
The1884 United States presidential election was held in November 1884 betweenGrover Cleveland of theDemocratic Party,James G. Blaine of theRepublican Party, and twothird-party candidates. The election was narrowly won by Cleveland, who won 219Electoral College votes to Blaine's 182, ending a run of six consecutive Republican victories. The issue of personal character featured strongly during the 1884 campaign. Blaine had been prevented from getting the Republican presidential nomination during the previous two elections because of the stigma of a set of letters that he had written, while Cleveland was perceived as having high personal integrity. This campaign advertisement for Blaine, captioned "Another voice for Cleveland", was published in the New York magazineThe Judge on September 27, 1884, and aimed to shift this balance and attack Cleveland's morals by alleging that he had fathered an illegitimate child while he was a lawyer inBuffalo, New York. Thechromolithograph illustration depicts a weeping woman holding a baby who cries out "I want my pa!" as Cleveland walks past. Cleveland's campaign responded that he had formed a connection with the woman in question and had assumed responsibility for the child, but that his paternity was unproven.
Poster credit: Frank Beard; restored byAdam Cuerden