Triple Calamity: What if the Three Most Important Men in the Executive Branch Died in One Night?

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Ambassador Huntsman

Ambassador Huntsman

How many electoral votes did Frederick Grant and Frederick Douglass get respectively under Garfield? Or I guess Douglass got completely shut out?
 
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Mr.Q

Mr.Q said:
"It was a hot, humid night on August 4th, 1888. It was however on this night that President Garfield discussed the Presidential campaign to come. Back in 1884 the 'no open campaign' rule seemed to have been broken. Mr. Garfield identified this. He however had no intent of crisscrossing the nation giving speeches. He saw a much greater opportunity in gaining the will of the people... Garfield would send Frederick Grant, Rutherford Hayes, Ben Harrison, Robert Todd Lincoln, Henry Cabot Lodge and other famed Republicans to campaign on his behalf. In the meantime, he would stay in DC, perform his duties as President and show the Liberals for what they were... Power hungry obstructionists...

The month of August was however, to be reserved to Mr. Adams and his legacy. Both Custer and Garfield attempted to shape the week around themselves. Custer heard of the assassination while he was home in Ohio. Upon learning of it he dropped everything to get on a train to DC. He took Libbie with him. Before leaving he wrote to Thomas and Boston Custer, he told them to rush to Boston and get a foundation ready to swoop in and take the nomination.

When Custer arrived in Washington he was greeted by black drapes on every window, paintings and pins of Garfield hand in hand with Adams being handed out in the street and a memorial in every public space. He realized that even though campaigning had been placed on 'pause', the truth was this funeral would be the first battle of the war. Garfield was on his home turf and relished in this. He would make a total of 126 eulogies over the three day funeral, most were published and all were widely talked about, after all Garfield was a famed orator.

Custer did his best to gain attention in the city, after a day he realized it was locked down. Instead, Custer did something more daring, he used connections in Congress to get himself appointed as the head escort of Adams' casket. Custer would lead the pallbearers to the train station. When Garfield learned of this mere minutes after delivering his most heavily attended eulogy on the Capitol steps, he was furious. Though he let no one see that. The President quickly took off for the train station, racing the funeral procession there. After five minutes he arrived and stood on the platform. Custer upon arriving was shocked and dismayed to see Garfield. The President shed a tear and extended his arms to the General, he embraced Custer and thanked him for leading the procession in a heavy publized moment. Then Garfield replaced one of the pallbearers and took the casket to the train.

What seemed like a nice moment devoid of politics was just the opposite. Garfield, embracing Custer and thanking him in an unrehearsed moment, melted the hearts of the grieving nation, Garfield would gain the praise for the action and him carrying Adams to the train metaphorically showed that he, and not Custer was the custodian DC and inheritor of Adams’ legacy. In the moment Custer noticed this, he made a face of disdain when Garfield replaced one of the pallbearers. This face was photographed. Custer ran to find and stop the reporter. He was successful, destroying the man's camera and saving himself from widespread embarrassment... for now.

After the funeral Custer went to Boston for the LNC. Garfield of course, stayed in Washington. First, in a bipartisan move Garfield and the Liberals in Congress passed an act meant to add a new monument to the National Mall, honoring Adams. Garfield knew this would be the end of bipartisanship. He would soon ignore Congress and have members of the administration routinely condemn them for their unwillingness to work with him on the economy. This was untrue, in 1888 the economy was fine. In fact the Republican fear mongering would hurt the stock market. Becoming a self fulfilling prophecy, that Garfield blamed on the Liberals. You might then wonder why Speaker Reed and Senator Sherman didn't shoot back.

Well, they did, just ineffectively. In August and September the newspapers, especially in DC were enthusiastic Garfield supporters, the President knew this. He thus also knew that his administration's attacks would be wildey published and the counters would be largely ignored. At least until the Adams assasination's affect died down...

...Custer had a harder time than expected getting nominated, this led to an endorsement split among the Liberals. Grover Cleveland and his supporters refused to endorse Custer, some even supporting Adlai Stevenson. Stevenson understood the horrid position he was in during the campaign. He and the DNC understood they had no shot of victory after the Nichols trial. That being said they wanted to avoid complete embarrassment. The Democratic strategy was generally to deflect on the southern issue and focus on economics. During the 1888 campaign trail Stevenson went from town to town prophesying of imminent economic recession.

The Democrats adopted 'Free Silver' as a major campaign plank. Stevenson himself was generally apathetic on the metal issue, however he saw an opportunity in endorsing bimetallism and thus adopted it in his speeches as the major way to stop catastrophe."

