Populist Party Platform
Populist Movement
 Began with Farmers


Crop prices falling= less profit for farmers
Take out loans and fall further in debt
 Railroads overcharging farmers to ship goods
 Begin with local Granges

Local farmers of a particular area (city or county)
 Grow to national organizations

Known as Farmers Alliances
Southern Alliance- white southern farmers
 Colored Farmers National Alliance- black farmers

 From there, become a national political party known as
the Populists
#1- Farmers in Debt
 Low Crop Prices led to debt
 Deflation- not a lot of money available
 Led to high interest rates and banks would not loan
money to farmers
Populist Solution
 Bi-Metalism- switch to a gold/silver standard
 Increase money supply and allow banks more
opportunity to give loans
#2- Railroad Price Fixing
 Railroads overcharged farmers to store and ship
crops= more debt
 Railroads gave industrialists rebates and reduce
charges
Populist Solution
 Government Control Railroads and Telegraphs- keep
prices fair and fixed
 Interstate Commerce Act- railroads must publish
rates (ICC- govt. agency in control)
#3- State Appointed Senators
 State legislatures appoint Senators
 Industry and wealthy able to control government
and appointments
Populist Solution
 Direct Election of Senators- people elect Senators
 Lead to 17th Amendment
#4- Class Differences
 Extreme income gap between rich and poor
 Farmers and factory workers in debt and facing
financial problems
Populist Solution
 Graduated Income Tax
 Income tax- tax on earnings
 Graduated Income Tax- wealthy pay more (tax based
on how much you earn)
#5- Corrupt Government
 Politicians overly influenced by wealthy business
owners
 Credit Mobilier Scandal- Railroad owners bribe
government officials for loans and money that was
stolen and not used for railroad
 Former General/President Grant Administration
Populist Solution
 One Term President- presidents only serve one term
(4 years)
 22nd Amendment- limit President to 2 terms
 Initiative- people propose bills
 Referendum- people pass bills
1896 Presidential Election
 William Jennings Bryant nominated by Democratic
and Populist Party
-Cross of Gold Speech – supports the “free coinage of
silver” (silverites)
 William McKinley nominated by Republicans
- supports America remaining on the gold standards
(goldbugs)
 McKinley wins the election and the Populist Party
dies out, but its reform ideas are adopted by
Republicans and Democrats during the Progressive
Era (1890 – 1920)
1896 Election Results