United States Elections: Presidential Elections (1884)

election 1884
Figure 1.--

The Republicans met in Chicago. U.S Senator and former Speaker of the House James G. Blaine of Maine emerged as the leading candidate. Blaine known as the Man from Maine, won the nomination. President Chester A. Arthur attempted to win renomination, but failed. Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman was emensly popular in the North. He might have won the Republican nomination, but refused to run. He told reporters, "If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve." The Democratic nomination was closely contested at the Chicago convention. Finally they nominated New York Govenor Grover Cleveland. The 1884 presidential election, as were many elections of the day, a quite bitter election. The campaign in fact may have been the dirtiest election in American history. Cleveland was accused of fostering an illegitimate child. The Republican campaign slogan was. "Ma, ma, where is pa? Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha." In reality, Cleveland may not have been the father. He accepted responsibility because the other possible fathers were married men. The Republicans in their campaign parades would always push a prominent baby cairrage. Senator Blaine was presented as a devout family man in stark comparison to Cleveland who was a bachelor. Blaine had a staunchly conservative record and anti-immigrant record. A minor candidate was Belva Lookwood--the first woman's candidate. Mrs. Lockwood went on to become an important spokeswoman for both women's rights and the peace movement. Cleveland won the Presidency with the combined support of Democrats and reform Republicans, the "Mugwumps," who disliked the record of his opponent.

Senator James G. Blaine

James G. Blaine as Speaker of the House and then senator from Maine was one of the most prominant Republicans in the country. He became a leading contender for the presidential nomination at the Republican conventions during the 1870s. His ambitions were, however, dashed bu the Mulligan letters--evidence of corruption. As a senator from a small state, Blaine needed issues to build his nationa; appeal. One of the issues he chose was policies to restrict immigrant influence. Here the schools became a major issue. One of the institutins that differed America from much of Europe, was a competent public school system offering a quality free education to all Americans. The public schools at the time were essentially Protestant schools. Virtually all the teachers and administrators, not to mention legislators voting funds were Protestants. One of the apostles of public education was Horace Mann who believed that the schools should be "a nursery of piety"--meaning Protestant piety. Te Catholic hierarchy understood this and organized paroichial schools. They hoped to obtain some public funds for their schools. Blaine seized upon the issue, seeing it as one with national appeal. He proposed a constitutional amemndment prohibiting public funds for denominational schools (1875). The effort to amend the U.S. Constitution failed, but 37 states did amend their constitutions. Bline worked in Congress to ensure that territories desiring statehood had such provisions in their constitutions.

President Arthur


Nominating Conventions

The Republicans met in Chicago. U.S Senator and former Speaker of the House James G. Blaine of Maine emerged as the leading candidate. President Chester A. Arthur attempted to win renomination, but failed. Blaine known as the Man from Maine, won the nomination. The Republicans then chose Senator John A. Logan of Illinois for their vice-presidential nominee. Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman was emensly popular in the North. He might have won the Republican nomination, but refused to run. He told reporters, "If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve." The Democratic nomination was closely contested at the Chicago convention. Finally they nominated New York Govenor Grover Cleveland. Thomas A. Hendricks who hoped to win the presidential nomination was nominated for vice-president.

Third Parties

Yhird parties usually have only a minor impact on American elections. The primary importance are the issues they raise which are usually coopted by the mjor parties in future elections. A particularly interesting party was the Equal Rights Party. Feeling little support from either of the two major parties, a group of women formed the Equal Right Party to proomote women's suferage (1884). Belva Lockwood, an attorney in Washington, D.C., was chosen as their candidate. The Party had little chance of success because commen in most sttes could not vote. (Sufferage at the time was contrlled by each state.) Her slogan became, "I cannot vote but I can be voted for." She was the first woman to organize a major campaign for the presidency. (Victoria Woodhull conducted a small campaign in 1872). The Party had no campaign chest. Ms Lockwood gave lectures to finance her travels. A minor candidate was Belva Lookwood--the first woman's candidate. Women did not yet have the vote, but nothing barred them from holding office. She only ganered 5,000 votes, but her candidacy was a civics lesson for America and the women's movement. [Norgren] Mrs. Lockwood went on to become an important spokeswoman for both women's rights and the peace movement. The Greenback Labor Party deleted ropped “Labor” from its name and chose a union slate of candidates. Civil War hero Benjamin Franklin Butler as its Presidential nominee and Confederate General Absolom M. West for Vice President. The Prohibitionists were not a new party. John St. John was their third presidetial candidate. They chose William Daniel for Vice President. They were a single issue party, advocating the criminalization of alcoholic beverages.

Campaign

The 1884 presidential election, as were many elections of the day, a quite bitter election. The campaign in fact may have been the dirtiest election in American history. Cleveland was accused of fostering an illegitimate child. The Republican campaign slogan was. "Ma, ma, where is pa? Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha." In reality, Cleveland may not have been the father. He accepted responsibility because the other possible fathers were married men. The Republicans in their campaign parades would always push a prominent baby cairrage. Senator Blaine was presented as a devout family man in stark comparison to Cleveland who was a bachelor. Blaine had a staunchly conservative record and anti-immigrant record--especially Catholic immigrants. While close, Blaine was psed to win election. The outcome was settled in the final week of the campaign A group of New York Protestant clergymen visited Blaine to back his candiday. They gave a series of speeches attacking the Mugwumps who were seen as traitors. Their spokesman was the Rev. Dr. Samuel Burchard, said during the speeches, “We are Republicans, and don't propose to leave our party and identify ourselves with the party whose antecedents have been rum, Romanism, and rebellion.” Blaine did not react as this was how he saw the election as well. A Democratic operative attending the event notivced it. Cleveland's campaign managers publicized it, especially in New York. The statement outraged the the Catholic vote in New York City--especially the Irish. New York City had alarge Catholic population. It had been primarily Irish, but by the 1880s large numbers of Catholic immigrants had begun to arrive from Italy and other areas of southern Europe--largely Catholic areas. And they voted heavily against Blaine. This turned New York from a Blaine to a Cleveland state, by only slightly more than a thousand votes.

Results

Cleveland won the Presidency with the combined support of Southern Democrats and reform Republicans--the "Mugwumps," who disliked the record of his opponent. It was one of the cloest elections in American history. Despite the fact that Cleveland was the govenor of New ork, he only narrowly defeated Blaine in the state. Cleveland won by a margin of a mere 1,047 votes of the 1,167,003 cast. New York's 36 electoral vodes decided the election. Thus Cleveland became the first Democrat elected President since the Civil War.

Sources

Norgren, Jill. Belva Lockwood: The Woman Who Would be President (NYU Press).






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Created: 5:01 AM 12/7/2007
Last updated: 5:01 AM 12/7/2007