33. In Which Box Will the Voter of '96 Put His Ballot

Source:  Kingfisher Reformer (OK), November 29, 1894

In 1894, the Democratic Party collapsed in the West.  Their candidate for governor of Kansas, for instance, received only 6% of the vote.  Likewise, Republicans collapsed in the South, receiving only 12% of the vote in Texas.  Thus, many Populists believed that a major shifting of political allegiance was at hand for the all-important 1896 elections.  

Western Populists had some reason for concern with the 1894 election results.   Most of the new Populist votes were from the South.  Many western Populists had won in 1892 only because of fusion with Democrats.  When Populists and Democrats failed to fuse in 1894, they could not muster a plurality by themselves in many races.  While southern Populists learned that straight Populist tickets, or fusion with local Republicans (the minority mainstream party in the region) could win elections, many western Populists came to the conclusion that only fusion with Democrats (the minority mainstream party in their region) could place them in office.  The stage, thus, was set for intra-party conflict over electoral strategy in 1896.

For their part, southern and western Democrats and Republicans desperately began a campaign to turn their parties to "free silver" in the wake of the 1894 elections.

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