President Benjamin Harrison Welcomes His Running Mate to the 1892 Ticket

The 1892 Republican National Convention was held at the Industrial Exposition Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota from June 7 to 10, 1892. President Harrison was renominated for President  but, surprisingly for an incumbant, his choice was not unanimous. Harrison received 536 delegate votes to secure the nomination, but former nominee James G. Blaine of Maine received 183 delegates and future president William McKinley finished third with 182 delegates. Harrison’s difficulties within his party stemmed from his personality: he was insensitive in his treatment of party leaders, had a cold demeanor, and refused to seek or listen to advice.

Vice President Levi Morton had angered both the President and Republican leaders by his opposition to a key piece of civil rights legislation that became a test of party loyalty, so he was unceremoniously dumped from the ticket. Whitelaw Reid, American minister to France and editor of the New York Tribune, had no enemies and was unanimously chosen to replace Morton on the ticket. He sent congratulations to Harrison, who responded by welcoming him aboard.

Autograph Telegram Signed on White House letterhead, Washington, undated but June 10 or 11, 1892, to Reid upon his nomination for vice president. “Thanks for your cordial congratulations. I am most happy to be able at once to express my sincere satisfaction that the Convention has named you for the Vice Presidency.” This telegram is the only welcoming message from a president to his nominated running mate that we have ever seen on the market.

The presidential election was held on November 8, 1892. Former President Grover Cleveland returned to defeat Harrison, becoming the only person to be elected to non-consecutive presidential terms. Cleveland, who had won the popular vote against Harrison in 1888, won both the popular and electoral vote in the rematch. The Democrats also regained control of both chambers of Congress. Harrison’s defeat stemmed from his unpopular stands on three national issues. First, his support for the high McKinley Tariff of 1890, which  resulted in significant price increases for goods. In the public’s mind, this seemed directly related to government protection of special corporate interests. Second, a series of bloody labor strikes again linked Harrison to those interests. Third, agrarian discontent in the South and West led many farmers to look to the Populist Party as an alternative.