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| Turnout | 19.69% of the total population 2.83pp[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results
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The1888 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 6, 1888, as part of the1888 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors, to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.[2]
For over a century after theCivil War,Tennessee's white citizenry was divided according to partisan loyalties established in that war.Unionist regions covering almost all ofEast Tennessee,Kentucky Pennyroyal-alliedMacon County, and the fiveWest TennesseeHighland Rim counties ofCarroll,Henderson,McNairy,Hardin andWayne[3] votedRepublican – generally by landslide margins – as they saw theDemocratic Party as the “war party” who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight.[4] Contrariwise, the rest ofMiddle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state's secession was equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans withReconstruction.[5] After the state's white landowning class re-established its rule in the early 1870s, black and Unionist white combined to forge adequate support for the GOP to produce a competitive political system for two decades,[6] although during this era the Republicans could only capture statewide offices when the Democratic Party was divided on this issue of payment of state debt.[6]
White Democrats in West Tennessee were always aiming to eliminate black political influence, and during the 1880s they attempted to do this byelection fraud and stuffing of ballot boxes.[7] During the 1888 elections, this fraud increased substantially and the GOP's fortunes showed a decline at the state level to just 35 out of 132 state legislators.[8] This would lead to much more drastic changes in the future, but in the presidential race Democratic nominee and incumbentPresidentGrover Cleveland, running with the formerSenator andChief Justice of theSupreme Court of OhioAllen G. Thurman won only 52.26 percent of the popular vote, against formerIndiana SenatorBenjamin Harrison (R-Indiana), running withLevi P. Morton, the31stgovernor of New York who gained 45.76 percent. Cleveland's margin was, given the political changes taking place, only a small improvement over his1884 win in Tennessee; however, he did re-establish the majority-black far southwestern part of the state as rock-ribbed Democratic until the party turned towards Civil Rights underHarry S. Truman.
TheUnion Labor Party choseAlson Streeter, a formerIllinois state representative, andCharles E. Cunningham as their presidential and vice-presidential candidates and received 0.02% of the vote. The Prohibition Party ranbrigadier generalClinton B. Fisk andJohn A. Brooks and received 1.97% of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Grover Cleveland (incumbent) | 158,699 | 52.26% | |
