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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 25369717, member: 101855&quot;]Here are couple of political buttons which will allow you to put a face with the names.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is Richard &quot;Silver Dick&quot; Bland. He was a Democratic Party representative from Missouri. Bland was a leading advocate for the silver cause for many years. In 1896, it looked like his time to run for president had come. He went into that year&#039;s Democratic convention with more delegates than anyone.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1623643[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Things fell apart for him when well-known, but rather young former member of the House of Representatives, William Jennings Bryan, got up and made a &quot;stem winder&quot; of speech. The &quot;Cross of Gold&quot; speech made Bryan an instant sensation at the convention. The delegates lifted Bryan on their shoulders and carried him all around the hall. Bland led on the first ballot in the presidential nomination process, but Bryan soon took control.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1623644[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is Iowa senator, William B. Allison. Allison was a hard money, gold standard supporter, but he knew that if he couldn&#039;t find a compromise, the free silver people might win. That&#039;s why he supported the Bland-Allison bill with his name on it.</p><p><br /></p><p>Allison set a then record of 6 terms in the Senate, from 1873 to 1908. He was getting ready to run for a 7th term in 1908 when he died at age 80. Allison was a dark horse candidate for president in 1896, but quickly withdrew when it was obvious that William McKinley was going to be the winner.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1623645[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Coins were at the center of the 1896 presidential race. Images of them appeared on many campaign pieces. Here are a couple of stud buttons for each side.</p><p><br /></p><p>For the Democrats and Bryan</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1623646[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>For the Gold Standard Republicans and McKinley. The last gold dollar was issued in 1889, but its image appears on this 1896 button.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1623647[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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