What was the dispute over the form of National Currency between William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley?
-was it about the Gold standard and coinage of silver?
"The supporters of silver coinage urged the federal government to buy large quantities of silver, issue currency based on it, and put 16 times as much of it in a silver dollar as the amount of gold in a gold dollar."
So Bryan wanted silver to be the nation's currency and not gold?
Right.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/bryan/aa_bryan_silver_2.html
Yes, the dispute between William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley involved the issue of the gold standard and coinage of silver. This dispute took place during the 1896 United States presidential election.
To understand the dispute, we need to look at the economic context of the time. In the late 19th century, the United States operated on a bimetallic standard, which meant that both gold and silver were used as currencies and could be minted into coins. However, there was an ongoing debate about whether the country should stick to the gold standard or transition to a bimetallism system where both gold and silver were freely minted.
William McKinley, the Republican candidate, was a staunch supporter of the gold standard. He believed that a stable and disciplined monetary system based on gold was essential for the country's economic growth. He argued that maintaining the gold standard would ensure financial stability, promote foreign investment, and avoid inflation.
On the other hand, William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic and Populist candidate, advocated for the coinage of silver and the unlimited minting of silver-backed currency. He argued that increasing the money supply through the coinage of silver would help alleviate the economic hardships faced by farmers and indebted individuals. Bryan famously delivered his "Cross of Gold" speech at the 1896 Democratic National Convention, rallying support in favor of bimetallism and criticizing the power held by big bankers and the concentration of wealth.
The dispute between Bryan and McKinley represented a fundamental division between those who preferred the monetary stability provided by the gold standard and those who believed that a more expansive money supply, including silver, would benefit the common people. Ultimately, McKinley won the 1896 election and the country maintained the gold standard until 1933 when it was abandoned during the Great Depression.