FARMER’S FIGHT

PROBLEMS Agricultural changes

Commercialized/Specialized Falling Prices due to:

Increased production Global Competition Static Money Supply

Rising Costs Trusts Middlemen Railroads Elevators Property taxes, but no income tax

FIGHTING BACK National Grange Movement

1868 – Oliver Kelley – Co-ops to fight elevators and railroads

Lobbied state governments for regulation Munn vs. Illinois

State has the right to regulate business if in the public’s best interest

FIGHTING BACK, CONT’D Interstate Commerce Act (1886)

Railroads crossed state lines, Wabash vs. Illinois said that states couldn’t regulate interstate commerce

Required railroads to be reasonable and just, set up ICC, railroads actually helped more than farmers

OCALA PLATFORM National Alliance of Farmers

Ocala, FL Attacked major parties as business

servants Platforms:

Direct election of senators Lower Tariff Rates Graduated income tax New federal banking system Increased money supply

Eventually becomes Populist Movement/Party

Many platforms spread to progressives

POPULISM Omaha Platform:

Politically direct popular election of U.S. Senators enacting of state laws by voters through

initiatives and referendums Economically

unlimited coinage of silver graduated income tax Government ownership of railroads telegraph and telephone systems owned

and operated by government loans and federal warehouses for farmers eight hour work day. Attempted to form a political alliance

between poor whites and poor blacks

POPULISM’S HIGH WATER MARK 1892

Presidential candidate: James Weaver (IA) 1million votes and 22 electoral votes

Ticket failed in South

A TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN POLITICS: 1896 Bryan, Democrats, and

Populists Dems divided between gold

and silver forces Prosilver had the most

support WJB gives “Cross of Gold”

speech Coinage at 16 to 1 (market

was 32 to 1 Populists and Democrats fuse Gold Democrats and

Cleveland break away

A TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN POLITICS: 1896

McKinley and the Republicans McKinley (OH) Marcus Hanna runs well-

funded campaign Blamed Democrats for

economic problems Platform of high tariff and

gold standard

A TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN POLITICS: 1896

Campaign GOP early advantage Bryan covered 18,000 miles by train giving 600 speeches Millions of dollars from business leaders to

McKinley “Front Porch Campaign”

Death knell Rise in wheat prices Employers told workers they would shut factories

down if WJB was elected

SIGNIFICANCE OF 1896 End of Gilded Age

stagnation Beginning of Republican

domination End of Populists

Many of the populist policies eventually enacted

Urban, business, conservative, upper middle class dominance

Beginning of modern politics Campaign financing McKinley is a warmonger

PROGRESSIVE ORIGINS Roosevelt through Taft and Wilson Attitudes

Changing country Diverse Groups

Who were Progressives? Middle class urban residents Missionary spirit/social responsibility/honesty Strong Leadership across parties

Roosevelt and Lafollette in GOP William Jennings Bryand and Wilson in Dems

PHILOSOPHY Reformers (Jefferson, Jackson,

Populist tradition) Revolution in thinking from Darwin

Pragmatism/Experimentation with ideas and laws

Scientific Management Frederick W. Taylor – factories and timing workers

Government could be made more efficient

POLITICAL REFORM Voter Reform

Secret Ballot Direct primaries Direct Election of

U.S. Senators (17th Amendment)]

Initiative Referendum Recall Social Welfare

POLITICAL REFORM Municipal Reform

Public Utilities City managers and

Commissions State Reform

Robert LaFollette (WI) – direct primary, tax reform, railroad regulation

Temperance and Prohibition

18th Amendment