doubt as to our own sincerity by trying to show what we will do if we are wrong.”

Ifs Trying Believe Shows Successful Doubt Raises Being Successful Sincerity Compelled

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“Nation after nation, when at the zenith of its power, has proclaimed itself invincible because its army could shake the earth with its tread and its ships could fill the seas, but these nations are dead, and we must build upon a different foundation if we would avoid their fate.”

Ifs Different Earth Nations Fate Sea Army Foundation Ships Shakes Invincible Zenith

Book:Speeches of William Jennings Bryan

Source: Speeches of William Jennings Bryan

“You came to tell us that the great cities are in favour of the gold standard; we reply that the great cities rest upon our broad and fertile plains. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy out farms and the grass will grow in the city...You shall not press down upon the brow of labour this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Ifs Grows Cities Magic Mankind Spring Standards Crosses Gold Presses Grass Labour Broads Farms Crowns Favour Thorns Brows Fertile Great Cities Gold Standard Crown Of Thorns

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“If the Bible and the microscope do not agee, the microscope is wrong”

Ifs Microscopes

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“The human measure of a human life is its income; the divine measure of a life is its outgo, its overflow its contribution to the welfare of all.... If every word spoken in behalf of truth has its influence and every deed done for the right weighs in the final account, it is immaterial to the Christian whether his eyes behold victory or whether he dies in the midst of conflict.”

Ifs Humans Done Eye Christian Life Is Dies Influence Divine Victory Conflict Accounts Finals Deeds Income Human Life Welfare His Eyes Contribution Midst Behalf Overflow Deeds Done

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“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”?”

Ifs Men World May Children Whole Government Spirit Nations Loses Liberty Blood Land Gains Our Children Constant Profit Whole World Legacy Prize Heritage Vigilance

Book:In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

Source: In His Image: By William Jennings Bryan

“Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.”

Ifs Country Grows Cities Magic Streets Spring Grass Farms Agriculture Bryan Crown Of Thorns

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“If that vital spark that we find in a grain of wheat can pass unchanged through countless deaths and resurrections, will the spirit of man be unable to pass from this body to another?”

Ifs Men Body Death Spirit Sparks Resurrection Grain Wheat Bryan

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“The first objection to Darwinism is that it is only a guess and was never anything more. It is called a "hypothesis," but the word "hypothesis," though euphonious, dignified and high-sounding, is merely a scientific synonym for the old-fashioned word "guess." If Darwin had advanced his views as a guess they would not have survived for a year, but they have floated for half a century, buoyed up by the inflated word "hypothesis." When it is understood that "hypothesis" means "guess," people will inspect it more carefully before accepting it.”

“The real question is, Did God use evolution as His plan? If it could be shown that man, instead of being made in the image of God, is a development of beasts we would have to accept it, regardless of its effort, for truth is truth and must prevail. But when there is no proof we have a right to consider the effect of the acceptance of an unsupported hypothesis.”

Ifs Men Made Real Use Science Effort Accepting Plans Effects Acceptance Development Evolution Truth Is Proof Beast Hypothesis God Image Real Questions

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it.”

Ifs Believe Said Bible Whales Jonah

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“If we have to give up either religion or education, we should give up education.”

Ifs Giving Should Giving Up Scary Christian Schools

Author:William Jennings Bryan

“If God himself was not willing to use coercion to force man to accept certain religious views, man, uninspired and liable to error, ought not to use the means that Jehovah would not employ.”

Ifs Men Mean Use Certain Force Religious Views Accepting Willing Ought Errors Presidential Coercion Liable Jehovah Uninspired Religious Views

Book:The world's most famous court trial: State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes; complete stenographic report of the court test of the Tennessee anti-evolution act at Dayton, July 10 to 21, 1925, including speeches and arguments of attorneys

Source: The world's most famous court trial: State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes; complete stenographic report of the court test of the Tennessee anti-evolution act at Dayton, July 10 to 21, 1925, including speeches and arguments of attorneys

“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”