Populism Forward or Backward Looking
The Populist movement represented a viable plan for the future, which although failed as a third-party movement, it made thousands aware of the needs for reform. The abuses of monopolistic capitalism were spreading across the US leaving behind a trail of poverty. The call for an unlimited coinage of silver and gold at a ratio of 16 to 1 would enable farmers to pay their debts more easily as well as put an end to deflation. Furthermore, government control over railroads would prevent farmers and other individuals from being subjected to monopolistic tactics by railroad owners. Finally, the enactment of a graduated income tax would allow for a more just means of taxation. An unlimited coinage of silver and gold at a ratio of 16 to 1 would cause inflation to occur thus augmenting the value of property and allowing farmers to pay off their debts. The United Sates was undergoing a period of de
Finally, the enactment of a graduated income tax would aid less-income families by alleviating the tax burden on them while at the same time taxing those who earn a greater income at a higher rate. Garraty notes, "Money and property were so maldistributed that 1 percent of the United Sates population - the corporate magnates and their families - owned seven-eighths of the country's wealth" (96). A graduated income tax, therefore, would help achieve a more equitable distribution of the costs of government. For those who earned a greater income than the mean, "such rates tore no holes in the pockets of the rich" (Norton 651). Source: http://longman.awl.com/history/primarysource_17_4.htm The Populist call for government control of the railroads would prevent overcharging by greedy capitalists allowing all people to transport goods without fear of monopolistic schemes. The Populists affirm
Some common words found in the essay are:
, United Sates, Omaha Farmers, Populist Party, Wall Street, Platform Populist, Civil War, Mary Lease, income tax, pay debts, farmers pay, graduated income, graduated income tax, wall street, farmers pay debts, Street Wall, Omaha Platform, enable farmers pay, united sates, enable farmers, gold ratio, coinage silver, ratio 16 1, silver gold, silver gold ratio,
Approximate Word count = 606
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
