When the mariner, sailing over tropic seas, looks for relief from his weary watch, he turns his eyes toward the southern cross, burning luridly above the tempest-vexed ocean. As the midnight approaches, the southern cross begins to bend, the whirling worlds change their places, and with starry finger-points the Almighty marks the passage of time upon the dial of the universe, and though no bell may beat the glad tidings, the lookout knows that the midnight is passing and that relief and rest are close at hand. Let the people everywhere take heart of hope, for the cross is bending, the midnight is passing, and joy cometh with the morning. -
Eugene V. Debs
United States President Election, 1916
The division in 1916 was deep. With the reunited Republican Party running Charles Hughes against the incumbent Woodrow Wilson. Of the utmost importance in the election was the Great War raging in Europe and the ongoing revolution in Mexico. Hughes criticized Wilson for not being properly prepared to face a conflict in Europe, helping Wilson's image as an anti-war candidate. Eugene Debs, the Socialist candidate, had briefly considered running for Congress in Indiana but eventually decided against it and won the Socialist nomination in a landslide.
Republican Convention, The Coliseum, Chicago
Nominations
Democratic National Convention
The 1916 Democratic National Convention was held in St. Louis, Missouri from June 14th and 16th. President Wilson was extremely popular within his party and ran unopposed for the nomination. Additionally Vice President Thomas Marshall ran unopposed for the Vice Presidential nomination.
Republican National Convention
The 1916 Republican National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois from June 7th to June 10th. Following the humiliating defeat of 1912, the primary goal of the convention was to seek out someone who could reunify the progressives and the conservatives in order to carry the party to victory. The party bosses looked for a moderate who could fulfill that task, they went to Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Hughes who had been appointed to the court in 1910. Hughes had made no intention to run for the nomination but made it clear if nominated he would carry through with his parties wishes.
On the first ballot Hughes lead, with 253 votes for Hughes, 105 John W. Weeks, and 103 Elihu Root. On the second ballot Hughes lead increased further, with 326 Hughes, 102 Weeks, and 89 Root. On the third and final ballot Hughes crushed his opposition with 950 votes. Hughes was to be the Republican nominee for President, and Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks was nominated as his running mate.
Progressive National Convention
The Progressive Party attempted to nominate Teddy Roosevelt again. However Roosevelt himself declined the nomination not wanting for the Republicans to face a humiliating defeat to Wilson as they did in 1912. The party broke into infighting over whether someone should be nominated or to fold back into the Republican Party. State-level Progressive parties were disbanded and by the time the National Convention actually convened in Chicago on June 26th, those in attendance hesitantly endorsed Hughes and the Republican ticket. Most of the members would return to the Republican Party.
Socialist Party Nomination
Entering into the convention four-time presidential candidate Eugene Debs once again quickly emerged as the frontrunner. Debs had for a time considered running for Congress in Indiana and Allan Benson, a newspaper editor from New York, briefly emerged as a frontrunner. However after much consideration Debs decided that he would run for the Socialist nomination again. The vote for the nomination was conducted through a mail-order ballot, with Debs capturing 25,346 out of a total of 33,267 cast.
General Election
The Democrats rallied around the cry "He Kept Us out of War," saying a Republican victory would mean war with both Mexico and Germany. Hughes attempted to downplay the war issue, and called for greater mobilization and preparedness. Hughes also attacked Wilson for his support of various pro-labor laws, on the grounds that they were harmful to business interests. His criticisms gained little traction, however, especially among factory workers who supported such laws. Hughes was helped by the vigorous support of popular former President Theodore Roosevelt, and by the fact that the Republicans were still the nation's majority party at the time.
The Democrats rallying cry, however, would not be enough to ensure Wilson's reelection.
272 EV / 44.15% - Charles Hughes/Charles Fairbanks (R)
259 EV / 46.21% - Woodrow Wilson/Thomas Marshall (D)
0 EV / 8.18% - Eugene Debs/Allan Benson (S)
0 EV / 1.20% - Frank Hanly /Ira Landrith (Prohibition)
0 EV / 0.18% - N/A (Progressive)
0 EV / 0.08% - Arthur Reimer/Caleb Harrison (Socialist-Labor)
Hughes was able to pull off a narrow win in 1916, though he lost the popular vote. In California (the key to Hughes success) Hughes only beat out Wilson by a little over a thousand votes, polls had shown it to be an extremely close race previously. New Hampshire set a record when Hughes won the state by only 42 votes. Additionally Socialist Eugene Debs was able to beat his 1912 record of 5.99% by over two percent.
United States Senate elections, 1916
Notable in the 1916 Senatorial Elections was the election of the first Socialist, Ashley G. Miller of Nevada, to the Senate. The increase in votes for the Socialist Party allowed for some narrow Republican victories in places such Nebraska, New Mexico, and Ohio.
Republican - 45 Seats (+5)
Democratic - 50 Seats (-6)
Socialist - 1 Seat (+1)
United States House of Representatives elections, 1916
The House of Representatives elections in 1916 saw the Republicans regain a razor-thin plurality though the Democrats managed to hang onto a majority by forming a coalition with the remaining Progressives and the Socialists in the House. This being a sign of what was to come, coalitions would soon become a mainstay in the future of American politics. Additionally Jeannette Rankin, a Republican from Montana was the first woman ever elected to congress.
Republican - 215 Seats (+18)
Democratic - 214 Seats (-16)
Progressive - 3 Seats (-3)
Socialist - 2 Seats (+1)
Prohibition - 1 Seat (-)
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