South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1888
Encyclopedia
The 1888 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1888 to select the governor
of the state of South Carolina
. John Peter Richardson III
was renominated by the Democrats
and was reelected for a second two-year term.
In 1886, an amendment was added to the constitution of the South Carolina Democratic Party
that mandated candidates for Governor
and Lieutenant Governor to have at least one meeting in every congressional district with the voters. Benjamin Tillman
, an upstate demagogue
, engaged Governor Richardson
at the meetings in 1888 and soundly trounced him on the stump.
Confident of his support in the state, Tillman sought to name the next governor of South Carolina and told his henchmen to nominate Joseph H. Earle
at the Democratic convention. Earle refused the nomination, but Tillman's men nominated him nevertheless stating that "This is a case of the office seeking the man, and not the man seeking the office." A friend of Earle's from Sumter County rose to withdraw his name and Earle's brother declared that Earle would not serve if elected. However, many delegates still voted for Earle and Tillman's growing strength in the Democratic party became evident when his candidate for governor obtained almost 40% of the vote, despite publicly disavowing any candidacy.
without opposition. There were very few contested races and turnout
increased for this election over the previous election
solely because of a presidential election
on the ballot.
| colspan=5 |Democratic
hold
|-
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
of the state of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. John Peter Richardson III
John Peter Richardson III
John Peter Richardson III was the 83rd Governor of South Carolina from 1886 to 1890.Richardson was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina to John Peter Richardson II, a former Governor of South Carolina, and Juliana Augusta Manning. After graduating from South Carolina College in 1849,...
was renominated by the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and was reelected for a second two-year term.
Democratic Convention
| Democratic nomination for Governor Governor of South Carolina The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio... |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
In 1886, an amendment was added to the constitution of the South Carolina Democratic Party
South Carolina Democratic Party
The South Carolina Democratic Party is the South Carolina affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. The Democratic party thrived during the Second Party System between 1832 and the mid-1850s and was one of the causes of the collapse of the Whig Party....
that mandated candidates for Governor
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
and Lieutenant Governor to have at least one meeting in every congressional district with the voters. Benjamin Tillman
Benjamin Tillman
Benjamin Ryan Tillman was an American politician who served as the 84th Governor of South Carolina, from 1890 to 1894, and as a United States Senator, from 1895 until his death in office. Tillman's views were a matter of national controversy.Tillman was a member of the Democratic Party...
, an upstate demagogue
Demagogy
Demagogy or demagoguery is a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the prejudices, emotions, fears, vanities and expectations of the public—typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist, populist or religious themes...
, engaged Governor Richardson
John Peter Richardson III
John Peter Richardson III was the 83rd Governor of South Carolina from 1886 to 1890.Richardson was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina to John Peter Richardson II, a former Governor of South Carolina, and Juliana Augusta Manning. After graduating from South Carolina College in 1849,...
at the meetings in 1888 and soundly trounced him on the stump.
Confident of his support in the state, Tillman sought to name the next governor of South Carolina and told his henchmen to nominate Joseph H. Earle
Joseph H. Earle
Joseph Haynsworth Earle was a United States Senator from South Carolina. Born in Greenville, he attended private schools in Sumter. He was a first year cadet at the South Carolina Military Academy at the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted in the Confederate Army...
at the Democratic convention. Earle refused the nomination, but Tillman's men nominated him nevertheless stating that "This is a case of the office seeking the man, and not the man seeking the office." A friend of Earle's from Sumter County rose to withdraw his name and Earle's brother declared that Earle would not serve if elected. However, many delegates still voted for Earle and Tillman's growing strength in the Democratic party became evident when his candidate for governor obtained almost 40% of the vote, despite publicly disavowing any candidacy.
General election
The general election was held on November 6, 1888 and John Peter Richardson III was reelected as governor of South CarolinaGovernor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
without opposition. There were very few contested races and turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
increased for this election over the previous election
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1886
The 1886 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1886 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. John Peter Richardson III was nominated by the Democrats and became the 83rd governor of South Carolina.-Democratic Convention:...
solely because of a presidential election
United States presidential election
Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
on the ballot.
| colspan=5 |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
hold
|-
See also
- Governor of South CarolinaGovernor of South CarolinaThe Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
- List of Governors of South Carolina
- South Carolina gubernatorial elections