Populism

1
Populism

• 1. What are the various symbols and characters
  depicted in the cartoon supposed to represent?2.
  What message is the cartoonist attempting to
  convey?3. Who is the cartoonist's target
  audience?4. What could you have done, were you
  moved to action by this political cartoon, to
  address or remedy this problem?

2
Populism

• People did not only blame the weather for their
  misfortune but also, corrupt bankers,
  industrialists and railroad types. They were
  accused of controlling the government and hurting
  rural areas
• Following the limited success of the grangers the
  populist party worked through political means to
  affect change.

3
Green Backs and Silver

• Farmers had t deal with the issue of deflation.
  Crops quadrupled but the production of money did
  not increase much.
• Reliance on the gold standard hurt since gold
  procurement could not keep pace with the
  production of goods.
• Rise of the Greenback party.
• Govt stop coining silver which upsets silver
  miners The crime of 73,.
• Bland Allison Act passed in 1878 requiring the
  treasury to buy silver and issue currency against
  it. Added money but did not stop inflation.

4
Rise of Populism

• 1892 rise of the third party. The populists
  created to settle farmers grievances.
• Gold standard kept the price of goods low.
• Tariffs force farmers to pay more for
  manufacturing. While overseas products went
  unprotected.
• Combined with drought many feared a revoluton.

5
Formation

• The southern and northern alliance made similar
  demands, free silver, more paper money, cheaper
  credit, govt ownership of rail.
• Party held a national convention in Omaha in 1892
  with representatives from the Knights of Labor
  and followers Henry George and Edward Bellamy.
  These people nominated James B. Weaver a civil
  War hero to run for president
• Their platform condemned political corruption,
  mortgage rates, and the condition of labor. Two
  classes tramps and millionaires saw the gold
  standard as a conspiracy against mankind. Party
  centered round agriculture. While they did not
  want revolution they produced a light to shine on
  important issues that the two major parties must
  address

6
The Election of 1892

• Use of religious songs.
• Addressed the plight of women
• Populist party garners 22 electoral votes west of
  the Mississippi, Popocrats are afraid to vote for
  the populist candidate

7
Cleveland Rise and Fall

• Remember that Cleveland came back to the
  presidency in 1892.
• He was blamed for Congress wasteful spending.
  Angered machine politicians by sticking with the
  merit system, angered workers by using troops to
  break up the Pullman Strike.
• Upset farmers by sticking with the gold standard.
  Forced a repeal of the Sherman Silver Act.
• Lack of gold meant the U.S. had to issue bonds.
• J.P. Morgan bougt 1.5 million worth of these
  below market price. Upsetting Western Farmers.
• Several Tarrifs were passed under his
  administration

8
McKinley becomes President

• Mark Hana an Ohio businessman uswed his political
  clout to get William McKinley nominated.
  Platform of high Tariffs and maintenance of the
  Gold Standard.
• Democrats nominate free silver candidate William
  Jennings Bryan, who was also supported by the
  Populists. Bryan traveled the country
  campaigning however Hana and other derailed his
  campaign Gold democrats nominated their own
  candidate. People were afraid of free silver.
• McKinley victory was the urban over the rural,
  industry over agricultures. However most of what
  the populists stood for would become law later