[Brion McClanahan]

The shift was the 1896 election. The “Silverite” progressives hijacked the Democrat Party with the nomination of WJ Bryan and the conservatives either supported the splinter NDP or the Republicans. The Republicans in fact attempted to persuade conservative Democrats to join them. That held for 1900 but in 1904 the conservative Democrats supported Alton Parker against he progressive TR. That was the last time the conservative Democrats had a candidate. Even W. Wilson was at one time a Cleveland man, though by 1908 he had become a progressive. So to make a long story short, the progressive hijacked both parties, though it was much easier for the progressive Republicans to do so.