Newspapers provided a significant portion of the political education that farmers received during the 1890s. Most were small, highly partisan, and run on a shoe-string budget. To supplement local news and activities, Populist editors frequently purchased 'boiler plate' syndications that contained national news, party propaganda, and cartoons. The messages in these illustrations could be cutting, controversial, or even poignant. They probably left a stronger impression than the editorials, particularly among those tired from a long day's work or with questionable reading skills. These cartoons provide us with a window into the world of Populist politics in the 1890s.