When President Grant proved unwilling to discipline his appointees who were guilty of corruption in office, the nation responded by handing the U.S. House of Representatives to the Democrats in the 1874 midterm elections. Grant still did not hear the voice of the voters, and he indicated that he would be available for a third term in office. The Republican State Conventions in NY, OH, and PA passed resolutions affirming President Washington’s policy that no one should serve more than two terms as President, and the U.S. House followed their lead in a resolution which passed by the margin of 234–18.

The first convention of 1876 was that of the Greenback Party. Organized in 1874, the Greenback Party sought to bring the needs of the farmers of the country into the political arena. Their convention nominated the inventor Peter Cooper for President.

When the Republican convention met in Cincinnati, the odds were that James Blaine of Maine would be the eventual nominee. On the first ballot, Blaine was just 100 votes short of a majority. His vote began to slide after the second ballot, as many Republicans feared that Blaine could not win the election. These anti-Blaine delegates could not agree on a candidate until Blaine reached 41% of the vote on the sixth ballot. The more reform-minded Republican leaders met together and considered the alternatives. The choice was Ohio’s reform Governor, Rutherford B. Hayes. On the seventh ballot, Hayes won 51% to 46% for Blaine.

T

[More...]

When President Grant proved unwilling to discipline his appointees who were guilty of corruption in office, the nation responded by handing the U.S. House of Representatives to the Democrats in the 1874 midterm elections. Grant still did not hear the voice of the voters, and he indicated that he would be available for a third term in office. The Republican State Conventions in NY, OH, and PA passed resolutions affirming President Washington’s policy that no one should serve more than two terms as President, and the U.S. House followed their lead in a resolution which passed by the margin of 234–18.

The first convention of 1876 was that of the Greenback Party. Organized in 1874, the Greenback Party sought to bring the needs of the farmers of the country into the political arena. Their convention nominated the inventor Peter Cooper for President.

When the Republican convention met in Cincinnati, the odds were that James Blaine of Maine would be the eventual nominee. On the first ballot, Blaine was just 100 votes short of a majority. His vote began to slide after the second ballot, as many Republicans feared that Blaine could not win the election. These anti-Blaine delegates could not agree on a candidate until Blaine reached 41% of the vote on the sixth ballot. The more reform-minded Republican leaders met together and considered the alternatives. The choice was Ohio’s reform Governor, Rutherford B. Hayes. On the seventh ballot, Hayes won 51% to 46% for Blaine.

The Democrats met jubilantly in St. Louis just nine days after the conclusion of the Republican convention. The two major contenders for the Presidential nomination were New York’s reform Governor, Samuel Tilden, and Thomas Hendricks of Indiana, who had Greenback sympathies. Tilden’s primary opposition in the convention was the leader of the Tammany political machine in New York, whose political practices were curbed by Tilden’s administration. On the first roll call ballot, Tilden led with 55% of the delegates. His vote rose to 69% on the second ballot, just over the required two-thirds.

There were few differences between the two reform Governors who had been nominated. Both supported a withdrawal of federal troops from the South, a restriction in the printing of paper money, and reforms in federal hiring procedures. They also were governors of large states and spent most of the campaign in their respective offices.

The 1876 election was very close. Hayes narrowly carried Ohio, and Tilden won the critical state of New York. As the election returns continued to come in over the telegraph wires, it was obvious that the electoral vote was going to be close. Tilden had 184 votes to Hayes’ 166. There were also 19 electoral votes from three southern states which were too close to call. Both parties realized the gravity of these three southern states (LA, SC, and FL). The canvassing boards in the states were controlled by the Republicans, and they gave the vote of each state to Hayes. The Democratic election officials filed minority reports and gave the electoral votes to Tilden. The Democratic Governor of Oregon also certified one Democratic Elector there because one of the Republican Electors was ineligible.

With conflicting returns of the election, Congress appointed an Electoral Commission to review the results in the four states. The makeup of the Commission was seven Democrats, seven Republicans, and one Independent. When the Independent member was elected to the U.S. Senate, he resigned from the Commission. His replacement voted with the Republicans to give all the disputed electoral votes to Hayes.

[Less...]