36. Chicago Nomination                         

Source:  Southern Mercury (Dallas, TX), August 6, 1896

Populists, and previous third parties, had wrestled with how to deal with mainstream parties for decades by 1896.  Those who advocated coalition with one of the mainstream parties were known as fusionists.  Those who advocated a straight third party approach were called middle-of-the-roaders (they opposed veering off the road to reform for expedient coalition victories).  Populists split badly at their 1896 convention into fusionists, who supported Bryan's nomination, and mid-roaders, who wanted a straight third party ticket.  Democrat's nomination of Arthur M. Sewall, a Maine banker and capitalist, for vice president provided a major obstacle to nominating Bryan.  In the end, Populists nominated Bryan for president and Populist Thomas E. Watson for vice president.  This pleased almost no one.  Only special negotiations prevented separate Democratic and Populist Bryan tickets from appearing in most states.  In the end, Bryan lost anyway.  He carried the South and most western states, but failed to carry any state in the Northeast or Midwest.  Free silver had little appeal to northeastern urban laborers who feared inflation would raise the price of necessities. 

For more on the 1896 Populist national convention and subsequent campaign, see:

Goodwyn, Lawrence C. Democratic Promise: The Populist Moment in America. New York, Oxford U P, 1976.  Abridged as The Populist Moment: A Short History of the Agrarian Revolt in America. New York, Oxford U P, 1978.

Durden, Robert F. The Climax of Populism: The Election of 1896. 190 p. Lexington: U of Kentucky P, 1965.

Middle-of-the-roader Henry Demarest Lloyd of Chicago gave the following assessment of the 1896 Populist National Convention.

| Document -- "The Populists at St. Louis" |

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