The Bourbon Democrats were a faction of the Democratic Party who were ideologically aligned with conservatism or classical liberalism. Bourbon Democrats were proponents of laissez-faire capitalism, and they supported fiscal discipline and opposed high-tariff protectionism. They represented business interests such as banking and railroads, but they opposed subsidies for them and were unwilling to protect them from competition. They also opposed American overseas expansion, opposed bimetallism, promoted hard and sound money, supported reforms, and opposed corrupt city bosses. During the 1896 presidential election, the Bourbon Democrats were overthrown by William Jennings Bryan's populist wing of the party, which endorsed bimetallism; staunchly pro-gold Democrats formed the Gold Democrats and ran an unsuccessful ticket in opposition to Bryan and the pro-gold Republican William McKinley. In 1900, just six Democrats crossed party lines to vote in favor of the Gold Standard Act to formally establish a gold standard in the United Staters. After Alton B. Parker's loss in the 1904 presidential election, the Bourbon faction faded away, and former Bourbon supporter Woodrow Wilson made a deal with the Bryan in 1912, with Bryan backing Wilson's presidential bid in exchange for Bryan becoming Secretary of State. The pro-business wing of the Democratic Party withered outside of the South over the next several years, especially during the New Deal era.
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