NAT-Election of 1892

Date: 5-10-2001

THE MAKING OF A NATION #140 - ELECTION OF 1892

By FRANK BEARDSLEY

VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- A PROGRAM IN SPECIAL ENGLISH BY THE
VOICE OF AMERICA.

(THEME)

EIGHTEEN-NINETY-TWO WAS A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR IN THE
UNITED STATES. IN THAT YEAR, MOST PARTS OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY
WERE EXPANDING. BUT ONE PART WAS NOT DOING WELL: AGRICULTURE.
THE RESULT WAS THE BIRTH OF A NEW POLITICAL PARTY. IT WAS CALLED
THE PEOPLE'S PARTY. ITS MEMBERS WERE CALLED POPULISTS.

I'M MAURICE JOYCE. TODAY, STAN BUSBY AND I TELL ABOUT THE POPULISTS,
AND HOW THEY CAMPAIGNED AGAINST THE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS IN
THE ELECTION.

VOICE TWO:

IN THE LATE EIGHTEEN-EIGHTIES, A NORTH CAROLINA FARMING
PUBLICATION DESCRIBED AMERICA'S ECONOMY THIS WAY:

"THERE IS SOMETHING RADICALLY WRONG IN OUR INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM.
THE RAILROADS ARE MAKING MUCH MONEY. YET AGRICULTURE IS FAILING.
THE BANKS ARE DOING GREAT BUSINESS. YET AGRICULTURE IS FAILING.
TOWNS AND CITIES GROW. YET AGRICULTURE IS FAILING. WAGES WERE
NEVER SO HIGH. YET AGRICULTURE IS FAILING."

HISTORIANS GIVE FOUR MAJOR REASONS WHY AGRICULTURE WAS FAILING IN
THE LATE EIGHTEEN-EIGHTIES. ONE WAS THE HIGH COST OF

TRANSPORTATION. SECOND WAS HIGH TAXES. THIRD WAS FALLING PRICES
FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. AND FOURTH WAS THE HIGH COST OF
BORROWING MONEY.

VOICE ONE:

FARMERS BEGAN TO ORGANIZE TO DISCUSS THEIR PROBLEMS. THEY FORMED
LOCAL GROUPS CALLED "ALLIANCES." AN ALLIANCE MEMBER DESCRIBED
THE RESULT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS:

"PEOPLE BEGAN TO THINK, WHO HAD NEVER THOUGHT BEFORE. PEOPLE
TALKED, WHO HAD NEVER SPOKEN MUCH. LITTLE BY LITTLE, THEY BEGAN
TO STUDY THEIR CONDITION. THEY DISCUSSED TAXES ON INCOME.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY. THE UNITY OF LABOR. AND A
THOUSAND OTHER OPPOSING IDEAS."

VOICE TWO:

LOCAL ALLIANCES FORMED LARGER GROUPS. THE LARGER GROUPS INCLUDED
MANY PERSONS WHO WERE NOT FARMERS, BUT WHO LIVED AND WORKED IN
AGRICULTURAL AREAS. THESE INCLUDED TEACHERS, DOCTORS, REPAIRMEN,
REPORTERS, AND CHURCH LEADERS.

IN EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY-NINE, THE MAJOR ALLIANCES HELD SEPARATE
CONVENTIONS IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. THEY REFUSED TO FORM ONE BIG
ALLIANCE. THEY WERE DIVIDED ON SEVERAL IMPORTANT ISSUES.

VOICE ONE:

THE CHIEF ISSUE WAS POLITICAL. LEADERS OF THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE
HAD DECIDED THAT AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS COULD EXPECT LITTLE HELP
FROM EITHER THE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC PARTIES. THEY BELIEVED
THE ANSWER TO THEIR PROBLEMS WAS A THIRD NATIONAL POLITICAL
PARTY.

LEADERS OF THE SOUTHERN ALLIANCE DISAGREED. THEY BELONGED TO THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY. AND, AT THAT TIME, DEMOCRATS FACED LITTLE
OPPOSITION IN THE SOUTH. A NEW PARTY WOULD WEAKEN THEIR
POLITICAL POWER. SO THEY WANTED TO WORK FOR CHANGE WITHIN THE
EXISTING DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

VOICE TWO:

ANOTHER ISSUE DIVIDING THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ALLIANCES WAS
RACIAL. HOW WOULD A UNITED ALLIANCE DEAL WITH BLACK FARMERS?
THE SOUTHERN ALLIANCE DID NOT PERMIT BLACK MEMBERS. AND IT DID
NOT WANT BLACKS IN A UNITED ALLIANCE. THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE SAID
BLACKS COULD JOIN.

