Read the passage from William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech.

Question

Determine which two highlighted sentences would best support Bryan's claim that cities need farms more than farms need cities.
(1 point)
"There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it. You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard. I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country."

Answer 1

The two highlighted sentences that best support Bryan's claim that cities need farms more than farms need cities are:

1. "Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic."
2. "But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country."

These sentences emphasize the idea that cities rely on the agricultural production of farms for their sustainability and growth, while farms can exist independently of cities.