The Chicago mayoral election of 1891 saw "Reform" candidate Hempstead Washburne narrowly win a four-way race against incumbent Democrat DeWitt Clinton Cregier, former mayor Carter Harrison Sr., and Citizens Party nominee Elmer Washburn. Also running was Socialist Labor candidate Thomas J. Morgan. Due to the four-way split in popular support, Washburne won with merely a 28.83% vote share; less than a quarter-of-a-percent margin of victory over second-place finisher Cregier and only 2.47% ahead of third-place finisher Harrison.
Before running in the general election as an independent Democrat, former mayor Harrison challenged Mayor Cregier for the Democratic Party's nomination. A primary was held to select the delegates to the city's Democratic Party convention. Cregier prevailed in getting more delegates supporting his renomination elected than delegates supporting Harrison for mayor. As a result, Cregier won the party's nomination at the convention.
In 1891, incumbent Dewitt Clinton Cregier sought reelection.
Cregier's term as mayor had been regarded as decent.[2] However, many Democrats were displeased with Cregier's favoritism of the city's Irish population over other groups.[3] Additionally, followers of former mayor Carter Harrison Sr. felt that Cregier had been disregarding them when making political appointments.[2] A number of scandals had also tainted his administration.[4]
Cregier was challenged by former mayor Carter Harrison Sr. Harrison sensed voter dissatisfaction with Cregier. Harrison also desired to oversee the city's hosting of the World's Columbian Exposition[3] (which the city had hosted the right to host by the United States government in 1890, after a successful bid effort in which Cregier had been involved[5][6]). Wishing to stage a political comeback, Harrison had come out of his retirement to run again for mayor.[7]
Both Cregier and Harrison were populist Democrats.[7]
The race for the Democratic nomination was contentious and rancorous.[3] Each candidate ran fierce campaigns.[2]
Harrison's campaign was managed by Adolf Kraus.[2] The most influential backer of Harrison's candidacy was considered to be Frank Lawler.[2] Lawler and Harrison each made speeches before large and excited crowds across the city in support of Harrison's candidacy.[2]
Local Democratic establishment leadership largely stood behind Cregier.[2] The city's Democratic executive committee formally supported his candidacy.[2] Cregier received the backing of political organizations such as the Wah-na-ton Club and the Iroquois Club.[2] Creiger also had the backing of individuals such as John M. Palmer and Clarence S. Darrow.[2]
The primary to elect delegates to the city nominating convention was held on March 20, and showed a clear victory for Cregier. However Harrison's supporters alleged that electoral fraud had taken place.[2]
At the convention, an effort successfully prevented Harrison from being allowed to enter the convention hall.[2] In protest of this, 47 of Harrison's 99 pledged delegates withdrew their places.[2] In the end, Cregier was renominated at the convention by a vote of 331 to 52.[2]
While Cregier had managed to fend-off Harrison's challenge for the Democratic nomination, Harrison opted to challenge him in the general election as an independent.[7]
The Citizen's Party and Washburn's candidacy was a well-funded attempt by the old elite of the city to retake control of local politics for the claimed purposes of bringing cleaner and more efficient governance and lower taxes.[2]
Franklin MacVeagh, the original candidate sought by the (largely Republican) reformers behind the party, declined to run.[8] It was after this that Washburn would enter the race.[8]
In their platform Democrats, who nominated Cregier, supported an eight hour work day, affirmed that the streets were the property of the citizens, supported legislation for the masses, demanded that the city undertake its own construction work rather than relying on contractors, urged the enforcement of factory and tenement laws, urged a fixed salary to be paid to the city treasurer, and for the interest on deposits to belong to the city treasury.[9]
The Democratic electorate was split between Cregier and Harrison.[4][10][11] Union support was also split between the two candidates.[11]
In addition to being nominated by the Citizens committee, Elmer Washburn was also backed/nominated by the Prohibition Party.[9] Elmer Washburn was criticized by some as "puritanical".[14] Advancing a Sabbatarian agenda, the Citizens ticket he headed supported the closing of saloons, parks, and streetcar service on the Sabbath.[9] His campaign was well-funded and well-publicized.[2]
The race was intense, with all candidates engaging in vitriol, including slander.[2] Harrison focused most of his attacks at Cregier.[2] Cregier focused most of his attacks towards Harrison.[2] Washburn focused his attacks on both Cregier and Harrison.[2] Washburn divided his attacks among all three of the other main candidates.[2]
Harrison's forces tried to paint Cregier as incompetent and as having unscrupulous connections.[2] Creiger's forces, in turn, tried to claim that, through Frank Lawler, Harrison was connected to widely unpopular streetcar magnate Charles Yerkes.[2]
The election was heated, resulting in physical confrontations. On one occasion during the campaign, Harrison literally had mud slung at him.[2] On the day of the election and after the election results were counted, fights took place between supporters of rival candidates. This saw several serious injuries. James Scott, a black man who served as a ticket peddler for the Republican Party, was shot to death during a fight outside of a polling place.[15][16]
Results
The election had a very close result, with Republican Hempstead Washburne prevailing. The coinciding Chicago City Council elections resulted in the Democrats having a majority on the City Council.[15]
Creiger received 77.92% of the Polish-American vote, while Harrison received 10.42% and Washburne received 7.83%.[7]
Allegations of irregularities misconduct
After the election, some factions of the Democratic party vocally issued allegations that there had been election irregularities and misconduct.[3] It was alleged that strong-arm tactics being used by lieutenants of Creiger in seven wards.[3]
Aftermath
The divide between the Cregier's and Harrison's supporters would endure into the fall, when they held separate caucuses and sat separately at the Democratic Party convention. However, they ultimately united behind the party at this convention, supporting the Democratic ticket for the fall elections.[9]
Complaints of election irregularities and misconduct strengthened the push for the adoption of a secret ballot in Chicago.[3][8]
^Lederer, F. (1972). Competition for the World's Columbian Exposition: The Chicago Campaign. Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, 65(4), 382–394
^Biography of Elihu Benjamin Washburne Congressman, Secretary of State, Envoy Extraordinary: Volume Six: Remaining Years in France as American Minister by
Mark Washburne Xlibris Corporation, Oct 14, 2016
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