This question needs a bit of work. The Populist party was from 1891 to 1908 so there were several years that it existed. To answer the question the reader needs to know what year you refer to.
Southern guys left the Democratic Party and went with the Republican party. This was obviously because the civil rights plank involved blacks being accepted.
populists
populists
The People's Party...better known as the Populists
Populists
The Party Plank is a beautifully crafted, solid wood plank which holds four shot glasses. The shot glasses are filled with the desired beverage and then four participants take a shot in unison. After taking a shot, "Party Plankers" sign the plank with a signature and/or a unique note honoring the special event with their official participation. Learn more about the Party Plank at www.partyplank.com.
The Populists Party represented the views of the ordinary people. It mostly consisted of farmers and those who preferred the free coinage of silver.
Plank
Why is the Populist Party generally regarded as a failure by historians?
The Whigs, Copperheads, and Populists were all parties that collapsed. The Democrats were the only original party to last as new parties formed.
In 1896, they nominated a Democrat, William Jennings Bryan, for president, which lost the Republican and southern Populists. By identifying with many of the ideals of the Democratic Party, they lost most of their their party identity.
People's party