CHAPTER XXIV

Grover Cleveland-The Democratic National Convention of 1884Nomination of Grover Cleveland for President-James G. Blaine Nominated by the Republican Party-Presidential Campaign of 1884-Benjamin F. Butler, Greenback Candidate The Democratic State Convention of 1885-Renomination of Governor Hoadly-The Republican State Convention-Joseph B. Foraker Republican Nominee-Election of Foraker-Change of Election Date-The Cincinnati Contest-The Registration Law-Conventions and Campaign of 1886.

The year 1884 saw the entry into national affairs of the one Democrat who has ascended to the Presidency between the election of Buchanan in 1856, and the year 1912. Grover Cleveland, a lawyer of Buffalo, New York, who had served as Mayor of that city, was elected Governor of the Empire State in 1882. His sweeping victory in that election was the result of Republican misrule and not because of any great public service he had rendered, but his election at once made him a prominent figure before the Democrats of the nation, and when the Democratic National Convention met at Chicago, July 8, 1884, he was a strong candidate for the Presidential

nomination.

The Democratic State Convention of 1884 met in Columbus and renominated James W. Newman for Secretary of State with C. D. Martin for Judge of Supreme Court and John Benfer of Tuscarawas for Member of Board of Public Works. A resolution enforcing the unit rule on delegates to the National Convention was defeated by the very men who had been instrumental in having it adopted four years previously. Durbin Ward, Allen G. Thurman, John R. McLean, and Jacob Mueller were named as delegates-atlarge to the Democratic National Convention.

Two Ohio Democrats were placed in nomination at that Convention. George Hoadly was nominated by Thomas E. Powell and Allen G. Thurman by W. C. Breckenridge. Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware, Joseph E. McDonald of Indiana, Samuel J. Randall of Pennsylvania and John G. Carlisle of Kentucky were also placed in nomination. The first ballot gave Cleveland 392, Bayard 170, Thurman 88, Randall 78, McDonald 56, Carlisle 27, Roswell P. Flower 4, Hoadly 3, Samuel J. Tilden 1. The second ballot was not taken until the following day, July 11th, when Cleveland received 683 votes, Thomas A. Hendricks 145 1-2, Bayard 81 1-2, Thurman 4, Randall 4, McDonald 2. The nomination of Cleveland was then made unanimous and Thomas A. Hendricks was honored with the nomination of Vice-President.

The Republican National Convention met at Chicago June 3rd, and nominated James G. Blaine for President and Gen. John A. Logan for Vice-President.

The Presidential campaign of 1884 was carried on spiritedly by both parties and the result was almost as great a surprise to the Democrats as it was a shock to the Republicans. The tariff was the main issue. The Republican platform declared strongly for protection, while the Democratic platform pledged the Party "to revise the tariff in a spirit of fairness to all interests." During the campaign in Ohio the Republicans found much pleasure in quoting the words of Henry Watterson that: "whenever the vote of Ohio is necessary for the election of a Democratic President the state gives an increased Republican majority," and in pointing to the fact that while Ohio had given three Presidents to the nation, namely, Grant, Hayes, and Garfield, all of them had been Republicans. Blaine was the greatest statesman of his party, if not of the nation, at that time, and the Republicans counted upon his prestige, high patriotism and splendid abilities to command the allegiance and support of the voters of the country. The election was very close and the result was not known for some days. The result of the election depended upon the electoral vote of New York State, which the official count finally gave to Cleveland by 1,047 votes. Two reasons were assigned for the loss of that state to Blaine, involving the loss of the Presidency. There

was first, the memorable blunder of a preacher named Burchard, who in the course of a speech for Blaine in New York defined Democracy as, "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion." This, it was claimed, antagonized the Irish Catholics. The other reason consisted of the claim by the Republicans that there were election frauds in New York City which they charged to Tammany Hall. Notwithstanding these two arguments there was a third and more important cause for Blaine's defeat than either of those usually assigned. Roscoe Conkling and Blaine were bitter enemies, so bitter that Blaine went so far as to deliver a philippic against Conkling upon the floor of Congress which will always remain a gem of political sarcasm. Conkling hated Blaine and Conkling controlled the Republican politics of Oneida County, New York, including the city of Utica, where he resided. Conkling knifed Blaine in that county, reducing its normal majority by 4,000 votes; and that 4,000 would have handsomely extinguished the 1,047 contributed to the Cleveland column by Tammany and Burchard. The popular vote was close. Cleveland received 4,874,986; Blaine 4,851,981; a small 23,005 majority for Cleveland. The electoral vote stood: Cleveland 219, Blaine 182. St. John, the Prohibition candidate, received 150,369 and Benjamin F. Butler, Greenback, 175,370. In Ohio Blaine received 400,082 votes; Cleveland 368,280. Blaine's majority in this state was greater than his majority over the whole United States. St. John's Ohio vote was 11,069, Butler's 5,179. The Republicans also carried the state offices in Ohio.

Benjamin F. Butler was classed as a Greenback, but he was really the candidate of the anti-Monopoly Party with which the Greenback Labor Party joined. The anti-Monopoly Party first came into notice in 1884 when a national convention was held in Chicago, May 14th. That convention nominated Butler for the Presidency. It also adopted a platform demanding economical government and the enactment and enforcement of equitable laws. The platform also included a demand for an interstate commerce law, such as was enacted subsequently and which is now in force. It demanded the establishment of labor bureaus, industrial arbitration, a direct vote for Senators, a graduated income tax and a fostering

whose seats were contested. The Democrats, however, made no attempt to regain their seats through the voice of the Senate.

This incident led to the enactment of a registration law for the larger cities of the state and this was followed by similar legislation for smaller cities, and finally the Australian form of ballot was introduced with its improvements and further amendments to the election laws.

John Sherman was elected United States Senator on January 12th, for the term beginning March 4, 1887. He received the solid Republican vote of the Assembly while Allen G. Thurman received the Democratic vote. This Legislature redistricted the state and also enacted the celebrated Dow Liquor Law.

The Democratic State Convention of 1886 met at Toledo on August 18th, and continued in session two days. General Ebeneezer B. Finley of Crawford County presided. The following state ticket was nominated: For Secretary of State, John McBride; for Judge of the Supreme Court, Martin D. Follett; Clerk of the Supreme Court, John W. Cruikshank; Commissioner of Common Schools, Leroy D. Brown; Member of Board of Public Works, William F. Ludwig.

The Republicans renominated James S. Robinson for Secretary of State; Judge of Supreme Court, Marshall J. Williams; Clerk of Supreme Court, Urban H. Hester; Commissioner of Common Schools, Eli T. Tappan; Member of Board of Public Works, William H. Hahn. The Republicans carried the election by about 12,000 votes and elected 15 of the 21 members of Congress.