The Populist Movement The Value Of Third Parties

Government ownership of railroads, telephones and telegraphs Tariff reduction Direct election of senators Secret ballot Postal savings bank Immigration restrictions Initiative and referendum Single term presidency Substructures plan to help finance farmers at harvest time. 6. To what extent did Populists continue to focus on grievances of earlier movements? The Greenback Party of the sass pushed for inflation based on free silver, and they worked for regulation, if not public ownership, of the railroads as was called for by the Grange movement and the Farmer’s Alliance.

What percent of the total popular vote in 1892 did each party get? Republicans (44%), Democrats (47%), Populists (9%) 7. How do these percentages explain why the Democrats adopted several Populist planks and nominated the Populist candidate as their own nominee in 1896? The Populist vote of nearly 9 percent in the 1892 election attracted the attention of both major political parties. However, the Republicans were philosophically further removed from the Populists and would have been less likely to adopt their positions.

The Populist vote, cast as a bloc, could have altered the outcome of the 1892 election. This is a point the Democrats noted in the national convention of 1896. 8. How did William Jennings Bran’s “Cross of Gold” speech prove to be both a strength h and a weakness of the Populists? Bran’s rousing and emotional speech became a rallying cry for many Populists and Democrats; on the other hand, his narrow approach to solving problems of the disgruntled undoubtedly cost him many other votes.

9. How did Republicans try to project universal appeal in their 1896 platform?The Republicans offered pluralism to the American people; every occupation, elision, industry and section would receive fair treatment under the protective tariff; farmers’ grievances would be considered and corrective action taken. 10. What role might each of the following have played in the outcome of the election of 1896? A. The Panic of 1893 occurred during a Democratic administration and hurt the party cause. B. The large Republican campaign chest permitted far more campaign activities than the Democrats could afford.

C. Without the secret ballot, many factory workers felt intimidated to vote as their employers desired. 1 .Study the cartoon and answer the following questions . Why did these groups come together to form a single party? All had complaints against the system that neither political party addressed; all represented lower economic groups who felt the government should control (or even own) major businesses. B. How does the cartoon explain weaknesses of the Populist coalition? Although they shared an opposition to big business, they could not agree on solution Laborers, for example, did not favor inflation as the farmers wanted; farmers wanted an income tax, while socialists wanted government ownership, not regulation, of big business.