Antedating of "Populist"

[Shapiro, Fred]

populist (OED 1891 Dec. as adjective, 1892 as noun)

1891 _Macon Telegraph_ 31 May 4 (America's Historical Newspapers)  Southern Alliancemen now know what is expected of them, and must each determine for himself whether he is a Democrat or a ":Populist" -- the name authoritatively announced as the designation of a member of the new party.

Fred Shapiro

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org