The period between 1880 and 1900 was a boom time for American
politics. The country was for once free of the threat of war, and many
of its citizens were living comfortably. However, as these two decades
went by, the American farmer found it harder and harder to live
comfortably. Crops such as cotton and wheat, once the bulwark of
agriculture, were selling at prices so low that it was nearly
impossible for farmers to make a profit off them. Furthermore,
improvement in transportation allowed foreign competition to
materialize, making it harder for American farmers to dispose of
surplus crop. Finally, years of drought in the midwest and the
downward spiral of business in the 1890's devastated many of the
nation's farmers. As a result of the agricultural depression, many
farm groups, most notably the Populist Party, arose to fight what
farmers saw as the reasons for the decline in agriculture. During the
last twenty years of the nineteenth century, many farmers in the
United States saw monopolies and trusts, railroads, and money
shortages and the demonetization of silver as threats to their way of
life, though in many cases their complaints were not valid.
The growth of the railroad was one of the most significant
elements in American economic growth. However, in many ways, the
railroads hurt small shippers and farmers. Extreme competition between
rail companies necessitated some way to win business. To do this, many
railroads offered rebates and drawbacks to larger shippers who used
their rails. However, this practice hurt smaller shippers, including
farmers, for often times railroad companies would charge more to ship
products short distances than they would for long trips. The rail
companies justified this practice by asserting that if they did not
rebate, they would not make enough profit to stay in business. In his
testimony to the Senate Cullom Committee, George W. Parker stated,
politics. The country was for once free of the threat of war, and many
of its citizens were living comfortably. However, as these two decades
went by, the American farmer found it harder and harder to live
comfortably. Crops such as cotton and wheat, once the bulwark of
agriculture, were selling at prices so low that it was nearly
impossible for farmers to make a profit off them. Furthermore,
improvement in transportation allowed foreign competition to
materialize, making it harder for American farmers to dispose of
surplus crop. Finally, years of drought in the midwest and the
downward spiral of business in the 1890's devastated many of the
nation's farmers. As a result of the agricultural depression, many
farm groups, most notably the Populist Party, arose to fight what
farmers saw as the reasons for the decline in agriculture. During the
last twenty years of the nineteenth century, many farmers in the
United States saw monopolies and trusts, railroads, and money
shortages and the demonetization of silver as threats to their way of
life, though in many cases their complaints were not valid.
The growth of the railroad was one of the most significant
elements in American economic growth. However, in many ways, the
railroads hurt small shippers and farmers. Extreme competition between
rail companies necessitated some way to win business. To do this, many
railroads offered rebates and drawbacks to larger shippers who used
their rails. However, this practice hurt smaller shippers, including
farmers, for often times railroad companies would charge more to ship
products short distances than they would for long trips. The rail
companies justified this practice by asserting that if they did not
rebate, they would not make enough profit to stay in business. In his
testimony to the Senate Cullom Committee, George W. Parker stated,
