Overview In 1892. various farmer and labor groups met in Omaha and formed the People’s Party which soon was called the Populist Party.
- Made up of a merger between the Farmers’ Alliance and the Knights of Labor.
- Main issues was money and believed that silver should join gold in being minted for money.
- This would put more money in circulation and create inflation which would help debtors pay off their mortgages with “cheap money”.
What did they want?
- The free and unrestricted coinage of silver and gold at ratios of 10 to 1.
- The passage of a progressive income tax based on how much one earns (16th Amendment).
- A plan to support farm prices to halt the decline in farmers income by having the government buy the crops at a fixed prices.
- Government ownership of key industries such as railroads, telegraphs, and books instead of attempts to regulate them.
- Direct election of senators by the people not state legislators (17th Amendment).
- Secret ballots so no one could know how you voted.
- An initiative and referendum process so the people could propose their own laws and reject laws passed by legislatures.
- An eight-hour work day for workers. This was offered to win support of unions and laborers.