President Ulysses S. Grant was renominated for President by the Republican Party without opposition. His chief opponent was Horace Greeley, who was nominated by the Liberal Republican National Convention and endorsed by the Democratic National Convention. The unpopularity of Grant’s administration was made evident by the large number of nominations of alternative candidates in the spring of 1872. One by one, these incipient political parties either dissolved or merged into other parties except for the Straight-Out Democrats and the Prohibition Party. President Grant’s vulnerability was very much in question throughout much of the year, though his chief opponent, Horace Greeley, was undoubtedly the least suitable opponent he could have faced.

The Campaign

Horace Greeley, nominee of the Liberal Republicans and Democrats, was harassed throughout the year for his eccentric behavior (in addition to being a vegetarian and atheist, Greeley had written in favor of free love). Greeley wore a loose white coat and large hat; his untidiness was useful in diverting attention away from the President’s similar tendencies. In accepting the nomination, Greeley stated that the nation was “eager to clasp hands across the bloody chasm,” a subject of many editorial cartoons throughout the year.

In an uncharacteristic move, Greeley started a speech tour throughout the nation, reminiscent of that of Stephen Douglas in 1860. As one of the great orators of that day, Greeley drew large and enthusiastic crowds of both supporters and detractors.

The Grant campaign was one of the best funded in the nation’s history to that time. One chief backer, the prominent banker Jay Cooke, gave the campaign $50,000; he went bankrupt in the Panic of 1873. In contrast, Greeley rented space for the Liberal Republican National Committee in the Glenham Hotel, Fifth Street, New York City, and found it difficult to raise enough funds to meet his rent payments.

State elections before the national popular vote indicated that Grant was headed for certain victory. On 8/1/1872, North Carolina re-elected Gov. Caldwell in an unexpected turn of fortune; the entire state Republican ticket prevailed. Democratic party officials then turned their attention to the state elections on 10/8/1872 in CT, IN, NE, OH, and PA. These elections, one month before the national popular vote for President, represented an important test for Greeley.

In 09/1872, the New York Sun began to print a series of stories on the Credit Mobilier scandal. As the arm of the Union Pacific Railroad, the Credit Mobilier of America gave stocks to politicians who helped the company in its objectives. Among the recipients were VP Colfax and his replacement on the Republican ticket, Henry Wilson. The scandal rocked the political careers of many other politicians, including James G. Blaine.

The scandal did not seem to have much impact on the election. When the state elections of 10/8/1872 arrived, the Republican Party scored major victories – winning seats in all five states rather than experiencing the small losses forecast. A bright spot for the Democrats was the election of Thomas A. Hendricks as Governor of Indiana in an extremely narrow vote. The results from these states had two consequences. First, the Straight-Out Democrats decided to suspend their campaign. While they were fielding strong tickets throughout the nation, the poor showing by the Democrats in the early state elections made it clear that Greeley was headed for defeat. The Straight Out slates of Presidential Electors withdrew from the contest in several states.

Second, Greeley suspended his speaking tour to spend time with his ailing wife. Mary (Cheney) Greeley had been mostly estranged from Horace Greeley; throughout much of their marriage they slept separately. Mary Greeley’s death on 10/30/1872 fostered stories about Greeley’s eccentricity, as she was involved in spiritualism and the dietary philosophy of Sylvester Graham (inventor of the Graham cracker).

On the same day that Mary Greeley died, Federal marshals arrested Ku Klux Klan leaders who had harassed and killed Negroes in Georgia. This event caused a rift between southern Democrats (still operating under the Conservative Party label) and the Liberal Republicans. In the South, the news helped galvanize sentiment against Grant (with Greeley as the lesser of the two evils). In the North, both Grant and Greeley welcomed the news.

Election day was 11/5/1872. President Grant won the popular vote by a 56-44% margin, as expected. The projected electoral vote was Grant 286, Greeley 80. The U.S. House, which had been expanded by 49 members, shifted to the Republicans as well. The Republicans gained 64 seats and the Democrats lost 20 seats, for a GOP margin of 200-92.

Electoral vote of 1872