Final answer:
Poor whites sought to eliminate the convention method to challenge the political power of the wealthy elite which disenfranchised poor and minority voters through methods like poll taxes and white primaries. They pushed for more democratic systems like primaries that would give ordinary people more influence in candidate selection, although actual inclusiveness took time and legal changes to achieve.
Step-by-step explanation:
Poor whites wanted to eliminate the convention method of selecting political candidates because it was a system that favored the wealthy elite and often disenfranchised the poor and minorities. This method allowed party leaders to have tight control over the selection of candidates, which often led to a lack of representation for the interests of the poor and non-white citizens. As history shows, restrictive measures like poll taxes, literacy tests, and the 'white primary' were put in place to maintain the political power of the wealthy white elite by excluding large numbers of poor whites and virtually all African Americans from the political process.
The shift to primary and caucus voting in the early twentieth century brought the power to select candidates directly to the people, which was more democratic and inclusive. However, for a time, this improved process was still manipulated by the Democratic Party in the South, which restricted its membership to whites, effectively barring black and minority voters from influencing the selection of candidates despite legally being able to vote in general elections. This struggle for political inclusion continued until legal reforms and civil rights movements addressed these discriminatory practices.