What effects did the Populist Party have politics?

I've read everything I could get my hands on about the Populist Party and I'm still stumped. I just need some pointers. What exactly are they remembered for? I thought they helped get the Bland-Allison Act and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act passed, but it turns out they didn't even do that. Their presidential candidate was not elected, and the 16'th and 17'th amendments to the Constitution were ratified years after the Populist Party fell apart. So what exactly did they do, other than fail epically?