Populism & McKinley

TAH 2008

Richard Jensen

D’Ann Campbell

Populists in West & South

• Populists: radical agitators– Banks/ Railroads/ Rich control old parties

and destroy democracy & impoverish workers & farmers

– Third Party in 1892– small western states– 90% farmers reject– Support Bryan 1896– disappears

Eastern trusts milk western farmers

Crisis: Depression of 1893 ruins Democrats; 1894 GOP landslide

Populist party badly defeatedMiss Democracy—badly defeated

Making fun of Populists

1892

Pitchfork Ben Tillman

Cleveland: Dem party jammed

Populists reject GOP & Democrats

Populists say Gold= evil; bankers are devils

Gold versus Silver

Radical Solution: Silver

• Silver at 16oz -1oz gold = inflation– warning: gold = inequality, loss of

democracy– avoid false gold prosperity; let railroads,

banks, factories go bankrupt; – pour $$$ into silver mines (oozes up to

farmers & everybody)– Only honest labor = sweat of brow

• Restore Democracy--big business = evil

“Coin” = Pro silver 1894

Bryan, Cross of Gold Speech 1896

There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that, if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea, however, has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous, their prosperity will find its way up through every class which rests upon them.

You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard; we reply that the great cities rest upon our 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.

Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests, and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.

Populist Cartoon

1896shows

Cross of Gold

Conservative Solution: Gold

• Keep Gold Standard– keep banks, checks, insurance– modernize economy; rely on "sound money",

banks; build more factories– protect workers & entrepreneurs w tariff– everyone will prosper

• some will get very rich & that's good

• Reject class warfare & anarchy

Showdown: 1896

• 1894 election: biggest GOP landslide ever; north becomes solid Republican

• Bryan and "silverites" from south & west seize Dem party from Cleveland & big city Democrats (pro-business)

• Bryan crusades; pulls ahead!

• McKinley leads GOP; raises $$$

Bryan speaks for silver

• Great orator, shallow mind

• Tireless campaigner• Base in South and

West, hated in East• Nominated by

Democrats, Silver Republicans & Populists

Republic in Danger

• Bryan’s warning: rich are seizing power– Evil rich will destroy democracy– They impoverish the workers & farmers– Old traditional ways are best

• McKinley answers:– Bryan = permanent poverty and depression – Bryan = religious fanatic

With Hanna in charge, workers will be slaves

McKinleyism• McKinleyism captures Republican party– warning: free silver =

immoral, will cause poverty

– Support high tariff; home market

– favors labor unions; high wages

• Prosperity& modernity for everyone

• pluralism– toleration of ethnics,

Catholics, unions; cut ethnic, racial conflict; every group prospers William McKinley

Democratic cartoonists ridicule McK’s pluralism; if everyone gets on the boat, it will sink, they warn.

Free silver means poverty for your children, GOP warns.

McK: end the depression by return to high tariff.

Ridicule Bryan for funny-money plan.

City Folks Ridiculed Hayseed Farmers

GOP: Bryan as dangerous religious fanatic, supported by anarchists

Decisive results of 1896

• GOP landslide– sweeps "core" Northeast states– McK wins factory & RR vote; also commercial farmers– middle class; professionals & businessmen;– also many German Lutherans & Catholics

• Permanent realignment (to 1932)– Bryanism controls Dem party

• Pluralism as national policy• Economic expansion as national policy

– depression ends, new era of prosperity

McKinley carried industrial states, cities, commercial farms; Bryan

carried South & West