| Republican | Benjamin Harrison | 138,978 | 45.76% | |
| Prohibition | Clinton Fisk | 5,969 | 1.97% | |
| Labor | Alson Streeter | 48[a] | 0.02% | |
| Total votes | 303,694 | 100.00% | ||
| 1888 United States presidential election in Tennessee by county[9][10] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Stephen Grover Cleveland Democratic | Benjamin Harrison Republican | Clinton Bowen Fisk Prohibition | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Anderson | 733 | 29.59% | 1,740 | 70.25% | 4 | 0.16% | -1,007 | -40.65% | 2,477 |
| Bedford | 2,475 | 53.21% | 1,988 | 42.74% | 188 | 4.04% | 487 | 10.47% | 4,651 |
| Benton | 1,075 | 62.65% | 640 | 37.30% | 1 | 0.06% | 435 | 25.35% | 1,716 |
| Bledsoe | 482 | 42.47% | 653 | 57.53% | 0 | 0.00% | -171 | -15.07% | 1,135 |
| Blount | 1,009 | 30.55% | 2,237 | 67.73% | 57 | 1.73% | -1,228 | -37.18% | 3,303 |
| Bradley | 991 | 38.99% | 1,518 | 59.72% | 33 | 1.30% | -527 | -20.73% | 2,542 |
| Campbell | 559 | 23.20% | 1,845 | 76.59% | 5 | 0.21% | -1,286 | -53.38% | 2,409 |
| Cannon | 1,104 | 61.68% | 658 | 36.76% | 28 | 1.56% | 446 | 24.92% | 1,790 |
| Carroll | 1,875 | 43.74% | 2,356 | 54.96% | 56 | 1.31% | -481 | -11.22% | 4,287 |
| Carter | 453 | 19.22% | 1,797 | 76.24% | 107 | 4.54% | -1,344 | -57.02% | 2,357 |
| Cheatham | 1,063 | 75.50% | 305 | 21.66% | 40 | 2.84% | 758 | 53.84% | 1,408 |
| Claiborne | 959 | 40.29% | 1,392 | 58.49% | 29 | 1.22% | -433 | -18.19% | 2,380 |
| Clay | 749 | 60.80% | 479 | 38.88% | 4 | 0.32% | 270 | 21.92% | 1,232 |
| Cocke | 842 | 30.19% | 1,947 | 69.81% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,105 | -39.62% | 2,789 |
| Coffee | 1,818 | 75.09% | 539 | 22.26% | 64 | 2.64% | 1,279 | 52.83% | 2,421 |
| Crockett | 1,253 | 51.84% | 1,080 | 44.68% | 84 | 3.48% | 173 | 7.16% | 2,417 |
| Cumberland | 422 | 39.70% | 632 | 59.45% | 9 | 0.85% | -210 | -19.76% | 1,063 |
| Davidson | 9,715 | 49.15% | 9,321 | 47.16% | 730 | 3.69% | 394 | 1.99% | 19,766 |
| DeKalb | 1,462 | 51.88% | 1,310 | 46.49% | 46 | 1.63% | 152 | 5.39% | 2,818 |
| Decatur | 862 | 53.14% | 757 | 46.67% | 3 | 0.18% | 105 | 6.47% | 1,622 |
| Dickson | 1,511 | 64.38% | 765 | 32.59% | 71 | 3.03% | 746 | 31.79% | 2,347 |
| Dyer | 2,013 | 67.14% | 925 | 30.85% | 60 | 2.00% | 1,088 | 36.29% | 2,998 |
| Fayette | 3,813 | 79.54% | 980 | 20.44% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,833 | 59.09% | 4,794 |
| Fentress | 249 | 29.09% | 602 | 70.33% | 5 | 0.58% | -353 | -41.24% | 856 |
| Franklin | 2,362 | 74.42% | 674 | 21.24% | 138 | 4.35% | 1,688 | 53.18% | 3,174 |
| Gibson | 3,763 | 63.06% | 1,893 | 31.72% | 311 | 5.21% | 1,870 | 31.34% | 5,967 |
| Giles | 3,181 | 58.79% | 2,100 | 38.81% | 130 | 2.40% | 1,081 | 19.98% | 5,411 |
