The nation was dissatisfied with the Republican administration under Benjamin Harrison. Congress moved quickly to spend the federal budget surplus, partially by doubling the pensions to the veterans and partially through a series of internal improvements. A higher tariff proposed by U.S. Rep. William McKinley passed Congress in 1890; one of the goals of the tariff was the collection of taxes for the federal government, but in this case the tariff was so high that many foreign nations sent their goods elsewhere rather than trading with the United States. As revenue fell off, the government was hard pressed to meet its obligations.

The voters responded in 1890 by handing Congress over to the Democratic Party. It was the greatest Democratic congressional victory in decades; the breakdown of the U.S. House was 235 Democrats to 88 Republicans.

Many farmers in the west and south felt that the Democrats and Republicans were only marginally different. A convention was called in 1891 at which the Populist Party was formed to set forth the cause formerly promoted by the Greenback Party. The Populists met again in 1892 and nominated James B. Weaver for President; he had been the Greenback nominee in 1880.

The Republican Party met in Minneapolis in late spring. President Harrison was the clear favorite among the delegates, but many Republican leaders realized that Harrison could not win the election. James G. Blaine, the Secretary of State, resigned from his post just before the

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The nation was dissatisfied with the Republican administration under Benjamin Harrison. Congress moved quickly to spend the federal budget surplus, partially by doubling the pensions to the veterans and partially through a series of internal improvements. A higher tariff proposed by U.S. Rep. William McKinley passed Congress in 1890; one of the goals of the tariff was the collection of taxes for the federal government, but in this case the tariff was so high that many foreign nations sent their goods elsewhere rather than trading with the United States. As revenue fell off, the government was hard pressed to meet its obligations.

The voters responded in 1890 by handing Congress over to the Democratic Party. It was the greatest Democratic congressional victory in decades; the breakdown of the U.S. House was 235 Democrats to 88 Republicans.

Many farmers in the west and south felt that the Democrats and Republicans were only marginally different. A convention was called in 1891 at which the Populist Party was formed to set forth the cause formerly promoted by the Greenback Party. The Populists met again in 1892 and nominated James B. Weaver for President; he had been the Greenback nominee in 1880.

The Republican Party met in Minneapolis in late spring. President Harrison was the clear favorite among the delegates, but many Republican leaders realized that Harrison could not win the election. James G. Blaine, the Secretary of State, resigned from his post just before the convention without stating his reasons; many Republicans interpreted Blaine’s actions as an attempt to offer himself without embarrassing the President. Delegates from some industrial states supported Ohio’s Governor William McKinley for President. The Harrison managers saw McKinley as more of a threat than Blaine, who had bad health; they appointed McKinley the permanent chairman of the convention. When the roll call for President took place, an interesting situation developed in Ohio. As McKinley was seated in the chair, his vote was to be cast by one of the alternates. There was some confusion as to which alternate was entitled to cast McKinley’s vote, and the one chosen cast the sole dissenting vote against McKinley from Ohio. President Harrison was renominated easily.

The Democratic Convention met two weeks later in Chicago. When the nomination speeches began, the Governor of New Jersey began the first speech, placing Grover Cleveland in nomination. The NJ Governor accidentally mentioned one of the other contenders first, which led to a demonstration on the floor for the other candidate. Cleveland won an easy first ballot victory.

While Grover Cleveland won the 1892 election easily, the race was close in Ohio. At the time, voters cast individual ballots for the electors; a voter could choose to vote for electors from one or more parties. When the votes were counted, Ohioans had elected 22 Harrison electors and one Cleveland elector. The winning Cleveland elector had been listed first on the ballot; he and the first listed Republican elector placed first, then the rest of the Republican ticket. About 2,000 voters thought that by casting their votes for the first listed elector, they were voting for all of that party’s electors. The 1892 election was the only one in which Ohio’s electoral vote was split between two candidates.

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