 The public sympathized with McKinley for his financial trouble , and he was easily re @-@ elected as governor in late 1893 . At that time , the United States , for all practical purposes , was on the gold standard . Many Democrats , and some Republicans , felt that the gold standard limited economic growth , and supported bimetallism , making silver legal tender , as it had been until the passage of the Coinage Act of 1873 . Doing so would likely be inflationary , permitting holders of silver to deposit bullion at the mints , and receive payment for about twice the silver 's 1896 market value . Many farmers , faced with the long decline in agricultural prices that persisted through the first half of the 1890s , felt that bimetallism would expand the money supply and make it easier to pay their debts . Cleveland was a firm supporter of the gold standard , and believed the massive amounts of silver @-@ backed currency issued pursuant to the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 had helped crash the economy . In 1893 , he forced through the act 's repeal , outraging western Democrats such as Nebraska Congressman William Jennings Bryan . The Democratic Congress in 1894 passed the Wilson @-@ Gorman Tariff , significantly lowering many rates from the McKinley Tariff of 1890 . The economy did not improve in 1894 , and other Cleveland actions , such as federal intervention to halt the Pullman strike , further split his party , 