| Grainger | 931 | 39.52% | 1,416 | 60.10% | 9 | 0.38% | -485 | -20.59% | 2,356 |
| Greene | 2,195 | 42.97% | 2,722 | 53.29% | 191 | 3.74% | -527 | -10.32% | 5,108 |
| Grundy | 901 | 78.28% | 216 | 18.77% | 34 | 2.95% | 685 | 59.51% | 1,151 |
| Hamblen | 891 | 41.42% | 1,219 | 56.67% | 41 | 1.91% | -328 | -15.25% | 2,151 |
| Hamilton | 3,906 | 37.81% | 6,264 | 60.63% | 161 | 1.56% | -2,358 | -22.82% | 10,331 |
| Hancock | 480 | 28.29% | 1,216 | 71.66% | 1 | 0.06% | -736 | -43.37% | 1,697 |
| Hardeman | 1,913 | 63.03% | 1,099 | 36.21% | 23 | 0.76% | 814 | 26.82% | 3,035 |
| Hardin | 1,208 | 39.99% | 1,785 | 59.09% | 28 | 0.93% | -577 | -19.10% | 3,021 |
| Hawkins | 1,624 | 41.46% | 2,260 | 57.70% | 33 | 0.84% | -636 | -16.24% | 3,917 |
| Haywood | 1,962 | 53.14% | 1,724 | 46.70% | 6 | 0.16% | 238 | 6.45% | 3,692 |
| Henderson | 1,512 | 45.93% | 1,772 | 53.83% | 8 | 0.24% | -260 | -7.90% | 3,292 |
| Henry | 2,103 | 62.55% | 1,197 | 35.60% | 62 | 1.84% | 906 | 26.95% | 3,362 |
| Hickman | 1,509 | 56.26% | 1,137 | 42.39% | 36 | 1.34% | 372 | 13.87% | 2,682 |
| Houston | 745 | 73.98% | 259 | 25.72% | 3 | 0.30% | 486 | 48.26% | 1,007 |
| Humphreys | 1,443 | 76.35% | 395 | 20.90% | 52 | 2.75% | 1,048 | 55.45% | 1,890 |
| Jackson | 1,585 | 74.24% | 545 | 25.53% | 5 | 0.23% | 1,040 | 48.71% | 2,135 |
| James | 308 | 34.26% | 587 | 65.29% | 4 | 0.44% | -279 | -31.03% | 899 |
| Jefferson | 806 | 25.43% | 2,348 | 74.07% | 16 | 0.50% | -1,542 | -48.64% | 3,170 |
| Johnson | 180 | 11.70% | 1,347 | 87.52% | 12 | 0.78% | -1,167 | -75.83% | 1,539 |
| Knox | 3,929 | 37.94% | 6,123 | 59.12% | 305 | 2.94% | -2,194 | -21.18% | 10,357 |
| Lake | 450 | 83.33% | 59 | 10.93% | 31 | 5.74% | 391 | 72.41% | 540 |
| Lauderdale | 1,838 | 55.76% | 1,433 | 43.48% | 25 | 0.76% | 405 | 12.29% | 3,296 |
| Lawrence | 1,089 | 62.66% | 633 | 36.42% | 16 | 0.92% | 456 | 26.24% | 1,738 |
| Lewis | 254 | 65.30% | 132 | 33.93% | 3 | 0.77% | 122 | 31.36% | 389 |
| Lincoln | 3,285 | 72.21% | 1,082 | 23.79% | 182 | 4.00% | 2,203 | 48.43% | 4,549 |
| Loudon | 530 | 30.13% | 1,226 | 69.70% | 3 | 0.17% | -696 | -39.57% | 1,759 |
| Macon | 879 | 43.91% | 1,120 | 55.94% | 3 | 0.15% | -241 | -12.04% | 2,002 |
| Madison | 3,206 | 67.47% | 1,479 | 31.12% | 67 | 1.41% | 1,727 | 36.34% | 4,752 |
| Marion | 1,198 | 44.68% | 1,483 | 55.32% | 0 | 0.00% | -285 | -10.63% | 2,681 |
| Marshall | 2,291 | 71.08% | 786 | 24.39% | 146 | 4.53% | 1,505 | 46.70% | 3,223 |
| Maury | 3,658 | 54.27% | 2,836 | 42.08% | 246 | 3.65% | 822 | 12.20% | 6,740 |
| McMinn | 1,364 | 40.92% | 1,901 | 57.04% | 68 | 2.04% | -537 | -16.11% | 3,333 |
| McNairy | 1,525 | 49.97% | 1,511 | 49.51% | 16 | 0.52% | 14 | 0.46% | 3,052 |
| Meigs | 740 | 55.31% | 589 | 44.02% | 9 | 0.67% | 151 | 11.29% | 1,338 |
| Monroe | 1,457 | 50.70% | 1,399 | 48.68% | 18 | 0.63% | 58 | 2.02% | 2,874 |
