LAD#19- The Populist Party Platform

During the late 1890’s the emergence of a third party other than the democrats and the republicans began to take shape in the Populist Party. Their platform included Popular Election of U.S. Senators as provided in the Constitution (Article I, Section 3), senators were selected by the state legislatures, not by popular vote. It was believed that business lobbies exerted inordinate influence over the selection of these officials as well as Direct Democracy. The Populists urged the adoption of the initiative, referendum and recall as means to give the people a more direct voice in government. They also felt that the Government should have ownership of the railroads due to anger against the railroads for alleged price discrimination was so intense that the Populists advocated for federal appropriation. More over, the Populists viewed the graduated income tax as a means to pry loose a portion of the tremendous wealth of the nation's most prosperous citizens. A "graduated" tax meant that the rate of taxation would increase as one's income increased. Finally the populists felt there was a need for a Banking Reform because much of their economic hardship had been caused by bankers' unfair practices. They proposed to end the national banking system, a point of view not widely held.