THE TWO GROUPS COULD NOT SETTLE THEIR DIFFERENCES BEFORE THE
STATE AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS OF EIGHTEEN-NINETY. SO, THEY
DID NOT CAMPAIGN AS ONE PARTY. BUT THEY CAMPAIGNED FOR ONE IDEA:
HELP FOR AMERICA'S FARMERS.

THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH AND MIDDLE WEST, THEY SUCCEEDED IN ELECTING
AGRICULTURAL CANDIDATES AS GOVERNORS, STATE LEGISLATORS,
SENATORS, AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

VOICE ONE:

FARM LEADERS EVERYWHERE WERE SURPRISED BY THEIR ELECTION
VICTORIES IN EIGHTEEN-NINETY. THEY HAD NOT EXPECTED TO WIN SO
MUCH, SO QUICKLY. LEADERS OF THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE DECIDED THE
TIME WAS RIGHT TO FORM ONE PARTY TO REPRESENT ALL FARMERS. THEY
FELT SURE OF SUCCESS. FOR NOW, ENOUGH LEADERS OF THE SOUTHERN
ALLIANCE WERE WILLING TO SUPPORT THE IDEA.

THESE SOUTHERN LEADERS HAD SUCCEEDED WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. BUT THEY QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THEY HELD POLITICAL POWER ONLY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.THEY HELD ALMOST NO POWER AT THE NATIONAL
LEVEL.

SO, A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF
EIGHTEEN-NINETY-TWO, AMERICA'S AGRICULTURAL ALLIANCES HELD A
JOINT CONVENTION IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA. THEY FORMED A NEW PARTY.
THEY CALLED IT THE PEOPLE'S PARTY. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES
POPULISTS.

VOICE TWO:

DELEGATES TO THE CONVENTION APPROVED A POLICY STATEMENT FOR THE
NEW PARTY. THE STATEMENT SAID THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD OWN THE COUNTRY'S RAILROADS, TELEGRAPH, AND TELEPHONE SYSTEMS. IT
SAID THE GOVERNMENT -- NOT BANKS -- SHOULD SUPPLY PAPER MONEY.
AND IT SAID NO LIMITS SHOULD BE PUT ON GOVERNMENT PRODUCTION OF
SILVER MONEY.

THE POPULISTS CALLED FOR A TAX ON EARNINGS. FEWER WORKING HOURS
FOR LABOR. CONTROLS ON IMMIGRATION.

TO HELP FARMERS, THE POPULISTS DEMANDED WHAT THEY CALLED THE
"SUB-TREASURY PLAN." UNDER THIS PLAN, FARMERS COULD PUT THEIR
CROPS IN GOVERNMENT STOREHOUSES. THEN THEY COULD WAIT TO SELL
THE CROPS UNTIL PRICES ROSE. WHILE THEY WAITED, THEY COULD
BORROW MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT AT LOW COST. THEY WOULD PAY
BACK THE LOANS WHEN THEY SOLD THEIR CROPS.

VOICE ONE:

THE NEW PEOPLE'S PARTY ALSO PROPOSED WAYS TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE DEMOCRATIC.IT SAID SECRET BALLOTS SHOULD BE USED IN ALL
ELECTIONS. IT SAID SENATORS SHOULD BE ELECTED BY THE
PEOPLE...NOT CHOSEN BY STATE LEGISLATURES.

MOST AMERICANS CONSIDERED POPULIST PROPOSALS EXTREME. THEY FELT
THE PROPOSALS WERE TOO CLOSE TO SOCIALISM OR COMMUNISM. THE
POPULISTS CONSIDERED THEIR PROPOSALS JUST. THEY FELT THEIR
MOVEMENT WAS A STRUGGLE FOR MORE EQUAL CONTROL OF THE NATION.

ON ONE SIDE OF THE STRUGGLE WERE PRODUCERS. THESE INCLUDED
FARMERS, LABORERS, AND SMALL BUSINESSMEN. THEY WERE LED BY THE
NEW PEOPLE'S PARTY. ON THE OTHER SIDE WERE WHAT POPULISTS CALLED
NON-PRODUCERS. THESE INCLUDED WEALTHY BANKERS AND LEADERS OF
INDUSTRY. THEY WERE LED BY THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC
PARTIES.

