William Jennings Bryan was an American politician.
Free silver . Free silver was the central issue for Democrats in the presidential election of 1896 and that of 1900 , under the leadership of William Jennings Bryan , famed for his Cross of Gold speech in favor of free silver . A political stump speech is a standard speech used by a politician running for office . William Jennings Bryan ( March 19 , 1860 -- July 26 , 1925 ) was an American orator and politician from Nebraska , and a dominant force in the populist wing of the Democratic Party , standing three times as the Party 's nominee for President of the United States ( 1896 , 1900 , and 1908 ) . He served two terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska and was United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson ( 1913 -- 1915 ) . With over 500 speeches in 1896 , Bryan invented the national stumping tour in an era when other presidential candidates stayed home .