-from The Troubled 80's
by Bob Schwartz, published 1978

"The 1888 campaign wasn't about policy so much as it was one of our nations, first truly nasty campaign. Yes all the candidates strongly differed in policy, Custer was a Bourbon Democrat on the Conservative wing of the Liberals who argued for strict moderation, as well as pacification of the west (A Sheridan talking point). Garfield was generally a pragmatic Republican with some radical views, he believed in a diplomatic solution to the west and strict Republican economics and Southern Control. Stevenson ran a surprisingly populist campaign focused on the border states and midwest. Brown and the Indians ran a campaign based on Indian advancement (obviously). But when scholars write of the election and why the results turned out the way they did, the policy is not what is discussed.

Garfield never bad mouthed Custer, in fact he rarely spoke of the man, he did however mobilize the RNC to bad mouth Custer. Rutherford Hayes and the RNC dug up the nastiest rumors they could find on Custer, from native genocide to false rumors of Civil War cowardice, to personal attacks about his wife controlling him, his brothers being brutes following his ever will, so on and so forth. Custer slandered the RNC back attacking them for the mudslinging and accusing Garfield of ordering it. (This was a conspiracy theory at the time.) In public Garfield never addressed Custer, ironically thus, all of his attacks on Garfield backfired. Political cartoons of the age portray the General as a mini McClellan, a hot head, unsuited for office.

The Hayes machine was also brutal to the Democrats, they viscously ripped into the Louisianian affair. They linked Stevenson and Blackburn to it. They declared that the Democrats were indeed the party of the 'White Man', 'The White Supremacist Man'. All of this bloody rag waving was dog whistling to black voters. With the Freedmen not running a candidate, the Republicans knew they needed to supercharge that vote. There was no better way to do so than to wave that old bloody rag, high and loudly. It's possible Stevenson could've turned this attack into a petty one, seen as how long ago the civil war was. His own party however had emboldened the bloody rag by committing that damned insurrection.

John Brown and Indians faced a deep crisis in campaign on September 18th. Famously it was that day that the Black Gold refinery was attacked. Rumors spread like wildfire that the Indians had done it. Almost immediately there was an uptick in Freedmen violence against them. Black Gold also demanded renegotiated contracts with the State. Custer and the Liberals took advantage, immediately blaming the Indians for the attack before an investigation even commenced. The Democrats did the same, Stevenson believed that Sequoyah was open for the taking seen as the white population in the state was so high. In many states the Indian Party was removed from the ballot, John Brown was heckled at every event and eventually had to stay inside the Sequoyah Governor's mansion, exiled in his own state.

Congress wouldn't authorize an investigation into the event until October and it's results wouldn't be available until February 1889...

...Two things happened just days before the election of November 3rd 1888. First Charles Guiteau was hanged after being found guilty of first degree murder. President Garfield was in attendance and after the hanging he made a speech, once again commemorating Adams, saying 'He has been vindicated'. This gave him a boost, but it was nothing in comparison to the photo on the front page of the Washington Post that day.

The picture of Custer looking disgusted as Garfield carried Adams' casket into the train station had not been destroyed as Custer believed. At the same time the reporter who Custer assaulted took his picture, a second photographer took a similar one from a different angle. He decided to hold onto it, instead of immediately publishing it. On top of that the reporter whose camera was destroyed by the Presidential nominee gave his testimony of the account on the same page as the photo. He announced that he planned to press charges against Custer.

This 'November Surprise', certainly had an effect on the results...

View attachment 898937
View attachment 898939

GENERAL CUSTER'S LAST STAND!
GARFIELD SENT HIM RUNNING!
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1880, A CANDIDATE WON OUTRIGHT!
-from the New York Times on November 11th 1888

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ALRIGHTY! There you have it! Hope it was a fun read, I'll post the congressional elections tomorrow.
FOR THE RECORD! Due to the Refinery attack the Indians lost momentum and didn't win Sequoyah. They got around 2.3 percent of the popular vote.
The Prohibition Party got around 1.5 Percent of the Popular Vote
ALSO OBVIOUSLY THE ELECTORS CHOOSE GRANT OVER DOUGLASS FOR GARFIELD'S VEEP.

Finally feel free to ask any questions about the result! Love all the engagement as of late!
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OH! Also big thanks to @InsertCoolUsernameHere for the map!
 

Mr.Q

Funny note, upon checking all the Triple Calamity elections, there is only one state that has voted for the winner ever single time. It’s a surprising one.

Oregon- since 1860 (the first election it participated in) Oregon has voted for the final president in every election.

This 28 year streak is not lost on the political pundits of TTL’s America
 
A Random Man

A Random Man

How is the political situation in Kentucky and North Carolina? They're both nearby Republican and Liberal states, is the Democrat Party really entrenched in there?
 

