The presidential campaign of 1896 was one of the most exciting in American history. The central issue was the country’s money supply. An economic depression had begun in 1893, and public opinion—and even the Democratic Party—was split between those who favoured the gold standard and those who favoured free silver, a type of currency inflation, to help alleviate the depression. Most Republicans, as well as Democratic supporters of Pres. Grover Cleveland, were in favour of the gold standard. Southern and western Democrats and Populists (also known as the People’s Party)—many of them farmers who were suffering financially—vied for free silver, which ultimately helped bring those two parties together. In June at the Republican national convention in St. Louis, Missouri, former Ohio congressman and governor William McKinley, who was popular in his party for his moderate views on gold and silver, easily won the Republican presidential nomination. Garret A. Hobart of New Jersey was chosen as his running mate after Thomas Reed, who had vied for the presidential ticket, rejected the vice presidential nomination. At their convention in Chicago the following month, the Democrats chose magnetic orator and former Nebraska congressman William Jennings Bryan. Although he was only 36 years of age, Bryan’s famous “Cross of Gold” speech (July 8), given in closing debate on the party platform and in favour of including a plank endorsing free silver, so electrified the convention that he was nominated for president, winning on the fifth ballot. His solution for the depressed economy was an “easy money” policy based on the unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio to gold of 16 to 1. On that platform he also received the nominations of the Populist and National Silver parties. Arthur Sewall, an executive from Maine, was chosen as the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate. The Populists, trying to preserve their party as separate from the Democrats, nominated Thomas E. Watson as their vice presidential candidate McKinley ran on a Republican platform emphasizing maintenance of the gold standard, while his opponent called for the bimetallic standard of gold and silver. Bryan campaigned vigorously, traveling thousands of miles and delivering hundreds of speeches in support of an inflated currency that would help poor farmers and other debtors. McKinley remained at home in Canton, Ohio, greeting visiting delegations of Republicans at his front porch and giving carefully prepared speeches promoting the benefits of a gold-backed currency. Prominent Republican industrialist Mark Hanna tapped big businesses for enormous campaign contributions while directing a network of Republican speakers who portrayed Bryan as a dangerous radical and McKinley as “the advance agent of prosperity.” Although Bryan rallied a devoted voter base, sweeping the South and most of the mountain West, McKinley won the election decisively, carrying the North and Pacific West and becoming the first president to achieve a popular majority since 1872. In the electoral college, McKinley defeated Bryan 271 to 176..
