Editing People's Party (United States) (section)

== Presidential election of 1896 ==
[[File:William-Jennings-Bryan-speaking-c1896.jpeg|thumb|left|In 1896, the 36-year-old William Jennings Bryan was the chosen candidate resulting from the fusion of the Democrats and the People's Party.]]

In the lead-up to the [[1896 United States presidential election|1896 presidential election]], mid-roaders, fusionists, and free silver Democrats all maneuvered to put their favored candidates in the best position to win. Mid-roaders sought to ensure that the Populists would hold their national convention before that of the Democratic Party, thereby ensuring that they could not be accused of dividing "reform" forces.<ref name="Goodwyn 1978, pp. 247–248">Goodwyn (1978), pp. 247–248</ref> Defying those hopes, Taubeneck arranged for the 1896 Populist National Convention to take place one week after the [[1896 Democratic National Convention]].<ref name="Goodwyn 1978, pp. 247–248"/> Mid-roaders mobilized to defeat the fusionists; the ''Southern Mercury'' urged readers to nominate convention delegates who would "support the Omaha Platform in its entirety."<ref>Goodwyn (1978), pp. 251–252</ref> As most of the party's high-ranking officeholders were fusionists, the mid-roaders faced difficulty in uniting around a candidate.<ref>Goodwyn (1978), p. 257</ref>

The [[1896 Republican National Convention]] nominated [[William McKinley]], a long-time Republican leader who was best known for leading the passage of 1890 [[McKinley Tariff]]. McKinley initially sought to downplay the gold standard in favor of campaigning on higher tariff rates, but he agreed to fully endorse the gold standard at the insistence of Republican donors and party leaders.<ref>Reichley (2000), pp. 139–141</ref> Meeting later in the year, the [[1896 Democratic National Convention]] nominated William Jennings Bryan for president after Bryan's [[Cross of Gold speech]] galvanized the party behind free silver. For vice president, the party nominated conservative shipping magnate [[Arthur Sewall]].<ref>Goodwyn (1978), pp. 254–256</ref>

When the Populist convention met, fusionists proposed that the Populists nominate the Democratic ticket, while mid-roaders organized to defeat fusionist efforts. As Sewall was objectionable to many within the party, the mid-roaders successfully moved a motion to nominate the vice president first. Despite a telegram from Bryan indicating that he would not accept the Populist nomination if the party did not also nominate Sewall, the convention chose Tom Watson as the party's vice presidential nominee. The convention also reaffirmed the major planks of the 1892 platform and added support for [[Initiatives and referendums in the United States|initiatives and referendums]].<ref>Goodwyn (1978), pp. 256–259</ref> When the convention's presidential ballot began, it was still unclear whether Bryan would be nominated for president and whether Bryan would accept the nomination if offered. Mid-roaders put forward their own candidate, obscure newspaper editor S. F. Norton, but Norton was unable to win the support of many delegates. After a long and contentious series of roll call votes, Bryan won the Populist presidential nomination, taking 1042 votes to Norton's 321 votes.<ref>Goodwyn (1978), pp. 259–262</ref>

Despite his earlier proclamation, Bryan accepted the Populist nomination.<ref name="goodwyn274278"/> Facing a massive financial and organizational disadvantage,<ref>Goodwyn (1978), pp. 279–280</ref> Bryan embarked on a campaign that took him across the country. He largely ignored major cities and the Northeast, instead focusing on the Midwest, which he hoped to win in conjunction with the Great Plains, the Far West, and the South.<ref name="reichley144146">Reichley (2000), pp. 144–146</ref> Watson, ostensibly Bryan's running mate, campaigned on a platform of "Straight Populism" and frequently attacked Sewall as an agent for "the banks and railroads." He delivered several speeches in Texas and the Midwest before returning to his home in Georgia for the remainder of the election.<ref name="goodwyn274278">Goodwyn (1978), pp. 274–278</ref>

Ultimately, McKinley won a decisive majority of the electoral vote and became the first presidential candidate to win a majority of the popular vote since the 1876 presidential election.<ref name="reichley144146"/> Bryan swept the old Populist strongholds in the West and South, and added the silverite states in the West, but did poorly in the industrial heartland. His strength was largely based on the traditional Democratic vote, but he lost many German Catholics and members of the middle class. Historians believe his defeat was partly attributable to the tactics Bryan used; he had aggressively "run" for president, while traditional candidates would use "front porch campaigns."<ref>R. Hal Williams, ''Realigning America: McKinley, Bryan, and the Remarkable Election of 1896'' (2010)</ref>{{page needed|date=September 2018}} The united opposition of nearly all business leaders and most religious leaders also hurt his candidacy, as did his poor showing among Catholic groups who were alienated by Bryan's emphasis on Protestant moral values.<ref name="reichley144146"/>