1892 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 1892 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 8, 1892. All contemporary 44 states were part of the 1892 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose twelve electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1892 United States presidential election in Tennessee

November 8, 1892
 
Nominee Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison James B. Weaver
Party Democratic Republican Populist
Home state New York Indiana Iowa
Running mate Adlai Stevenson I Whitelaw Reid James G. Field
Electoral vote 12 0 0
Popular vote 136,468 100,537 23,918
Percentage 51.36% 37.83% 9.00%

County Results

President before election

Benjamin Harrison
Republican

Elected President

Grover Cleveland
Democratic

Background and vote

For over a century after the Civil War, Tennessee’s white citizenry was divided according to partisan loyalties established in that war. Unionist regions covering almost all of East Tennessee, Kentucky Pennyroyal-allied Macon County, and the five West Tennessee Highland Rim counties of Carroll, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin and Wayne[1] voted Republican – generally by landslide margins – as they saw the Democratic Party as the “war party” who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight.[2] Contrariwise, the rest of Middle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state’s secession was equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans with Reconstruction.[3] 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,[4] 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.[4]

White Democrats in West Tennessee were always aiming to eliminate black political influence, which they first attempted to do by election fraud in the middle 1880s and did so much more successfully at the end of the decade by instituting in counties with significant black populations a secret ballot that prevented illiterates voting,[5] and a poll tax throughout the state.[6] This largely eradicated Republican support in secessionist areas as freedmen became no longer able to vote.

At the time of the next presidential election, third-time Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland was extremely concerned with the lack of loyalty to the gold standard by Tennessee Democrats and the growing influence of the James B. Weaver-led Populist Party over the state, especially after Governor John P. Buchanan joined the Populists and ran for re-election under that party’s banner[7] However, the strong emphasis by Cleveland and running mate Adlai Stevenson I on opposing the Lodge Force Bill and on reducing tariffs was able to minimise defections to the Populists or the GOP – which with large Unionist areas was even with incomplete black disenfranchisement more viable than in any other ex-Confederate state.[7] Stevenson’s extensive tour of Tennessee and his campaign against the Populists ensured that the state was won comfortably against incumbent President and Republican nominee Benjamin Harrison, whose vote total declined by thirty-eight thousand or over a quarter due to the loss of black voters.

Results

1892 United States presidential election in Tennessee[8]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Grover Cleveland 136,468 51.36% 12
Republican Benjamin Harrison (incumbent) 100,537 37.83% 0
People's James Weaver 23,918 9.00% 0
Prohibition John Bidwell 4,809 1.81% 0
Totals 265,732 100.00% 12
Voter turnout

