The 1896 critical election

A) saw elite democratic principles triumph over popular democratic hopes.
B) encouraged big business interests to accommodate the concerns of small farmers.
C) spurred large numbers of city dwellers to vote Democratic.
D) began to erode the Democrats' "solid South."

The 1896 critical election is often seen as a victory for elite democratic principles, represented by William McKinley and the Republican Party, over the popular democratic hopes embodied by William Jennings Bryan and the Populist movement. This election solidified the power of industrial interests and marked a setback for those advocating for the concerns of small farmers and the working class.