Title:Cross of Gold, Essay topic question: What were some argments put foward by the populist party in the 19th century?

The bitter controversy concerning the matter of the free coinage of silver is proving critical to where the votes will fall in this year's (1896) campaign. On one side, there is William Jennings Bryan who believes that the free coinage of silver is decisive if all the people of the United States wish to prosper from the wealth that it is generating. On the other hand, there is the Republican McKinley who deems that the U.…

…more money for farm land, improved fertilizer, and machinery, so they can produce more at lower cost, but they are earning a mere fraction of what they invest. By introducing the free coinage of silver the farmers and middle class, who make up the majority of our nations population, will be able to clear their debts, earn their just rewards for their arduous labour, and re-invest their returns to bring greater growth of our nation.