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1888 Republican National Convention

American political convention

American political convention

FieldValue
year1888
previous_year1884
next_year1892
partyRepublican
imageRP1892.png
image_size125
image2RNC-VP-1888.png
image_size2125
captionNominees
Harrison and Morton
dateJune 19–25, 1888
cityChicago, Illinois
venueAuditorium Theatre
chairMorris M. Estee
presidential_nomineeBenjamin Harrison
presidential_nominee_stateIndiana
vice_presidential_nomineeLevi P. Morton
vice_presidential_nominee_stateNew York
othercandidatesJohn Sherman
Russell A. Alger
Walter Q. Gresham
totaldelegates832
votesneeded417
ballots8
presidenttotalsHarrison (IN): 544 (65.38%)
Sherman (OH): 118 (14.18%)
Alger (MI): 100 (12.02%)
Gresham (IN): 59 (7.09%)
Blaine (ME): 5 (0.60%)
McKinley (OH): 4 (0.48%)
Others: 1 (0.12%)
vicepresidenttotalsMorton (NY): 592 (71.15%)
Phelps (NJ): 119 (14.3%)
Bradley (KY): 103 (12.38%)
Bruce (MS): 11 (1.32%)
Abstaining: 6 (0.72%)
Walter S. Thomas: 1 (0.12%)

Harrison and Morton Russell A. Alger Walter Q. Gresham Sherman (OH): 118 (14.18%) Alger (MI): 100 (12.02%) Gresham (IN): 59 (7.09%) Blaine (ME): 5 (0.60%) McKinley (OH): 4 (0.48%) Others: 1 (0.12%) Phelps (NJ): 119 (14.3%) Bradley (KY): 103 (12.38%) Bruce (MS): 11 (1.32%) Abstaining: 6 (0.72%) Walter S. Thomas: 1 (0.12%) The 1888 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, on June 19–25, 1888. It resulted in the nomination of former Senator Benjamin Harrison of Indiana for president and Levi P. Morton of New York, a former Representative and Minister to France, for vice president. During the convention, Frederick Douglass was invited to speak and became the first African-American to have his name put forward for a presidential nomination in a major party's roll call vote; he received one vote from Kentucky on the fourth ballot.

The ticket won in the election of 1888, defeating President Grover Cleveland and former Senator Allen G. Thurman from Ohio.

Venue

Illustration of the exterior of the then-incomplete Auditorium Building during the convention
Illustration of the Auditorium Theatre during the convention
Floor plan of the venue as set-up during the convention

The convention was held in Chicago's Auditorium Theatre. Since the construction on the theater had not been completed in time for the convention, a tent canvas was utilized as a temporary roof during the convention. Controversy was generated, with labor movement supporters taking issue with the non trade union labor utilized in the construction of the Auditorium Building (which the theater is a component of).

Issues addressed

Illustration of the convention
Illustration of the convention

Issues addressed in the convention included support for protective tariffs, repeal of taxes on tobacco, support for the use of gold and silver as currency and support for pensions for veterans. The party also expressed its opposition to polygamy.

Presidential nomination

Nominated

Illustration of the Gresham campaign's convention headquarters

Image:BHarrison.jpg|Former U.S. Senator Benjamin Harrison of Indiana Image:JohnSherman.png|U.S. Senator John Sherman of Ohio Image:Russell Alexander Alger by by The Detroit Publishing Co..jpg| Former Governor Russell A. Alger of Michigan Image:Walter Q. Gresham - Brady-Handy.jpg| Former Secretary of the Treasury Walter Q. Gresham of Indiana Image:William Boyd Allison.jpg|U.S. Senator William B. Allison of Iowa (Withdrew after 7th Ballot) Image:YoungerDepew.jpg|NYC RR President Chauncey Depew of New York (Withdrew after 3rd Ballot) Image:Jeremiah McLain Rusk - Brady-Handy.jpg|Governor Jeremiah M. Rusk of Wisconsin (Withdrew after 3rd Ballot) Image:Edwin H. Fitler (Philadelphia Mayor).jpg|Mayor Edwin Henry Fitler of Pennsylvania (Withdrew after 1st Ballot) File:Joseph Roswell Hawley - Brady-Handy.jpg|Senator Joseph R. Hawley from Connecticut (Withdrew after 1st Ballot)

Not Nominated

File:Unsuccessful 1884.jpg|Former Secretary of State James G. Blaine of Maine (Declined to Contest) (Recommended Harrison) File:John James Ingalls - Brady-Handy.jpg|U.S. Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas File:William Walter Phelps - Brady-Handy.jpg|Representative William Walter Phelps of New Jersey File:Mckin.jpg|Representative William McKinley of Ohio (Endorsed John Sherman) File:Frederick Douglass (circa 1879).jpg|Suffragist Frederick Douglass of Washington, D.C.

