Background
The National Party was a very small organization based in a room in the house of John Zahnd, an Indianapolis real estate agent who had been associated with the farmer labor movement since 1920. The party had previously been called the Independent Party.
National Convention of 1932
The party leaders met in Indianapolis on 5/4/1932 to select the national ticket. Zahnd, who had been a candidate in 1924 and 1928, announced that he did not wish to run a third time. The party chose George I. Wilson of Vineland NJ to run for President. Wilson, who was 72 years old, operated a news stand and drug store. He had been associated with the Populist Party and with Coxey's Army in 1894, and he had written several pamphlets advocating monetary reform. J.A. Parker, 62, of Blytheville PA, was nominated for Vice President. [New York Times, 5/5,7/1932]
Campaign of 1932
The party was thrown into disarray when Wilson said he would only accept if the party would merge with the Farmer Labor and Liberty Parties. Zahnd would not accept those terms, so Wilson declined to run. [New York Times, 5/7/1932]
The party then chose Seymour E. Allen of Springfield MA as the candidate for President. Once Allen discovered that the party did not support labor unions and did not have unity to take a stand on the issue of prohibition, he also withdrew from the race [New York Times 6/26/1932]. Note: Several sources say that the party held a national conven
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Background
The National Party was a very small organization based in a room in the house of John Zahnd, an Indianapolis real estate agent who had been associated with the farmer labor movement since 1920. The party had previously been called the Independent Party.
National Convention of 1932
The party leaders met in Indianapolis on 5/4/1932 to select the national ticket. Zahnd, who had been a candidate in 1924 and 1928, announced that he did not wish to run a third time. The party chose George I. Wilson of Vineland NJ to run for President. Wilson, who was 72 years old, operated a news stand and drug store. He had been associated with the Populist Party and with Coxey's Army in 1894, and he had written several pamphlets advocating monetary reform. J.A. Parker, 62, of Blytheville PA, was nominated for Vice President. [New York Times, 5/5,7/1932]
Campaign of 1932
The party was thrown into disarray when Wilson said he would only accept if the party would merge with the Farmer Labor and Liberty Parties. Zahnd would not accept those terms, so Wilson declined to run. [New York Times, 5/7/1932]
The party then chose Seymour E. Allen of Springfield MA as the candidate for President. Once Allen discovered that the party did not support labor unions and did not have unity to take a stand on the issue of prohibition, he also withdrew from the race [New York Times 6/26/1932]. Note: Several sources say that the party held a national convention on 6/26/1932, at which time Allen was nominated. The article in the NYT makes it clear that Allen had been chosen some time before 6/25.
An article in the New York Times [8/21/1932] stated that the National Party was seeking someone else to be the standard bearer.
At some time, the party chose Zahnd as the candidate for President and Florence Garvin RI as the candidate for Vice President. The ticket achieved ballot status only in Indiana.
Popular vote of 1932
Electoral Vote of 1932
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