William J. Bryan.

655. The Campaign of 1896.—Political conditions at the time of the campaign of 1896 were strangely confused. The President and his supporters were out of sympathy with the chief leaders and the masses of the Democratic party. Many Democrats had become Populists. Many Republicans who favored silver had broken more or less with those of their party who considered the protective tariff the main political issue. The number of Independent voters had increased. In the midst of this confusion, the Republican convention met at St. Louis and adopted a platform favoring protection and, less explicitly, the maintenance of a gold standard. They also declared their willingness to coöperate with European nations in an effort to restore a policy of bimetalism. The Democrats, on the other hand, meeting at Chicago, declared that the United States should adopt the free coinage of silver at a ratio of sixteen to one, even without the coöperation of Europe. Other planks, especially one attacking the Supreme Court, which had given offense by its decision with regard to the income tax (§ [649]), showed that the party had adopted many of the principles of the Populists. The administration of Cleveland was expressly condemned. The Republicans, rejecting the candidacy of Speaker Reed, nominated, for President, William McKinley,[[293]] who had left Congress to become governor of Ohio, and had secured the shrewd support of Marcus A. Hanna of that state. Garret A. Hobart of New Jersey was nominated for Vice President. The Democrats, carried away by a remarkable speech of William J. Bryan,[[294]] a young ex-congressman from Nebraska, nominated him for President, and Arthur Sewall of Maine for Vice President. Bryan’s nomination was accepted by the “People’s” Party, but Thomas E. Watson of Georgia was put in place of Sewall for Vice President. Those Democrats that could not advocate a free coinage policy, after much hesitation, met in separate convention at Indianapolis and nominated General John M. Palmer of Illinois for President, and General Simon B. Buckner of Kentucky for Vice President, on a platform advocating a gold basis. The campaign was an exciting one and caused much anxiety in financial circles; but it was conducted with unusual freedom from personal accusations. Bryan made a remarkable tour of the country, stirring large crowds by his eloquence; but his efforts were vain, since the silver policy he supported drove thousands of Democrats and Independents into the Republican ranks. McKinley and Hobart were elected by two hundred and seventy-one electoral votes, while Bryan and Sewall received one hundred and seventy-six. So great was the disaffection within the Democratic party, that the “Solid South” was broken for the first time since the war.

References.—See bibliographical note to Chapter XXXIV. See also Cleveland’s articles on the Venezuelan boundary dispute, in the Century for June and July, 1902.

[292] In consequence of the war rumors, American securities fell and the drain on the Treasury’s supply of gold compelled the President to ask Congress to authorize a fresh issue of bonds.
[293] Born in Ohio, 1843; died at Buffalo, New York, September, 1901. Volunteered, and rose to the rank of major in the Civil War; was representative in Congress, 1877–1891; as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee took principal part in framing the McKinley Tariff Act of October 1, 1890; governor of Ohio, 1892–1894; was reëlected for the ensuing term, but in 1896 was nominated and elected President of the United States; was unanimously renominated by the Republican Convention in 1900; elected to a second term; assassinated at Buffalo, September, 1901.
[294] Born in Illinois, 1860. Graduated at Illinois College, Jacksonville, 1881; studied law at Union College of Law, Chicago; practiced law at Jacksonville, Illinois, 1883–1887; went to Lincoln, Nebraska, 1887; representative in Congress, 1891–1895; Democratic candidate for United States senator, 1894; editor of Omaha World-Herald, 1894–1896; delegate to Democratic National Convention in 1896; made a notable speech in advocacy of free silver at sixteen to one, and was nominated for the Presidency; defeated in November, 1896; continued to speak on political matters in various parts of the country, 1896–1900; was unanimously renominated for President at the Democratic Convention, July 5, 1900; defeated, and began to edit a newspaper at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska; made a tour of the world; nominated again for the Presidency and defeated, 1908.