Democrats supported government regulation of monopolies, bimetallism, and liberal economic polices to support unskilled workers and farmers.
Democrats in the 1896 election created a coalition with the Populist Party. This move brought the fragmented and less powerful groups of the US together to fight against the Republican Party. William Jennings Bryan led the Democratic Party and was the presidential candidate for the party in 1896.
Despite the overwhelming support from many segments of society, the Democratic Party was over run by the money of the Republican Party. McKinley had the financial backing of the corporate tycoons such as Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan. The election demonstrated a clear split in the US between northern and far west states supporting Republicans and the South and Plain states supporting Democrats.