The Davis Decision

[sentinel]

What a fat ass.

My thoughts exactly

[Bo]

What a fat ass.

My thoughts exactly

He's so fat he makes President Taft look anorexic.

[HappyWarrior]

I will be finishing up 1886 within the week, as well as hopefully 1888.

[HappyWarrior]

1884-86: President Blaine's First Midterm

Upon his inauguration President Blaine delivers his inaugural address, highlighting his commitment to America and the people who had made it strong, "My friends, we must depend on those who have been persecuted in the past in the near future to continue on the track begun by President Grant and continued by President Hamlin.   We must aid the blacks of the South in securing their rights, however at the same time we can not do this at the expense of the people of the South who must be given their freedom from military governance.  They have paid their price for the Civil War and now must be allowed to move forward."  This ideal of President Blaine was well known before the election however few individuals ever thought that he would truly push for it, especially within his own party.  The Radical Republicans quickly called foul, with John Sherman leading the fight against the ideals of President Blaine.  Meanwhile the Democrats, lead by House Minority Leader John G. Carlisle, considered to be a possible Presidential contender in 1888, called this "The greatest thing any Republican champion has done in quite some time, we must simply hope he follows through with it."


House Minority Leader John G. Carlisle

Following the inauguration the new Republican administration begins to get to work.  President Blaine continues to utilize Secretary of State Robert Todd Lincoln.  Secretary Lincoln would quickly be sent to Berlin to participate in the Berlin Conference where he would quickly prove himself to be instrumental in securing a ban on slavery in the African colonies.  Meanwhile he also called out the Prussian Government in regards to their putting down of their ethnic minorities, with the Prussian representatives citing the problems within America's own time as a nation.  Both nation's would leave the Conference with a bad taste in their mouths in regards to one another.

Meanwhile the Republican congressional majority pushes through a bill within the Congress to prevent immigration in large part to the nation.  Despite a veto by President Blaine, the majority of Republicans, led once again by the Senate Majority Leader, John Sherman, override the President's veto, President Blaine rapidly is beginning to grow unpopular within his own party, though he has become far more popular thanks to his policies which were far more popular with Democrats and Independents.

Late in 1886 President Blaine experiences his first midterm election.  In this election the Republicans lose a huge number of seats in both the House and Senate with the most notable new Senator being former Governor Grover Cleveland of New York.  In an odd way President Blaine is pleased by this turn of events.  The Republicans barely hold on to the Senate but do lose the House.  President Blaine had quickly realized that being a moderate of the nation were what would give him the ability to pass his agendy, not the stalwarts of his own party.  It would be slow going for the President to move forward but now there was at least the possibilty to move forward in the nation, especially with the possibilty of President Blaine trying to win reelection.

[HappyWarrior]

Does anyone have any opinions on this most recent update?

[Historico]

Intresting...Since we all know how petty American Politcs was in the late 19th Century, the GOP could very well just not nominate the sitting President if there butting heads so much even to the public chargin. So we could see a later or earlier depending how you look at it lol Grover Cleveland Presidency. I really don't care as long as we get the Populist Party to win the White House in 1892, to really shake things up in American Politics lol....Keep it comming

[Bo]

Go Blaine 1888!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HappyWarrior]

I'll be posting an update tomorrow.  Anymore comments?

[Bo]

I hope the 2 party system remains in place.

[Psychic Octopus]

I'm very excited. I hope President Blaine can win re-election.

What is the state of Blaine's health?

[HappyWarrior]

I'm very excited. I hope President Blaine can win re-election.

What is the state of Blaine's health?

Essentially the same as it was at this time IRL

[Psychic Octopus]

I hope the 2 party system survives in this TL.

Didn't you just say that?

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

I hope Blaine goes down in the next election.

[Dancing with Myself]

Cleveland '88!

[HappyWarrior]

I'd actually completely forgotten about this.  Anybody interested in me continuing it?

[yougo1000]

Yes

[Sewer]

ja ja

[Dancing with Myself]

Oh yes

[Psychic Octopus]

I'm really interested. Is Custer interested in politics, or is he just military life?

[HappyWarrior]

I'm really interested. Is Custer interested in politics, or is he just military life?

For now just military.  I'l try to make an update soon.  By the way, any comments on previous updates from anyone?

[Barnes]

I'd like it to continue.

