Final answer:
In the 1896 election, the Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan, who supported a silver-based monetary system and was later endorsed by the Populist Party.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Democrats put forward William Jennings Bryan as their candidate for the 1896 election. Bryan was a congressman from Nebraska who strongly supported a silver-based monetary system, which opposed the Republicans' gold standard policy.
Despite being an ideal candidate for the Populist Party, the Democrats got to him first, and he was subsequently endorsed by the Populists as well. The election of 1896 was quite influential as it emphasized the economic divides and set the stage for future debates about monetary policy and the role of government in supporting various economic classes.