In a candid demonstration of inventive grant, Henry M. Littlefield connected the characters and the story line of the Oz story to the political scene of the Mauve Decade. Baum's children's story was a "parable on populism," a "vibrant and ironic portrait" of America on the eve of the new century. In the book form of Oz, Dorothy treads the Yellow Brick Road in silver shoes, not in ruby shoes. A key board in the Populist stage was an interest "with the expectation of free silver" - that is, the "free and boundless coinage of silver and gold" at a settled proportion of sixteen to one. Populists and other free-silver defenders upheld boundless coinage of the white metal with a specific end goal to inflate the cash supply, in this manner making it easier for desperate ranchers, farmers and small businessmen to obtain cash and pay off debts. …show more content…
The outcome for ranchers and all who relied upon agriculture for their livelihood was devastating. Many ascribed their misfortune to the natural elements, called it quits, and moved on. Others faulted the harsh circumstances for brokers, the railways, and different middlemen who appeared to benefit at the agriculturists' cost. Around these economic and political grievances, the Populist movement