1896 Election (The Hearse at Monticello)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

An unexpected burst of production initiated a new period of economic development in the late Summer of 1893, and whether due to the genius of the new president or the momentary inspiration of the markets, the next four years would be marked by growth and prosperity. While President Cleveland would benefit politically from this turn in the country's fortunes, he would likewise draw opposition from those who, like Vice President Adlai Stevenson, thought his refusal to allow the free coinage of silver inadvisable. In addition, while the period from 1893-1897 would be bright for the middle and upper class, farmers and laborers became, if anything, more destitute during the Cleveland years. When the Democratic National Convention dropped Stevenson from the ticket in 1896 and replaced him with pro-gold Senator John Palmer, many took it as a declaration of war.

The People's Party, eager to oust Cleveland after four years out of power, nominated Senator William J. Bryan of Nebraska on a platform calling for the free coinage of silver, an 8-hour day for industrial workers, and various other economic and social reforms. Having inflamed the Populist Convention with the cry that President Cleveland "will not crucify mankind upon a Cross of Gold," Bryan has launched a vigorous campaign across the Mid West, rallying farmers and laborers against the "Bourbon Democratic" ticket.

Meanwhile, the nation's two largest third parties, the Republicans and the Prohibitionists, have agreed to back a joint ticket of Governor Thomas B. Reed and Mayor Charles Bentley. Though the Reed-Bentley ticket has been carefully termed an "alliance" and not a new party, many see it as the first step towards building a single, conservative party to oppose the Democrats and Populists. Reed's platform is essentially a mesh of traditional Republican and Prohibitionist ideas, calling for nationwide prohibition and pro-business government, but planks calling for renewed action to defend racial equality in the South and suggesting sympathy for the plight of the nation's farmers have also been included.

Not all within the Republican and Prohibitionist camps are happy with this new arrangement, however. "Anti-Fusion" Republicans have nominated former Party Chairman Mark Hana of Ohio, while  "National" Prohibitionists are backing Minister Joshua Levering of Maryland, both of whom oppose any attempt to unite their two parties. While neither ticket is expected to win the election, it is possible that they will sap enough votes from Reed to scuttle the alliance.

This should be fun. Go!

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Bryan/Boies!

[Mr. Smith]

Bryan/Boies!

[Illuminati Blood Drinker]

Mah man WJB.

[Zioneer]

Bryan/Boise. Let WJB resume the proud Populist march of progress!

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Cleveland!

[Antonio the Sixth]

It slightly defeats the purpose of fusion if you end up having 3 candidates for 2 parties...

[Boston Bread]

Bryan ftw.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

It slightly defeats the purpose of fusion if you end up having 3 candidates for 2 parties...

In my defense, most fusion efforts in OTL (1812, 1872, 1896) resulted in splinter candidates of some form. I tried to make the tickets as unappealing as possible, but some people just couldn't resist the combination of a machine politician and a corporate lawyer.

On the bright side, Reed's doing pretty well, so the Rep-Pro alliance might yet survive.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

1896 Presidential Election

Senator William J. Bryan (People's-Nebraska)/ Governor Horace Boies (People's-Iowa): 205 Electoral Votes; 33.3% popular votes
President Grover Cleveland (Democratic-New York)/ Senator John Palmer (Democratic-Illinois): 193 Electoral Votes; 30.0% popular votes
Governor Thomas B. Reed (Fusion-Maine)/ Mayor Charles Bentley (Fusion-Nebraska): 49 Electoral Votes; 20.0% popular votes
Minister Joshua Levering ("National" Prohibition-Maryland)/ Mayor Hale Johnson ("National" Prohibition-Illinois): 0 Electoral Votes; 10.0% popular votes
Fmr. Chairman Mark Hana ("Anti-Fusion" Republican-Ohio)/ Attorney Garret Hobart ("Anti-Fusion-New Jersey): 0 Electoral Votes; 6.7% popular votes

Though both the Democrats and the Populists did an admirable job of rallying their supporters in the Campaign of '96, neither Cleveland nor Bryan was able to expand their coalition beyond their bases. Meanwhile, the Fusion ticket headed by Thomas B. Reed swept New England as well as New Jersey, and nearly carried Wisconsin, Ohio, and Maryland as well despite the splinter candidacies of Hana and Levering. With no candidate having a majority of the electoral vote, the election was thrown to the House of Representatives for the first time since 1832.