Results by county

County Stephen Grover Cleveland[9]
Democratic
Benjamin Harrison[9]
Republican
James Baird Weaver[10]
Populist
John Bidwell[11]
Prohibition
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Anderson 607 30.40% 1,365 68.35% 23 1.15% 2 0.10% -758 -37.96% 1,997
Bedford 2,154 56.55% 1,470 38.59% 115 3.02% 70 1.84% 684 17.96% 3,809
Benton 1,001 55.46% 563 31.19% 241 13.35% 0 0.00% 438 24.27% 1,805
Bledsoe 505 40.76% 720 58.11% 12 0.97% 2 0.16% -215 -17.35% 1,239
Blount 821 28.36% 1,933 66.77% 64 2.21% 77 2.66% -1,112 -38.41% 2,895
Bradley 871 34.63% 1,522 60.52% 68 2.70% 54 2.15% -651 -25.88% 2,515
Campbell 513 24.19% 1,561 73.60% 42 1.98% 5 0.24% -1,048 -49.41% 2,121
Cannon 1,092 65.27% 514 30.72% 63 3.77% 4 0.24% 578 34.55% 1,673
Carroll 1,636 38.11% 2,051 47.78% 552 12.86% 54 1.26% -415 -9.67% 4,293
Carter 478 19.56% 1,877 76.80% 89 3.64% 0 0.00% -1,399 -57.24% 2,444
Cheatham 732 47.32% 242 15.64% 554 35.81% 19 1.23% 178[lower-alpha 1] 11.51% 1,547
Chester 738 49.13% 480 31.96% 267 17.78% 17 1.13% 258 17.18% 1,502
Claiborne 986 38.26% 1,437 55.76% 144 5.59% 10 0.39% -451 -17.50% 2,577
Clay 743 58.87% 391 30.98% 96 7.61% 32 2.54% 352 27.89% 1,262
Cocke 874 31.96% 1,831 66.95% 22 0.80% 8 0.29% -957 -34.99% 2,735
Coffee 1,415 64.14% 414 18.77% 297 13.46% 80 3.63% 1,001 45.38% 2,206
Crockett 1,271 53.14% 830 34.70% 261 10.91% 30 1.25% 441 18.44% 2,392
Cumberland 330 33.54% 632 64.23% 16 1.63% 6 0.61% -302 -30.69% 984
Davidson 8,480 69.14% 2,993 24.40% 394 3.21% 398 3.25% 5,487 44.74% 12,265
DeKalb 1,377 48.21% 1,283 44.92% 129 4.52% 67 2.35% 94 3.29% 2,856
Decatur 860 53.35% 667 41.38% 85 5.27% 0 0.00% 193 11.97% 1,612
Dickson 1,385 62.73% 494 22.37% 312 14.13% 17 0.77% 891 40.35% 2,208
Dyer 1,848 62.01% 487 16.34% 599 20.10% 46 1.54% 1,249[lower-alpha 1] 41.91% 2,980
Fayette 2,167 71.71% 660 21.84% 191 6.32% 4 0.13% 1,507 49.87% 3,022
Fentress 223 24.86% 525 58.53% 149 16.61% 0 0.00% -302 -33.67% 897
Franklin 1,896 60.27% 577 18.34% 596 18.94% 77 2.45% 1,300[lower-alpha 1] 41.32% 3,146
Gibson 3,085 55.90% 1,299 23.54% 924 16.74% 211 3.82% 1,786 32.36% 5,519
Giles 2,722 53.86% 1,551 30.69% 685 13.55% 96 1.90% 1,171 23.17% 5,054
Grainger 882 37.07% 1,342 56.41% 154 6.47% 1 0.04% -460 -19.34% 2,379
Greene 2,299 42.94% 2,745 51.27% 100 1.87% 210 3.92% -446 -8.33% 5,354
Grundy 779 73.56% 236 22.29% 26 2.46% 18 1.70% 543 51.27% 1,059
Hamblen 913 41.03% 1,164 52.31% 105 4.72% 43 1.93% -251 -11.28% 2,225
Hamilton 3,762 51.25% 3,196 43.54% 156 2.13% 226 3.08% 566 7.71% 7,340
Hancock 421 27.37% 971 63.13% 140 9.10% 6 0.39% -550 -35.76% 1,538
Hardeman 1,940 59.93% 789 24.37% 508 15.69% 0 0.00% 1,151 35.56% 3,237
Hardin 1,126 39.49% 1,537 53.91% 146 5.12% 42 1.47% -411 -14.42% 2,851
Hawkins 1,710 46.98% 1,847 50.74% 75 2.06% 8 0.22% -137 -3.76% 3,640
