Populism & Free Silver

meet….

Fantastic fairytale

Populist parable?

Scarecrow

Farmers

Tinman

Factory Workers

Cowardly Lion

William Jennings

Bryan

Before I became the prosecutor in the Scopes Trial

The Wizard of OzJust a scam artist (represented

previous bad presidents) who fooled people into seeing a green city (Washington D.C.) at the end of the yellow

road

The Wicked Witch of the EastRepresented rich senators, bankers, andindustrialists who abused and overworked workers (munchkins)

Senator Marcus Hanna

who fooled people into

seeing greenback$ at the end of the

“gold standard” road.

The Yellow Brick RoadGold Standard

The happy ending for a Populist Parable?

The Scarecrow/Farmers find their brains

The Tin Woodman/Factory Workers find their strength.

The Cowardly Lion/William Jennings Bryan finds his courage and speaks out.

And Dorothy’s magic SILVER slippers (“not ruby!”)

whisk her away from the green fantasy city of Oz to the real world of Kansas.

A happy ending for the Populist fairy tale…

but not what really happened.

Populism and Free Silver lost out to the bankers and the gold standard