Mr.Q

A Random Man said:
How is the political situation in Kentucky and North Carolina? They're both nearby Republican and Liberal states, is the Democrat Party really entrenched in there?
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North Carolina is a failed reconstruction state, so Democrats basically have a mini dictatorship over there. There is a medium sized Liberal Party, if there was a liberal landslide you’d expect NC to be in it but that’s about it.

Kentucky is a swing state between Democrats and Liberals. In 88’ it was won by Stevenson by a razor thin margin. His midwestern style of southern populism appealed to rural Kentucky enough that the Liberals in the towns and cities were outnumbered. Tied with the general low turn out of the election.
 
December 18th 1888
  • Index

    • Mr.Q

    “Halt!” Corporal Gordon of the USPPD extended his hand and exited the guard shack of the White House gate and strolled towards the unexpected carriage.

    “At ease sir, Mr. Conkling would like to see the President,” the driver said to Gordon. The good Corporal started his service to the President this month, he was new but not stupid.

    “You could have Queen Victoria in that carriage, you need an appointment to speak with the President,” the driver frowned. The carriage door opened and a flamboyant gentleman stepped out. He looked sick, but was unmistakably the former Republican nominee.

    “Thank you for your service to Mr. Garfield’s protection. I’m afraid I hadn’t the time to set up an appointment,” Gordon looked at Conkling flatly.

    “Well uh, give me a second Senator,” Gordon returned to his shack and sent a telegram to the White House informing them of Conkling’s arrival. After a minute a response came back, allowing for his entry. Gordon returned outside.

    “If you would allow me to search you and the carriage sir,” Conkling smiled.

    “Of course,” Gordon patted Conkling and the Driver down. Nothing but a pocket watch on Conkling and a small revolver on the driver. The driver handed the firearm over and Gordon agreed to hold on to it until they left.

    Then Gordon looked into the carriage. He saw a box on the seat.

    “May I?”

    “It’s your prerogative,” Conkling smiled again. Gordon turned back to the box and looked inside, lots of paper… maps it seemed. Gordon was no student of geography but he could make out what seemed like Latin America? Maybe Africa? Either way it checked out.

    “Well Mr. Conkling. Welcome to the White House”. Gordon opened the gate and watched as Conkling returned to the carriage.
     
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  • Index
    • King of Danes

    King of Danes

    Mr.Q said:
    Sheridan had already agreed to the Nicaraguan Canal. Anyone who follows the news would have a grasp on the look of Nicaragua at this point…
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    Oh right, I had forgotten that. Sigh, I've always been against a Nicaragua canal really... They would most likely have to use Lake Nicaragua for the purpose, which would be an enviromental travesty
     

    Mr.Q

    King of Danes said:
    Oh right, I had forgotten that. Sigh, I've always been against a Nicaragua canal really... They would most likely have to use Lake Nicaragua for the purpose, which would be an enviromental travesty
    Click to expand...
    Yeah moving into the Garfield chapter we will focus on the building of the canal. But Conkling is not chatting to Garfield about the canal.
     
    Teaser
  • Index

    • Mr.Q

    Some things to look forward to with the Garfield Presidency.

    -The Black Gold investigation's conclusion.

    -The Conkling Affair

    -Major education reform

    -The Civil Service Reform Bill

    -New States

    -The Antitrust Act

    -Indian negotiations

    -The Pacific crises

    -The Birth of Conservation

    -A Black... Black day...

    All of that should be split up into two chapters prior to the midterms and then there should be another one or two post midterms before 1892

    1888 Congressional Elections to come tonight
     
  • Index

    • Mr.Q

    There is one aspect of the Government I have been intentionally vague on, (It's because the Government has been equally vague ITTL) That'll blow up in their faces soon...
     

    Mr.Q

    Also probably in a chapter or two I'll explain how Sequoyah works.

    I forgot to mention this but Sequoyah is weird. It's constitution is definitely the most out there out of all the US States.

    Tribes hold counties? Their state legislature works strangely, the power of the Governor is odd, the legal code is bended around the US legal code while adopting some tribal laws. That said a little over half of the population are white southern settlers, making everything even more confusing. It's odd!

    I also plan to make flags and for Dominica, Sequoyah, Lincoln and some of the new alternate plains states. (Most will be the same, two will get new names, one will be actually new. If you can guess I'll be proud!)

    If you have ideas or want to help out on the flags/maps DM me!
     
    1888 Congressional Elections
  • Index

    • Mr.Q

    Screenshot 2024-04-04 174718.png

    Screenshot 2024-04-04 173548.png


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    Feel free to ask questions if you see fit!​
     
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