1896

28A-1067024

28B-1067025

Free coinage of silver was the rallying cry for Democrats and Populists alike in 1896. They nominated for their candidate William Jennings Bryan, a brilliant orator whose declaration "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold" became a slogan of his campaign (28A-1067024). But some saw the Democratic Party as unwilling to fully support Bryan's views (28B-1067025). Members of the free silver camp became known as "silver bugs" as opposed to the "gold bugs" but they were called "humbugs" as well.

Unlike previous candidates, Bryan capitalized on his booming voice and winning style by taking to the campaign trail himself, giving speeches all over the country, while the Republican candidate, William McKinley, conducted his campaign from his front porch, receiving huge delegations of visitors and giving well-prepared speeches. 

Bryan's financial policy is lampooned in this cartoon (28C-1067026). Bryan was criticized for his youth as well, compared to McKinley, to other imposing political figures, and to the familiar cabinet photographs of the day (28D-1067027, 28E-1067028, 28F-1067029). 

McKinley's campaign was carefully and thoroughly executed by Mark Hanna, a Cleveland businessman. Homer Davenport, of the New York Journal, always depicted Hanna as an unscrupulous manipulator of McKinley (28G-1067030, 28H-1067031). Actually, it was Hanna's good business sense and intelligent management that helped get McKinley elected.