1884 Conventions (The Hearse at Monticello)

Though the Greenbacks once again fell short of a Congressional majority in 1880, the success of their fusion with reform Democrats that year set the party on the road to overcoming what many saw as the greatest obstacle to their agenda. When the 47th Congress took office in 1881, the Greenbacks joined with reformers in the Democratic and Republican parties to form a so-called "Reformers' Coalition", and by 1884 this hodgepodge alliance had declared itself the People's, or "Populist", Party, with President Weaver as their acknowledged leader.

With Congress now in the hands of his allies, President Weaver has been able to move forward with several of the reform bills that were unable to pass during the Curtin years. From 1881 to 1882, the 47th Congress passed a myriad of bills on subjects ranging from civil rights to economics. These include the Civil Rights Act of 1881, which strengthened provisions against vigilante groups such as the KKK; the Wright Act, which granted basic protection to labor unions; and the Third Finance Act, which greatly expanded the production of federal "greenbacks".

President Weaver is the clear favorite to receive the Populist nomination in 1884, both due to his record and his prominence as the party's founder. Weaver has nevertheless attracted a challenger in former Secretary of War Benjamin Butler, who resents Weaver for ousting him from the cabinet. Congresswoman Elizabeth Cady Stanton is also in the running, and has traveled across the Western states drumming up support for her candidacy. With the rallying cry of "equal pay for equal work", Stanton is calling for the passage of a Women's Rights Act to follow up the progress made by women under the 14th and 15th Amendments, which granted them basic civil and political rights. Though the press has largely mocked Stanton's candidacy, many within the Populist Party see her as a significant threat to the president's campaign and have accordingly suggested she be nominated for vice president in the interest of party unity.

In the Republican camp, the battle between conservatives and reformers continues. James Garfield and James G. Blaine are once again the front runners for the nomination, and both sides have threatened to bolt the party if their candidate is not selected. Hoping to reconcile the party, some have suggested nominating Robert T. Lincoln, son of the former president, as a compromise candidate, though Lincoln himself has been ambivalent about his intentions. Meanwhile, the Democrats are digging in for a convention battle of their own as conservative standard bearer Thomas Bayard and reform Governor Grover Cleveland slug it out on the convention floor, with compromise candidate Allen G. Thurman attempting to pick up the pieces.
This should be fascinating. Vote!

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