1884 Democratic National Convention


In 1884, the Democrats gathered in Chicago for their National Convention. The Democrats made Governor Grover Cleveland of New York their presidential nominee with the former Governor Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana as the vice presidential nominee.

Background

The leading candidate for the presidential nomination was New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Cleveland's reputation for good government made him a national figure. The Republican Party nominated James G. Blaine for president in 1884, although he had been implicated in a financial scandal. Many influential Republicans were outraged, thought the time had come for a national reform administration and withdrew from the convention. These Republicans are called mugwumps, and declared that they would vote for the Democratic candidate based on his integrity.

Presidential nomination

Candidates

Seven names were placed in nomination: Grover Cleveland, Thomas F. Bayard, Allen G. Thurman, Samuel J. Randall, Joseph E. McDonald, John G. Carlisle, and George Hoadly.
Thomas A. Hendricks professed that he was not a candidate for the presidential nomination. When a delegate from Illinois cast the only vote he received on the first ballot, Hendricks rose to ask this vote be withdrawn because it "wrongly" placed him before the convention. Nonetheless, Hendricks made an impressive showing on the second ballot but it was not enough to prevent the nomination of Cleveland.
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Vice Presidential nomination

Hendricks, who was the 1876 Democratic vice presidential nominee, was offered the 1884 nomination and accepted.

Vice Presidential candidate

Withdrawn candidates

of Indiana was overwhelming nominated as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate after the names of John C. Black, George W. Glick, Joseph E. McDonald, and William Rosecrans were withdrawn from consideration.
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Footnotes

Primary sources