The People's Party

From the early colonies, America has been a land of sectionalism. With different demographics, occupations, and interests, different country sections have always competed to have their voice heard in the national discussion. When a politician or organization presents itself as the voice of those who feel ignored, it is known as populism. The People's Party was a populist party supporting the interests of Western and Southern farmers against the industrialized urban interests of the Northeast and pockets of the Midwest. Why did farmers feel so ignored at this time?

Fig.1 - 1892 People's Party Presidential Campaign Poster

The People's Party: Beliefs

The People's Party believed that the banks, monetary policy, railroads, corporations, and even the US government heavily favored the interests of the urban parts of the country over those of rural farmers. The People's Party grew out of the Farmer's Alliance, an economic union of farmers, and turned into a radical left-wing political organization. A list of demands put forth by the Farmer's Alliance, known as the Ocala Demands, formed the basis of the Party's later platform. The Ocala Demands had been drawn up during an 1890 meeting of farming organizations in Ocala, Florida.

Ocala Demands

The Ocala Demands used the word equality to describe their intent, but it was primarily economic terms, not social equality. They sought to meet the financial needs of mostly White farmers by supporting silver as legal tender to make paying farm loans easier, reduction of tariffs that aided industrial producers but increased costs for farmers, and government regulation of railroads to make transporting crops for sale more economical as rate hikes by rail companies. Nativism also played into the demands when they asked for a ban on foreign ownership of US land. They also requested smaller state branch treasury institutions to make cheap loans to farmers instead of a national bank.

The People's Party History

After the Civil War, the United States remained between the Northern states supporting the Republican Party and the Southern States supporting the Democratic Party. Both parties favored the Gold Standard and hard currency, which many farmers opposed because they believed that accepting silver would lead to inflation and make their loans cheaper. When the Farmer's Alliance came together in 1877 to represent farmers' economic interests, the organization proved popular and grew. By 1892, it became apparent that neither significant political Party was going to support their interests on a large scale, so The People's Party was born. That year, The People's Party held its first convention in Omaha, Nebraska.

Fig.2 - James B. Weaver

The People's Party Leader

Leonidas Polk was a favorite of the People's Party but passed away shortly before the party convention. Instead, the Party turned to the man who had been the presidential nominee of the Greenback Party a decade earlier. The Greenback party supported similar interests, such as increasing the money supply and regulating corporations. That presidential nominee was James B. Weaver, and joining him was vice presidential nominee James G. Field.

The People's Party's Goals

The People's Party now adopted what was called the Omaha Platform. The Omaha Platform was primarily based upon the grievances outlined in the earlier Ocala Demands. Still, it expanded them in specific ways, such as calling not just for regulating railroad rates but government ownership of railroads. The People's Party was trying to gain influence as a national political party instead of just being a farmer advocacy organization. They took on issues such as shorter work weeks and immigration restrictions, which appealed to some urban voters. The Party did gain endorsements from some urban labor leaders of the period.

Fig.3 - The Peoples Party Political Cartoon

1892 Election

In the election of 1892, despite support from union leaders, the coalition of farmers and urban workers that The People's Party had hoped to create failed to materialize. The winner of the presidency was Democrat Grover Cleveland, who was hostile to the silver issue that The People's Party embraced. Weaver and Field were the first third-party ticket to receive electoral votes since the Civil War despite not winning the election. Weaver carried four Western states and received one electoral vote each in two further states.

Fig.4 - William Jennings Bryan

Alignment with Mainstream Parties

As Democrats suffered heavy losses in the 1894 election due to Cleveland's unpopular policies, many Democrats stopped supporting his Gold Standard policy. Within the populist Party, the conversation ranged from whether the Party should abandon its radical Omaha Platform and unite with democrats on the silver issue or grow even more radical with calls for government ownership of all utilities. Those who held the first position were known as fusionists, and those who had the second were known as mid-roaders. Ultimately, Democrats would surprisingly nominate the pro-silver candidate William Jennings Bryan, who The People's Party would endorse. While Democrats were the ally of choice for The People's Party in most regions, North Carolina saw a unique coalition with Republicans and The Populist Party.

End of The People's Party

After the Bryan loss in 1896 and Democrats taking up issues such as bimetallism, interest in a separate party began to wane. Religious and business leaders in the country had long opposed the Party, which had primarily alienated Catholics, leaving it fighting an uphill struggle for popularity. Across the country, Democratic Parties absorbed much of The People's Party, except in North Carolina, where racial violence and disenfranchisement returned Democratic control from the hands of a Republican and People's Party coalition of Black Americans and poor White Americans. Although many party members supported Bryan again in 1900, that year, the Party officially nominated a separate ticket from the Democrats, resulting in the People's Party never receiving even one percent of the popular vote in a presidential election. As economic conditions improved at the turn of the twentieth century, the party platform lost urgency, and the Party disbanded in 1908.