Page "Cross of Gold speech" Paragraph 50

The balloting began the following morning, July 10, with a two-thirds vote necessary to nominate.

Bryan, who remained at his hotel, sent word to the Nebraska delegation to make no deals on his behalf.

He stood second out of fourteen candidates in the first ballot, behind Bland.

On the second ballot, Bryan still stood second, but had gained as other candidates had fallen away.

The third ballot saw Bland still in the lead, but Bryan took the lead on the fourth ballot.

According to Jones, it was clear that Bland could not win, and that Bryan could not be stopped.

On the fifth ballot, the Illinois delegation, led by Governor Altgeld, switched its votes from Bland to Bryan.

Other delegations, seeing that Bryan would be nominated, also switched, securing the victory.

But he won the nomination without the votes of the gold delegates, most of whom either left the convention or refused to vote.