Populism

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Populism the Election of 1896
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What were some of the major economic problems
facing farmers during the Gilded Age ??
Populism An Agrarian Revolt
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Price Indexes for Consumer Farm Products
1865-1913
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The Grange Movement

• First organized in the 1870s in the Midwest, the
  South, and Texas.
• Set up cooperative associations (stores, grain
  elevators, grain warehouses).
• Social and educational components too picnics,
  concerts, lectures, etc.
• Succeeded in lobbying for state Granger Laws to
  regulate RR rates storage fees (Munn v.
  Illinois)
• Wabash v. Illinois (1886) overruled state
  regulation of RR why?
• The Grange rapidly declined after Wabash.
• Farmers Alliances form (Northern Southern)

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United We Stand, Divided We Fall

• Will eventually seek alliance with northern
  industrial workers - labor unions.

• In 1889 both the Northern andSouthern
  Alliancesmerged into onethe Farmers Alliance.

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The Populist (Peoples) Party

• Farmers Alliance excluded blacks ignored
  issues of tenant farmers sharecroppers
  weakened it
• By early 1890s, Farmers Alliance has produced
  the Peoples Party a political coalition of
  farmers from the W the S.
• Goals
• More political power to the people (through
  political reform, lowering tariff)
• Government intervention to aid struggling farmers
  who were at the mercy of industrialists, banks
  interest rates.
• Attacked Wall Street and the Money Trust
• Early champion Mary Elizabeth Lease of KS
• Kansans should raise less corn and raise more
  hell!

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Platform of Lunacy
A farmers and workers alliance?
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The Populist (Peoples) Party

• Founded by James B. Weaverand Tom Watson.
• Omaha Convention in July,1892 - NE.
• Got almost 1 million popularvotes in 92
  election.
• Several Congressional seatswon.

James B. Weaver, Presidential Candidate
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Omaha Platform of 1892

1. System of sub-treasuries.
2. Free silver (unlimited coinage of silver).
3. Graduated income tax.
4. Direct election of Senators.
5. Govt. ownership of RRs, telephone telegraph
   companies.
6. Restriction of undesirable immigration.
7. 8-hour work day for government employees.
8. Abolition of the Pinkerton detective agency.
9. Australian secret ballot.
10. Abolition of the National Bank.
11. A single term for President Vice President.

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Govt.-Owned Companies
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1892 Election
Cleveland again only President to ever serve
two non-consecutive terms. Same old Cleveland,
but different nation debtors up in arms!
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Bi-Metallism Issue
Read the explanation of this issue that is linked
to the picture.
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Major Problems in Clevelands Second Term
1. The Panic of 1893
First large-scale depression in the new
industrial economy. Began 10 days after Cleveland
took office.
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Causes of the 1893 Panic

• Primarily caused by the decline in RR
  construction, but Cleveland blamed the Sherman
  Silver Purchase Act
• Several major corporations went bankrupt.
• Over 16,000 businesses disappeared.
• Triggered a stock market crash.
• Bank failures followed causing a contraction of
  credit nearly 500 banks closed.
• By 1895, unemployment reached 3 million.
• Ongoing agricultural depression.
• Americans cried out for relief, but the Federal
  Govt.continued its laissez faire policies!!

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Panic Spreads!
How is it resolved by Cleveland?
Gets J.P. Morgan to loan govt 65 million in
gold. for which he charged a commission of 7
million!
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Here Lies Prosperity
The Populist argument that farmers laborers
alike are being victimized is strengthened.
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2. Coxeys Army, 1894

• Jacob Coxey leads march of unemployed to
  Washington, D.C.
• Want govt to create an inflationary public works
  program to help relieve unemployment
• Coxey got arrested for walking on the grass and
  Cleveland had police with clubs break up the march

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3. Pullman Strike, 1894

• Cleveland gets federal injunction based on
  interference with the mail.
• Uses federal troops to put down the strike.
• Eugene Debs arrested jailed-6 mos. for
  contempt.
• As with Coxeys Army, does not seem that
  government (Cleveland) is sympathetic to plight
  of the people

