<P> Bryan, having established the right of silver supporters to petition, explained why that petition was not to be denied: </P> <P> It is for these that we speak . We do not come as aggressors . Our war is not a war of conquest; we are fighting in the defense of our homes, our families, and posterity . We have petitioned, and our petitions have been scorned; we have entreated, and our entreaties have been disregarded; we have begged, and they have mocked when our calamity came . We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more . We defy them! </P> <P> With this call to action, Bryan abandoned any hint at compromise, and adopted the techniques of the radical, polarizing orator, finding no common ground between silver and gold forces . He then defended the remainder of the platform, though only speaking in general terms . He mocked McKinley, said by some to resemble Napoleon, noting that he was nominated on the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo . The lengthy passage as he discussed the platform and the Republicans helped calm the audience, ensuring he would be heard as he reached his peroration . But Bryan first wished to tie the silver question to a greater cause: </P> <P> Upon which side will the Democratic Party fight; upon the side of "the idle holders of idle capital" or upon the side of "the struggling masses"? That is the question which the party must answer first, and then it must be answered by each individual hereafter . The sympathies of the Democratic Party, as shown by the platform, are on the side of the struggling masses, who have ever been the foundation of the Democratic Party . </P>

Briefly explain the argument in mckinley's cross of gold speech