32. Result Election Returns                      

Source:  Anthony Weekly Bulletin (KS), November 23, 1894

In this cartoon, which appeared shortly after the 1894 election, the Democratic and Republican parties are show as swept away by the political storm which resulted in Populist victories.  Although the Populist vote increased more than 40% (despite the lower voter turnout of an off-year election), a close examination of the results gave many western Populists pause for concern.  Most of the new votes were from the South.  Many Populist officeholders in the West actually lost their elections.  They had won in 1892 only because of fusion with Democrats.  When Populists and Democrats failed to fuse in 1894, Populists alone could not muster a majority 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 more on the lessons that western Populists learned from the 1894 elections, see:

Pollack, Norman. The Populist Response to Industrial America. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1962.

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