1879 Chicago mayoral election

none January 2025 September 2023 1879 Chicago mayoral election presidential no April 1, 1879 1877 1881 File:Carter Harrison Sr. In 1876 (1).jpg Carter Harrison III Democratic Party (United States) 25,685 44.28% Abner M. Wright, 1886 (3x4).png Abner Wright Republican Party (United States) 20,496 35.33% Ernst Schmidt Portrait (3x4a).png Ernst Schmidt Socialist Labor Party of America 11,829 20.39% Mayor Monroe Heath Republican Party (United States) Carter Harrison III Democratic Party (United States) In the Chicago mayoral election of 1879, Democrat Carter Harrison III defeated both Republican Abner Wright and socialist Ernst Schmidt in a three-way race. Harrison had a nearly nine point margin of victory. Two-term incumbent Monroe Heath (who, at the time, was the longest-serving mayor in the city's history) did not run for reelection. The election took place on April 1.https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-carter-henry-harrison-iii-biography/ Mayor Carter Henry Harrison III Biography This was the first of four consecutive and six overall mayoral elections in which Harrison would be candidate; and was the first of four consecutive and five overall mayoral elections which he would win. Democratic nomination of Carter Harrison III The Democratic Party nominated Carter Harrison III.Lindberg Richard C. The Gambler King of Clark Street: Michael C. McDonald and the Rise of Chicago's Democratic Machine 2009 SIU Press 978-0-8093-8654-3 102–104 https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=IUgbMFn6nCYC 19 May 2020 en Harrison's experience in national politics in congress appealed to conservative Democrats like Potter Palmer and Levi Leiter, while his liberal views on liquor consumption and gambling appealed to other leading local Democratic figures such as Michael C. McDonald. Harrison was nominated at the Democratic City convention held at Uhlich's Hall on March 15. Also put forward as candidates at the convention were Murray F. Tuley and George L. Dunlap. Harrison received enough backing on an informal ballot, winning 18 votes. A motion was made after the informal ballot for it to be ratified as official, though this was quickly tabled. Dunlap withdrew his candidacy before the formal ballot, in which Harrison secured the nomination. Afterwards, a motion was passed by acclamation for Harrison's nomination to be considered unanimous. Democratic city convention mayoral ballotingLocal Politics https://www.newspapers.com/image/349287867 Newspapers.com subscription Chicago Tribune 18 November 2024 en March 16, 1879(simple-majority needed for nomination)CandidateInformal ballotFormal ballotUnanimous voteCarter Harrison III385168Murray F. Tuley 16 17 0George L. Dunlap 14 0 0 Total 68 68 68 + Informal convention ballot votes by ward Harrison Tuley Dulap 1st 0 3 0 2nd 2 1 0 3rd 2 0 0 4th 0 0 3 5th 2 4 0 6th 2 1 1 7th 4 2 0 8th 7 0 0 9th 3 0 0 10th 2 1 0 11th 0 2 0 12th 1 1 0 13th 3 0 0 14th 5 0 0 15th 4 0 0 16th 1 1 2 17th 0 0 4 18th 0 0 4 Total 38 16 14 + Formal ballot votes by ward Harrison Tuley 1st 0 3 2nd 3 0 3rd 2 0 4th 0 3 5th 1 5 6th 4 0 7th 5 1 8th 7 0 9th 3 0 10th 3 0 11th 2 0 12th 1 1 13th 3 0 14th 5 0 15th 4 0 16th 2 2 17th 4 0 18th 2 2 Total 51 17 Republican nomination of Abner Wright After incumbent Republican Monroe Heath declined to seek reelection, the Republican Party nominated Abner Wright by acclamation at the party's city convention at Farwell Hall on March 11.Local Politics https://www.newspapers.com/image/35063522 Newspapers.com subscription The Inter Ocean 18 November 2024 en March 12, 1879 Socialist Labor nomination of Ernest Schmidt Having first approached Harrison unsuccessfully to run as their nominee, the Socialist Labor Party instead nominated Dr. Ernest Schmidt. Schmidt had a strong reputation of being "incorruptible". He had formerly been a Republican.Andreas Alfred Theodore History of Chicago: From the fire of 1871 until 1885 1886 A. T. Andreas 865 https://books.google.com/books?id=Pw1FAQAAMAAJ 20 May 2020 en The party was coming off of several election successes in 1878, having seen the election of one of its nominees for Chicago alderman be elected in the Spring 1878 elections and three of its nominees for state legislature be elected in the Fall 1878 elections.The Socialist Party of America by Jack Ross Fresh off of these successes, the Socialist Labor Party fielded a full ticket of candidates for in municipal elections. Socialist.https://flps.newberry.org/article/5418478_2_0375 Before the Battle. Svornost -- March 31, 1879 January 5, 2019 January 5, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190105094242/https://flps.newberry.org/article/5418478_2_0375 dead Greenback efforts to run a nominee Harrison had originally also been approached by the Socialists and the Greenback Party to run on their tickets, before running as the Democratic Party nominee. At a March 8 meeting at Hershey Music Hall, the city's Greenbacks voted to offer Harrison their nomination, though he was non-committal as to whether he would accept if nominated by them. Some at the meeting opposed the nomination, due to Harrison not being a member of their party. Advocates of his nomination touted Harrison as an ally of the working class man. T. P. Jones (a rolling mill employee) was also placed into consideration in the convention roll call.Local Politics https://www.newspapers.com/image/349287189 Newspapers.com subscription Chicago Tribune 18 November 2024 en March 8, 1879 + Greenback convention nomination vote (72 votes needed for a nominee) Candidate Votes % Carter Harrison III 90 60.81 T. P. Jones 51 34.46 ??? Rafter 8 5.41 Murray F. Tuley 5 3.38 A. G. Schilling 1 0.68 ??? Adair 1 0.68 Harrison's candidacy was ultimately supported by the Greenbacks.Municipal Elections. https://www.nytimes.com/1879/04/02/archives/municipal-elections.html The New York Times 22 March 2023 2 April 1879 However, the South Town Greenbackers had first held their own convention on March 15, where they nominated Perry H. Smith (who was in attendance at the meeting).Local Politics https://www.newspapers.com/image/35064385 Newspapers.com subscription Chicago Tribune 18 November 2024 en March 15, 1879 Campaign Wright, a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, would be criticized for having been an inadequate candidate, lacking in energy, charisma, and appearing overly-calculated. The Chicago Tribune sided against Harrison, arguing that his election would constitute "bummer restoration". Schmidt, helped to lead the Socialist Labor Party to more than double its vote share in the city's elections and see the election of an additional three aldermen.Chicago in the Age of Capital: Class, Politics, and Democracy during the Civil War and Reconstruction by John B. Jentz, Richard Schneirov; University of Illinois Press, Apr 15, 2012 (page 291) The Socialist Labor Party had proved particularly adept at attracting German Republican and liberal voters away from the Republican Party. They also attracted strong support from the city's Bohemian population. After the municipal elections, some would blame the Socialist Labor Party for having a spoiler effect, having siphoned away would-be Republican supporters. The Illinois Staats-Zeitung wrote that, "The socialist have succeeded in deciding the election, to be sure not the advantage of their own candidates, but rather for the Democrats against the Republicans." Dr. Schmidt agreed that blame for the underperformance of the Republican ticket could be attributed to the Republican Party's loss of liberal German voters to the Socialist Labor Party. Nevertheless, others have cast doubt on the idea that Schmidt acted as a spoiler to Wright's campaign.To Serve and Collect: Chicago Politics and Police Corruption from the Lager Beer Riot to the Summerdale Scandal, 1855-1960 Portada Richard Lindberg SIU Press, 1998 (page 112) It is in fact, quite possible that the socialist nominee had taken thousands of likely Democratic voters away from Harrison. During the campaign, Harrison adopted a pet eagle, and would bring it with him on the stump. He would ride around town in a horse-drawn wagon, with his eagle, and with a banner attached to the wagon reading "Carter's Eagle and Victory". While derided by Republicans as a cheap campaign stunt, this levity was appreciated by many voters. This led to Harrison being affectionately nicknamed "the Eagle". Results Harrison won the election. Harrison's victory was seen as being assisted by strong voter turnout. Harrison's victory ended what had been a period of Republican dominance in Chicago's mayoral elections.Miller Donald L. City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America 2014 Rosetta Books 978-0-7953-3985-1 665–666 https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=_WlsDwAAQBAJ 23 May 2020 en 1879 Chicago mayoral electionThe Chicago Daily News Almanac and Year Book for 1912 1911 Chicago Daily News, Incorporated 464 https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ERgfAQAAMAAJ 12 May 2020 enHistory of Chicago, Illinois: Pre-historic agencies; Rise and fall of French dominion; First permanent settlement; The massacre; Rudimentary by John Moses, Munsell & Company, 1895 Democratic Party (United States) Carter Harrison III 25,685 44.28 Republican Party (United States) Abner Wright 20,496 35.33 Socialist Labor Party of America Ernst Schmidt 11,829 20.39 58,010 Allegations of fraud Surprised by Wright's loss, Wright and other Republicans alleged electoral fraud.Charges of Fraud https://www.newspapers.com/image/35067924 Newspapers.com subscription Chicago Tribune 18 November 2024 en April 3, 1879 This echoed rhetoric that Chicago Republicans had espoused sowed at a mass meeting held at Farwell Hall on the eve of the election, which had speeches that focused heavily on concerns about electoral fraud, and frequently referenced the controversies of the 1876 United States presidential election.Local Politics Chicago Tribune en March 29, 1879 1–2 Local Politics https://www.newspapers.com/image/349289064 Newspapers.com subscription Chicago Tribune 18 November 2024 en March 29, 1879 1 Local Politics https://www.newspapers.com/image/349289070 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune 18 November 2024 en subscription March 29, 1879 2 At Wright's urging, the Chicago Tribune launched its own investigation into the election. The Tribune alleged that repeat voters had been transported across the city by Democrats to cast votes in various precincts. In addition, the Chicago Inter Ocean alleged that non-residents and non-citizens had cast votes. Other newspapers such as the Chicago Daily News published editorials criticizing Republicans for making these allegations. Outgoing Republican mayor Heath dismissed allegations of fraud. Ultimately, Wright withdrew his allegations that fraud had taken pace. References collapsed Category:Mayoral elections in Chicago Chicago Chicago Category:1870s in Chicago Category:Carter Harrison III