populist vs progressive
...allied for cheaper currency calling for free silver to increase the nations tight money supply. Among other monetary issues the Populist party lobbed for inflation, assuming that it would make it easier to pay off debts. The populist believed that the railroad companies were charging farmers way more than what they charge industry, for this reason they called for government intervention in hopes to establishing equal and fare pricing. They also demanded that the government reduced tariffs, allowing farmers to pay lower prices for needed equipment. The Populist in 1892 was very close in replacing the democrats as the nations second party. William Peffer of Kansas and Tom Watson of Georgia became the party’s first senators in 1891. The following year, the party’s presidential candidates James Weaver received one million votes and won four states. In the election of 1894 the party received 1.4million votes and elected six senators and seven representatives. In 1896 the Populist Party nominated William J. Bryan and proposed that Tom Watson would become Bryan’s running mate, when Bryan was not chosen it created a split in the Populist Party. Some populist refused to support Bryan while others reluctantly campaigned for him.The defeat of William Bryan severely damaged the Populist Party. While populist continues to hold power in western states, the partied presence on a national level diminished. In the presidential campaign of 1904 the party won only 117,000 votes and that number dropped to only 29,000 voted in 1908 election. While the Populist movement was an essential component of 19th century politics they were not alone in their requests, motives or goals. Fundamentally different and in some aspects similar the Progressive Movement was also a key component in initiating some key societal changes. Although the Progressives never united behind a single political platform or party, they still played a significant role in politics. The Progressives believe that they should investigate current issues and concerns of the nation, after analyzing these problems they will then educate the American people on that issues and present possible solutions. Finally they would bring these concerns to the at...