POPULISTS WANTED PRODUCERS TO HAVE SOME OF THE POLITICAL POWER
TRADITIONALLY HELD BY NON-PRODUCERS. THEY WANTED PRODUCERS TO
GET A FAIRER SHARE OF THE NATION'S INCREASING WEALTH.

VOICE TWO:

THE PEOPLE'S PARTY CHOSE JAMES WEAVER AS ITS CANDIDATE IN THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF EIGHTEEN-NINETY-TWO. WEAVER HAD BEEN AN
OFFICER IN THE UNION ARMY DURING AMERICA'S CIVIL WAR. HE HAD
SERVED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AND HE HAD BEEN THE
CANDIDATE OF A MINOR PARTY IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF
EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY.

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY RE-NOMINATED PRESIDENT BENJAMIN HARRISON.
AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOMINATED FORMER PRESIDENT GROVER
CLEVELAND.

VOICE ONE:

THE CAMPAIGN BEGAN QUIETLY. BUT A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE
ELECTION, A LABOR DISPUTE EXPLODED INTO AN IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN
ISSUE. SEVERAL THOUSAND STEELWORKERS WENT ON STRIKE AT A FACTORY
OWNED BY THE CARNEGIE STEEL COMPANY IN HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.
THE STEELWORKERS UNION CALLED THE STRIKE AFTER FAILING TO REACH A
WAGE AGREEMENT WITH COMPANY OFFICIALS.

AFTER MONTHS OF GROWING TENSION, THE HEAD OF THE COMPANY SENT
THREE-HUNDRED PRIVATE SECURITY OFFICERS TO BREAK UP THE STRIKE
AND PROTECT NON-UNION WORKERS. THE SECURITY OFFICERS AND MANY OF
THE STRIKERS CARRIED GUNS. SHOTS WERE FIRED. TEN MEN WERE
KILLED.

THE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA IMMEDIATELY SENT STATE SOLDIERS TO
THE STEEL FACTORY. AFTER A FEW MORE ATTEMPTS TO CONTINUE THE
STRIKE, THE UNION ADMITTED DEFEAT. ITS POWER WAS CRUSHED.IT
WOULD BE MORE THAN FORTY YEARS BEFORE AMERICA'S STEELWORKERS WERE
ORGANIZED AGAIN.

VOICE TWO:

A SHORT TIME LATER, STATE SOLDIERS WERE USED TO BREAK UP A STRIKE
BY RAILROAD WORKERS IN NEW YORK. AND FEDERAL SOLDIERS WERE USED
AGAINST STRIKING SILVER MINERS IN IDAHO.

THIS USE OF GOVERNMENT TROOPS TO END STRIKES CAUSED MANY CITIZENS
TO VOTE AGAINST THE RULING REPUBLICAN PARTY. THEY VOTED FOR THE
OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC OR PEOPLE'S PARTIES, INSTEAD.

IN THE ELECTION OF EIGHTEEN-NINETY-TWO, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT
BENJAMIN HARRISON WAS DEFEATED. DEMOCRAT GROVER CLEVELAND -- WHO HAD LOST TO HARRISON FOUR YEARS EARLIER -- WOULD BE PRESIDENT
AGAIN. THE PEOPLE'S PARTY CANDIDATE, JAMES WEAVER, WON
ONE-MILLION POPULAR VOTES AND TWENTY-TWO ELECTORAL VOTES.

VOICE ONE:

GROVER CLEVELAND RETURNED TO THE WHITE HOUSE, JUST AS HIS WIFE
HAD SAID HE WOULD. BUT HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT THAN HIS FIRST. WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF CLEVELAND'S
INAUGURATION, THE UNITED STATES ENTERED INTO ONE OF THE WORST
ECONOMIC DEPRESSIONS IN ITS HISTORY.

THAT WILL BE OUR STORY IN THE NEXT PROGRAM OF THE MAKING OF A
NATION.

(THEME)

VOICE TWO:

YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THE SPECIAL ENGLISH PROGRAM, THE
MAKING OF A NATION. YOUR NARRATORS WERE MAURICE JOYCE AND
STAN BUSBY. OUR PROGRAM WAS WRITTEN BY FRANK BEARDSLEY.

Source: www.voa.gov/special/