[HappyWarrior]

1887-88:  Blaine's Troubles Continue

Ever since attaining the Presidency, James G. Blaine had proven himself to be a rare breed of politician, a man who stood for principal in his political actions rather than his party.  Though he had become quite popular amongst the common folk because of this trait, within his own party he was very much reviled and hated, due to opposition from the Radical wing of the party, who felt that he was the worst man ever elected to the Presidency from within their party, after all it was their support which had given him the Presidency by way of the nomination and yet he had opposed their acts time and again.  However in Early 1887 he would cross over the line, not only being against something the party very much wanted, but actively vetoing it.  The Party managed to pass the Dawes Act, removing Indians from their land.  This bill was then sent to the President for his signature.  Instead as opposed to the views of the majority of his party, President Blaine struck down the bill with a veto, prompting the wrath of Senator Henry Dawes, the author of the bill.  Senator Dawes called the President a madman, saying that the party "would never forget an act so clearly against the will of it's leaders and President Blaine will certainly face steep repercussions for it."


Senator Henry L. Dawes

Meanwhile through an alliance of moderate Republicans and Democrats, President Blaine managed to Shepard through the Posse Comitatus Act, thus ending the allowance for military members to act as police forces during peace time.  This was another bill which the Radical Republicans were not exactly fond of.  President Blaine was already in deep trouble with his own party.

Meanwhile in Hispaniola General Ganusha Pennypacker, the youngest Union general in the Civil War, was attempting to assist the nation in opposing the rebels of Hispaniola who continued their uprising against the United States government.   This rebellion was lead by General Alejandro Woss y Gil, a popular politician whose rebel army was mainly concentrated around Pedernales, in what was once the Southwest Dominican Republic.  At this time the Hispanolan's were conducting guerrilla warfare, in a single month thirty American soldiers were killed at this worst point of the rebellion. 

Many, particularly within the Democratic party were calling for America to give up their recent colonial possession. General Pennypacker however managed to show his ability as a general when in the sole pitched battle of the war at the end of 1888, the Battle of La Vega, a number of rebel troops were attempting to cross the river in order to return from a northern raid in which they had made off with a large sum of gold.  At the other side of the river General Pennypacker and his men opened fire upon the soldiers, whereby the water quickly filled with blood, subsequently many would call the river El río de Sangre, or the river of blood.  However General Pennypacker was not a politically minded man and this only managed to stiffen the resistance.  There were also rumors abounding at the time that the rebels were also gaining foreign aid from a European nation....


General Galusha Pennypacker

[Psychic Octopus]

Excellent! Blaine pretty much has committed political suicide at this point... so I am wondering if the party he has defied will renominate him, even if there is a war.

Looking forward to the next update, HW.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Good update, keep 'em coming.

[HappyWarrior]

1888: The Decisive Decision

The Republican Convention

As they walked into their convention, the Republicans looked poised to overthrow their sitting President in their nominating convention.  On the first ballot the President  came in first, however despite his placement he was still far from the necessary number of delegates in order to attain the nomination.  The other major candidates near the needed total were Senators Dawes and John Sherman, both Radical Republicans.  After twelve ballots however the opposition to the President begins to splinter, splitting along factional lines until finally on the thirteenth ballot the President attains renomination.  However despite this victory the President is crushed when the party's Radical wing engages in a walkout, deciding that thei best hopes to continue to have any hold on the system at all was to rebel from their own party.  The Radical Republicans subsequently nominated John Sherman for President and Henry Dawes for Vice President

The Democratic Convention

The Democratic Conventin was divided for a totally different reason, this being that they felt assured of vidctory, after all the Republicans were completely divided and the Democratic ideas were far more popular.  Early on two clear factions emerged in the Convention, the Bourbon Democrats of the North and the Southern Democrats who had consistently held power. 

Many possible nominees quickly emerged with the strongest of these being Fitzhugh Lee, Governor of Virginia and former Confederate General and Thomas F. Bayard, Senator of Delaware.  In the end Bayard gave his endorsement to Governor Lee just before the fourth ballot is exchange for Bayard being made Secretary of State and for a Bourboun Democrat to be made the Vice President.  For the Vice Presidency Lee chose Senator Grover Cleveland, one of the strongest and most charismatic members of the Democratic party

The General Election

Quickly it became clear that despite the presense of a former Confederate on the ticket the Democrats were the party to beat.  Despite his Confederate background most voters quickly decided that Governor Lee had redeemed himself by his subsequent service to the nation.  Meanwhile the split between the Radical and mainstream divisions of the Republicans results in a large amount of damage to their possibilities for victory.  In the end the odds were simply stacked to much against President Blaine for him to attain reelection and the split allowed for the Democrats to win.  Meanwhile the Republicans managed to maintain their Congressional majority due to the fact that there was no Radical split on that level.

President Fitzhugh Lee


Vice President Grover Cleveland