Haywood 1,676 65.52% 662 25.88% 220 8.60% 0 0.00% 1,014 39.64% 2,558
Henderson 1,044 40.48% 1,535 59.52% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -491 -19.04% 2,579
Henry 2,206 59.35% 963 25.91% 516 13.88% 32 0.86% 1,243 33.44% 3,717
Hickman 1,179 57.51% 554 27.02% 301 14.68% 16 0.78% 625 30.49% 2,050
Houston 704 69.98% 206 20.48% 83 8.25% 13 1.29% 498 49.50% 1,006
Humphreys 1,178 64.65% 243 13.34% 366 20.09% 35 1.92% 812[lower-alpha 1] 44.57% 1,822
Jackson 1,382 63.19% 457 20.90% 346 15.82% 2 0.09% 925 42.30% 2,187
James 263 32.35% 518 63.71% 28 3.44% 4 0.49% -255 -31.37% 813
Jefferson 764 25.32% 2,058 68.21% 186 6.17% 9 0.30% -1,294 -42.89% 3,017
Johnson 209 14.91% 1,100 78.46% 13 0.93% 80 5.71% -891 -63.55% 1,402
Knox 3,987 46.82% 4,182 49.11% 140 1.64% 207 2.43% -195 -2.29% 8,516
Lake 468 90.35% 6 1.16% 32 6.18% 12 2.32% 436[lower-alpha 1] 84.17% 518
Lauderdale 1,218 42.26% 967 33.55% 690 23.94% 7 0.24% 251 8.71% 2,882
Lawrence 1,231 58.23% 758 35.86% 86 4.07% 39 1.84% 473 22.37% 2,114
Lewis 231 63.81% 95 26.24% 34 9.39% 2 0.55% 136 37.57% 362
Lincoln 2,429 59.83% 590 14.53% 806 19.85% 235 5.79% 1,623[lower-alpha 1] 39.98% 4,060
Loudon 491 31.04% 1,037 65.55% 10 0.63% 44 2.78% -546 -34.51% 1,582
Macon 648 35.31% 1,036 56.46% 151 8.23% 0 0.00% -388 -21.14% 1,835
Madison 2,569 64.65% 900 22.65% 468 11.78% 37 0.93% 1,669 42.00% 3,974
Marion 1,201 44.32% 1,457 53.76% 47 1.73% 5 0.18% -256 -9.45% 2,710
Marshall 2,185 64.36% 685 20.18% 402 11.84% 123 3.62% 1,500 44.18% 3,395
Maury 3,191 64.08% 1,357 27.25% 313 6.29% 119 2.39% 1,834 36.83% 4,980
McMinn 1,336 40.08% 1,842 55.27% 92 2.76% 63 1.89% -506 -15.18% 3,333
McNairy 1,132 41.28% 1,143 41.68% 458 16.70% 9 0.33% -11 -0.40% 2,742
Meigs 564 44.76% 561 44.52% 124 9.84% 11 0.87% 3 0.24% 1,260
Monroe 1,367 46.21% 1,414 47.80% 167 5.65% 10 0.34% -47 -1.59% 2,958
Montgomery 2,405 44.25% 1,927 35.46% 983 18.09% 120 2.21% 478 8.79% 5,435
Moore 717 69.75% 62 6.03% 213 20.72% 36 3.50% 504[lower-alpha 1] 49.03% 1,028
Morgan 302 28.93% 681 65.23% 37 3.54% 24 2.30% -379 -36.30% 1,044
Obion 2,694 59.56% 771 17.05% 987 21.82% 71 1.57% 1,707[lower-alpha 1] 37.74% 4,523
Overton 1,287 64.54% 586 29.39% 114 5.72% 7 0.35% 701 35.16% 1,994
Perry 710 61.69% 371 32.23% 68 5.91% 2 0.17% 339 29.45% 1,151
Pickett 398 47.78% 427 51.26% 0 0.00% 8 0.96% -29 -3.48% 833
Polk 656 46.59% 694 49.29% 58 4.12% 0 0.00% -38 -2.70% 1,408
Putnam 1,089 53.04% 682 33.22% 267 13.01% 15 0.73% 407 19.82% 2,053
Rhea 1,099 47.11% 1,163 49.85% 49 2.10% 22 0.94% -64 -2.74% 2,333
Roane 804 26.46% 1,795 59.08% 178 5.86% 261 8.59% -991 -32.62% 3,038
Robertson 1,938 53.04% 879 24.06% 604 16.53% 233 6.38% 1,059 28.98% 3,654
Rutherford 2,211 54.51% 1,210 29.83% 593 14.62% 42 1.04% 1,001 24.68% 4,056
Scott 156 10.86% 1,198 83.43% 76 5.29% 6 0.42% -1,042 -72.56% 1,436
