The year is 1873. The United States was a different country back then. "Secret" societies like The Masons existed as well as a group called The Grangers. The latter worked with the farming industry and groups associated with such individuals. The country is fresh out of a civil war. Tensions are still high and the country is trying to figure out its economy with the lack of slave labor. Farmers are demanded more and more. The country was still on the gold standard back then. People could not elect the senators directly, there was no such thing as a Federal Reserve and "Rockefeller" was not a household name. Farmers were in debt and with the help of the Grangers, pushed to evolve the gold standard and push it into inflation. The idea was simple: if inflation happened, $1 could become $2 or $3. The farmers could sell less for more, making the debt the carry become less and non-existent. They needed to personify their beliefs into the whitehouse. The Grangers could make that happen.
There was a party known as "The Greenback Party". Their idea was to create a method of money that was not backed by gold, thus advancing the rate of inflation. Well, nothing became of that. They could not collect the amount of people to like the idea but like all radicalized agendas, they do not give up. They re-branded themselves as the Greenback-Labor Party. Then, later, called themselves the Populist Party. What was their goal? Inflation, but they had a laundry list of ideas such as: having the people elect senators directly, a graduated income tax and a reform dubbed "initiative". Initiative was a plan by the populists and it involved the people creating debate, directly to the legislative process allowing the people to vote on bills directly-without the need for representatives. A man named James Weaver was announced as their candidate. He only got 22 electoral votes and just one million popular votes but the populists saw this as a victory even though they weren't even close to a win. The populist movement was now being talked about across the country. The seed, if you will, was now planted.
In history we talk about about many things. One of them is The Great Depression. There were actually a few in our history before and after that. I'm going to focus on what became known as "The Panic Of 1893". After a 'failed' populist election in 1892, the populist were more determined than ever. The nation was talking about it more and anger brewed against the government was boiling. The Panic of 1893 did not help the government at all. Bank loans failed and the stock market crashed. European investors started pulling out of America and nearly four million became unemployed as well as thousands of businesses had closed their doors. The people realized the leadership was not well for the country. A new century was approaching and with a new century, a new beginning of leadership became a clear objective in the eyes of Americans.
The populist side, echoed into the Democratic Party. In 1896, an attorney from Nebraska named William Jennings Bryan was what I would call, a slick talker much like Barack Obama or Marco Rubio or even Donald Trump. Bryan is quoted as being "one of the best speakers" of his time. The Farmers from twenty years prior wanted a monetary system not backed on gold alone to bring in inflation. Bryan promised "free coinage from silver". William McKinley, from Ohio, had the support of a wealthy Cleveland industrialist named Marc Hanna. Marc, just like many in the republican field, believed the free coinage of silver would destroy America financially. In his eyes, McKinley had to be elected and he later won 271 votes to 176.
The economy had recovered by 1896. Farmer's prices were going up, slowly but surely. The election of 1896 could have meant the beginning of the populist presidents, but the party fell apart shortly after.
What happened to their ideas? Well, they still exist today and some have been amended into our constitution. Not by the populists, but by what we know as, The Progressives. Like all radicalized ideas, they never give up. They continue to push their ideology until they win. They promise to win for the sake of all people. They succeed but we the people are hit hard for it. Income tax, secret ballet, initiative, direct election of senators...these populist ideas became and were succeeded by the progressives.
The populist is not a conservative by nature. The history proves itself. So today, Super Tuesday, do not vote for the populist because history proves they do not represent the constitution. Vote for the anti-populist. Let's allow history and the election of 1896 repeat itself once again. We may be angry at the government but let's all think with sober heads.
-Clint
No comments:
Post a Comment