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4. Ultra-conservative Supreme Court Decisions

• U.S. vs. E.C. Knight case
• Ct. refused to break up sugar trust using Sherman
  Antitrust Act argued that Act applies ONLY to
  commerce, not manufacturing
• U.S. vs. Debs case
• Debs denied writ of habeus corpus
• Jailed for 6 mos. / comes out a socialist

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5. Silver Issue

• Crime of 73 ? demonetization of silver (govt.
  stopped coining silver) cries for free silver.
• Bland-Allison Act (1878) ? is the compromise
  limited silver coinage ineffective since govt
  always purchased minimum amount.
• Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)
• Next compromise attempt The U.S. Treasury must
  purchase 4.5 mil. oz. of silver a month. (gold
  in treasury being depleted why?)
• Cleveland forces repeal in 1893
• U.S. has worst depression in its history
• Govt bailed out in 1895 by J.P. Morgans gold
  loan!
• S W wings of Democratic party desert Cleveland

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The 1896 Election
Gold / Silver Bug Campaign Pins
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William Jennings Bryan

• The Great Commoner
• 36 years old
• DEMOCRAT
• POPULIST
• Candidate for BOTH parties in 1896 election

• Revivalist style of oratory.
• A great voice rather than a great brain.

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BryansCross of Gold Speech
You shall not press down upon the brow of labor
this crown of thorns you shall not crucify
mankind upon a cross of gold!
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Bryan The Farmers Friend(The Mint Ratio)
18,000 miles of campaign whistle stops 600
speeches!
Democratic Party Taken Over by the Agrarian Left
Platform free silver tariff reductions
income tax stricter control of the trusts (esp.
RRs). Note Eastern laborers wont support them
will vote to protect their jobs..
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Mark Hanna The Front-Porch Campaign

• Highly organized, extremely well-funded campaign
  that capitalizes on economic fears.
• Raised 16 million to fund this campaign!

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William McKinley (1843-1901)
REPUBLICAN Ohio

• Former Civil War major
• in Congress many years
• Focus on Clevelands
• Democratic Panic
• Promises Full Dinner
• Pail
• Praises protective tariff
• MASSIVE dissemination
• of literature

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A Giant Straddle Suggestion for a McKinley
Political Poster
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The Seasoned Politician vs. the Young Newcomer
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Into Which Box Will the Voterof 96 Place His
Ballot?
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1896 Election Results
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Significance of the 1896 Election

• MARKS THE FAILURE OF THE POPULIST PARTY
• Turning point in politics! The future of
  politics in cities, not agrarian votes.
• Victory for big business, big cities, middle
  class values financial conservatism.
• Republicans take White House for all but 8 of the
  next 36 years!

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President William McKinley

• McKinley will be cautious and conservative
• Will give business free rein no regulation of
  trusts
• Tariff (Dingley) will be high (46.5)
• U.S. on gold standard gold triumphs over silver

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Why Did Populism Decline?

1. The economy experienced rapid change.
2. The era of small producers and farmers was fading
   away.
3. Race divided the Populist Party, especially in
   the South.
4. The Populists were not able to breakexisting
   party loyalties most of their agenda was
   co-opted by the Democrats.

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Why Did Populism Decline?

1. Failure of farmers and industrial workers of the
   Northeast to unite.
2. Gold strike in AK in 1898 increased supply (
   farmers access to credit).
3. Crop failures in Europe by 1900 led to increase
   in grain exports.
4. Immigration in massive numbers to urban areas
   more markets higher prices for agrarian
   products.

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But, Populism Still Lives!
Al Gore in 2000
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Populist Goals thatSurvived

• 16th Amendment income tax
• 17th Amendment direct election of Senators
• Secret ballot
• Direct primary elections

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The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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A Parable on Populism? Henry Littlefields
Thesis, 1964