Sequatchie 376 64.83% 189 32.59% 15 2.59% 0 0.00% 187 32.24% 580
Sevier 461 15.38% 2,463 82.18% 44 1.47% 29 0.97% -2,002 -66.80% 2,997
Shelby 6,307 81.67% 1,110 14.37% 277 3.59% 29 0.38% 5,197 67.29% 7,723
Smith 1,598 53.00% 847 28.09% 535 17.74% 35 1.16% 751 24.91% 3,015
Stewart 1,251 62.33% 387 19.28% 348 17.34% 21 1.05% 864 43.05% 2,007
Sullivan 2,281 58.17% 1,304 33.26% 239 6.10% 97 2.47% 977 24.92% 3,921
Sumner 2,121 58.74% 677 18.75% 775 21.46% 38 1.05% 1,346[lower-alpha 1] 37.27% 3,611
Tipton 2,199 62.33% 690 19.56% 639 18.11% 0 0.00% 1,509 42.77% 3,528
Trousdale 622 64.06% 240 24.72% 106 10.92% 3 0.31% 382 39.34% 971
Unicoi 87 14.77% 500 84.89% 2 0.34% 0 0.00% -413 -70.12% 589
Union 457 23.99% 1,368 71.81% 79 4.15% 1 0.05% -911 -47.82% 1,905
Van Buren 360 73.17% 89 18.09% 36 7.32% 7 1.42% 271 55.08% 492
Warren 1,568 59.98% 633 24.22% 367 14.04% 46 1.76% 935 35.77% 2,614
Washington 1,722 43.20% 2,056 51.58% 44 1.10% 164 4.11% -334 -8.38% 3,986
Wayne 661 34.99% 1,156 61.20% 55 2.91% 17 0.90% -495 -26.20% 1,889
Weakley 2,648 53.15% 1,644 33.00% 578 11.60% 112 2.25% 1,004 20.15% 4,982
White 1,273 56.15% 539 23.78% 399 17.60% 56 2.47% 734 32.38% 2,267
Williamson 1,992 64.86% 575 18.72% 353 11.49% 151 4.92% 1,417 46.14% 3,071
Wilson 2,523 61.72% 1,142 27.94% 321 7.85% 102 2.50% 1,381 33.78% 4,088
Totals136,46851.35%100,57737.84%23,9189.00%4,8091.81%35.89113.50%265,772

Notes

  1. In this county where Weaver ran second ahead of Harrison, margin given is Cleveland vote minus Weaver vote and percentage margin Cleveland percentage minus Weaver percentage.

References

  1. Wright, John K.; ‘Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps’; Geographical Review, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666-672
  2. Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando; Southern Politics in State and Nation (New York, 1949), pp. 282-283
  3. Lyons, William; Scheb (II), John M. and Stair Billy; Government and Politics in Tennessee, pp. 183-184 ISBN 1572331410
  4. Kousser, J. Morgan; The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910, p. 104 ISBN 0-300-01973-4
  5. Kousser; The Shaping of Southern Politics, p. 110
  6. Kousser, The Shaping of Southern Politics, p. 118
  7. Sclup, Leonard; ‘Conservative Counterattack: Adlai E. Stevenson and the Compromise of 1892 with Democrats in Tennessee and the South’; Tennessee Historical Quarterly; Vol. 53, No. 2 (Summer 1994), pp. 114-129
  8. "1892 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
  9. Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1892 (.xlsx file for €15)
  10. Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1892 for James B. Weaver (.xlsx file for €15)
  11. Géoelections; Popular Vote for John Bidwell (.xlsx file for €15)
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