| Montgomery | 2,628 | 53.53% | 2,164 | 44.08% | 117 | 2.38% | 464 | 9.45% | 4,909 |
| Moore | 980 | 84.63% | 102 | 8.81% | 76 | 6.56% | 878 | 75.82% | 1,158 |
| Morgan | 369 | 29.52% | 860 | 68.80% | 21 | 1.68% | -491 | -39.28% | 1,250 |
| Obion | 2,987 | 70.10% | 1,167 | 27.39% | 107 | 2.51% | 1,820 | 42.71% | 4,261 |
| Overton | 1,188 | 64.88% | 614 | 33.53% | 29 | 1.58% | 574 | 31.35% | 1,831 |
| Perry | 849 | 61.57% | 527 | 38.22% | 3 | 0.22% | 322 | 23.35% | 1,379 |
| Pickett | 362 | 46.95% | 409 | 53.05% | 0 | 0.00% | -47 | -6.10% | 771 |
| Polk | 679 | 51.48% | 635 | 48.14% | 5 | 0.38% | 44 | 3.34% | 1,319 |
| Putnam | 1,361 | 62.15% | 817 | 37.31% | 12 | 0.55% | 544 | 24.84% | 2,190 |
| Rhea | 1,177 | 45.27% | 1,414 | 54.38% | 9 | 0.35% | -237 | -9.12% | 2,600 |
| Roane | 844 | 29.14% | 2,042 | 70.51% | 10 | 0.35% | -1,198 | -41.37% | 2,896 |
| Robertson | 2,203 | 63.20% | 952 | 27.31% | 331 | 9.50% | 1,251 | 35.89% | 3,486 |
| Rutherford | 3,302 | 55.07% | 2,479 | 41.34% | 215 | 3.59% | 823 | 13.73% | 5,996 |
| Scott | 164 | 10.35% | 1,418 | 89.46% | 3 | 0.19% | -1,254 | -79.12% | 1,585 |
| Sequatchie | 350 | 66.04% | 180 | 33.96% | 0 | 0.00% | 170 | 32.08% | 530 |
| Sevier | 489 | 14.56% | 2,830 | 84.25% | 40 | 1.19% | -2,341 | -69.69% | 3,359 |
| Shelby | 11,932 | 58.86% | 8,277 | 40.83% | 64 | 0.32% | 3,655 | 18.03% | 20,273 |
| Smith | 2,108 | 64.96% | 1,102 | 33.96% | 35 | 1.08% | 1,006 | 31.00% | 3,245 |
| Stewart | 1,277 | 69.29% | 536 | 29.08% | 30 | 1.63% | 741 | 40.21% | 1,843 |
| Sullivan | 2,255 | 58.66% | 1,513 | 39.36% | 76 | 1.98% | 742 | 19.30% | 3,844 |
| Sumner | 2,778 | 68.76% | 1,228 | 30.40% | 34 | 0.84% | 1,550 | 38.37% | 4,040 |
| Tipton | 2,351 | 61.21% | 1,486 | 38.69% | 4 | 0.10% | 865 | 22.52% | 3,841 |
| Trousdale | 792 | 71.29% | 316 | 28.44% | 3 | 0.27% | 476 | 42.84% | 1,111 |
| Unicoi | 85 | 11.55% | 645 | 87.64% | 6 | 0.82% | -560 | -76.09% | 736 |
| Union | 523 | 25.55% | 1,501 | 73.33% | 23 | 1.12% | -978 | -47.78% | 2,047 |
| Van Buren | 423 | 77.05% | 103 | 18.76% | 23 | 4.19% | 320 | 58.29% | 549 |
| Warren | 1,975 | 73.80% | 636 | 23.77% | 65 | 2.43% | 1,339 | 50.04% | 2,676 |
| Washington | 1,534 | 42.12% | 2,008 | 55.13% | 100 | 2.75% | -474 | -13.01% | 3,642 |
| Wayne | 772 | 39.03% | 1,204 | 60.87% | 2 | 0.10% | -432 | -21.84% | 1,978 |
| Weakley | 2,764 | 60.22% | 1,764 | 38.43% | 62 | 1.35% | 1,000 | 21.79% | 4,590 |
| White | 1,634 | 76.36% | 449 | 20.98% | 57 | 2.66% | 1,185 | 55.37% | 2,140 |
| Williamson | 2,358 | 58.85% | 1,491 | 37.21% | 158 | 3.94% | 867 | 21.64% | 4,007 |
| Wilson | 2,518 | 57.55% | 1,676 | 38.31% | 181 | 4.14% | 842 | 19.25% | 4,375 |
| Totals | 158,699 | 52.26% | 138,978 | 45.77% | 5,968 | 1.97% | 19,721 | 6.49% | 303,645 |
State and district results of the1888 United States presidential election | ||
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