The early favorite for the nomination was James G. Blaine. After he disclaimed interest, several candidates vied for the prize, with the frontrunners being Russell A. Alger, Walter Q. Gresham, Chauncey Depew, and John Sherman. After several ballots, none of the leading candidates was able to obtain a majority. Benjamin Harrison, who had served in the U.S. Senate from 1881 to 1887, but had lost reelection after the Democrats gained control of the Indiana legislature, was a dark horse candidate. Republicans were dispirited after losing the presidency in 1884 and were attracted to Harrison because of the speech announcing his presidential candidacy, in which he described himself as a "living and rejuvenated Republican." Harrison won the nomination on the eighth ballot and "Rejuvenated Republicanism" became the party's campaign slogan.

**Presidential Balloting**Candidate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8thHarrisonShermanAlgerGreshamAllisonDepewBlaineIngallsPhelpsRuskFitlerMcKinleyHawleyLincolnMillerDouglassForakerGrantCreed HaymondBlank
859194216212231279544
229249244235224244230118
84116122135143137120100
1071081239887919159
727588889973760
99999100000
353335424840155
2816000000
2518500000
25201600000
240000000
238111412164
130000000
32210020
00200000
00010000
00010110
00000100
00000010
12245212

Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 22, 1888) File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png|1st Presidential Ballot File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination2ndBallot.png|2nd Presidential Ballot File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination3rdBallot.png|3rd Presidential Ballot

Presidential Balloting / 5th Day of Convention (June 23, 1888) File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination4thBallot.png|4th Presidential Ballot File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination5thBallot.png|5th Presidential Ballot

Presidential Balloting / 6th Day of Convention (June 25, 1888) File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination6thBallot.png|6th Presidential Ballot File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination7thBallot.png|7th Presidential Ballot File:1888RepublicanPresidentialNomination8thBallot.png|8th Presidential Ballot

Vice presidential nomination

Vice presidential candidates

Image:Levi Morton - Brady-Handy portrait - tight 3x4 crop.jpg|Former Minister Levi P. Morton of New York Image:William Walter Phelps - Brady-Handy.jpg|Representative William W. Phelps of New Jersey Image:William Bradley.jpg|Gubernatorial Candidate William O. Bradley of Kentucky

Blaine, who had recommended Harrison for the presidential nomination, suggested former Representative and Minister to Austria-Hungary William Walter Phelps of New Jersey for vice president. Thomas C. Platt, an influential political boss in New York State, supported fellow New Yorker Levi P. Morton, a former Representative and Minister to France. He had been asked in 1880, but declined. This time Morton decided to accept. He was easily elected on the first ballot as Platt's support of Morton helped him defeat Phelps by a margin of five to one.

**Vice Presidential Ballot**Candidate1stMortonPhelpsBradleyBruceThomasNot Voting
592
119
103
11
1
6

Vice Presidential Balloting / 6th Day of Convention (June 25, 1888) File:1888RepublicanVicePresidentialNomination1stBallot.png|1st Vice Presidential Ballot

Accusation of delegate vote-buying

Illustration of the convention

Nearly a decade later, Ohio candidate John Sherman accused Michigan candidate millionaire Russell A. Alger of buying the votes of Southern delegates who had already confirmed their vote for Sherman. In Sherman's 1895 two-volume book "Recollections" he asserted, "I believe, and had, as I thought, conclusive proof, that the friends of Gen. Alger substantially purchased the votes of many of the delegates from the Southern States who had been instructed by their conventions to vote for me." Once accused, Alger submitted correspondence to the New York Times, who published one letter from 1888, written after the convention to Alger, where Sherman states, "if you bought some [votes], according to universal usage, surely I don't blame you." Later in the same New York Times article, Alger insisted neither he or friends bought a single vote. The article also quotes another delegate, James Lewis, who claimed that "the colored delegates of the South will unite on a Union soldier in preference" instead of a civilian.

When Sherman introduced his antitrust legislation two years later, his main example of unlawful combination drew from a Michigan Supreme Court case involving Diamond Match Company and Alger's participation as president and stock holder.

References

References

  1. (May 27, 2014). "Auditorium Theatre Chicago: 25 Things You Should Know About "The Eighth Wonder of the World"".
  2. (23 April 1888). "A PARTY BOYCOTT FEARED.; THE AUDITORIUM AND THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.".
  3. [https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/republican_conventions.pdf Official Proceedings of the Republican National Convention Held at Chicago, June 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 25, 1888] {{webarchive. link. (2008-08-29)
  4. Girard, Jolyon P.. (2019). "Presidents and Presidencies in American History". ABC-CLIO.
  5. Spetter, Allan B.. (2019). "Benjamin Harrison: Campaigns and Elections". Miller Center, University of Virginia.
  6. Historian of the U.S. Senate. "Levi Parsons Morton, 22nd Vice President (1889-1893)". United States Senate.
  7. Alger Answers Sherman; Denial that Southern Delegates Sold Their Votes. The Senators Charges Refuted In an Autograph Letter He Practically Withdrew His Charge of Unfairness -- Gen. Sherman Not Opposed to the Purchase of Votes.[https://www.nytimes.com/1895/11/22/archives/alger-answers-sherman-denial-that-southern-delegates-sold-their.html]
  8. [https://www.nytimes.com/1890/03/25/archives/sherman-to-alger.html Sherman to Alger.]
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