Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2011 Iron and the Bloody Shirt: Leadership in the West Virginia Republican Party 1872--1896 Stephen A. Smoot West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Smoot, Stephen A., "Iron and the Bloody Shirt: Leadership in the West Virginia Republican Party 1872--1896" (2011). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 3463. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/3463 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Iron and the Bloody Shirt: Leadership in the West Virginia Republican Party 1872-1896 Stephen A. Smoot Dissertation submitted to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Kenneth Fones-Wolf, Ph. D., Chair Elizabeth Fones-Wolf, Ph. D. Jack Hammersmith, Ph. D. Tyler Boulware, Ph. D. Kevin Barksdale, Ph. D. Department of History Morgantown, West Virginia 2011 ABSTRACT Iron and the Bloody Shirt: Leadership in the West Virginia Republican Party 1872-1896 Stephen A. Smoot The electoral upheavals of 1894 and 1896 resulting in Republican Party dominance within West Virginia and around the nation were not just a sudden occurrence. They resulted, in part, because voters in key border states shifted their votes from the Democratic to the Republican Party. West Virginia’s Republican Party had the greatest success in maintaining its long term influence after 1896 despite the fact that since 1872 it enjoyed little success. To build up to triumph in 1896 took a quarter century of painstaking work that started after electoral disaster in 1870. That election, the first since West Virginia removed restrictions on former Confederates, brought Democrats into a position of dominance. This dissertation tells the story of how West Virginia’s Republicans rebuilt their party between 1872 and 1896. Nathan Goff, a Union Army major during the Civil War, used the same methods as other party authorities around the country. He used his talent for public speaking and access to federal patronage to mobilize and reward the faithful as much as possible. State Republican newspapers battled their Democratic counterparts in conflicts over not only issues of the day, but also anger over measures taken during the Civil War. Goff’s work helped to restore a working party organization in the 1870s, but did not put West Virginia Republicans into a position to return to competitiveness, much less power. Money, manpower, and organization do not ensure success without a relevant message. The Republican Party across the country started to fashion a more appealing vision after the difficult Grant and Hayes Administrations. They advocated sound money and a protective tariff as cornerstones of national prosperity more often during the 1880s. Goff emerged as a national spokesman for protectionism at the same time as the Second Industrial Revolution started strongly transforming West Virginia’s economy. However, national economic conditions in this decade did not result in massive movement towards the Republican cause. Instead, the country experienced partisan deadlock. West Virginia Republicans made gains during this decade. In 1888, Goff came very close to capturing the office of governor. The Democratic legislature successfully counted out enough votes to seat the Democratic nominee, but the results demonstrated a shift in party power. Goff would not be able to take West Virginia Republicans to their eventual triumph. The year 1888 also saw Goff unseated as party chief by the nationally known Stephen Benton Elkins. Elkins built up a fortune in land speculation, railroads, and other ventures. Along the way, he married the daughter of former Senator Henry Gassaway Davis, a prominent West Virginia Democrat and industrialist. Elkins brought a new kind of leadership style to West Virginia Republican politics. He concentrated on building a stronger and more effective party organization more than relying on personal appeal in speeches and debates. Elkins was exceptionally good at keeping divisive issues and potentially conflicting personalities from interfering with party goals. The economic crisis that gripped the nation during the election year of 1894, a time of plummeting production and employment figures, made the Republican economic vision more appealing to voters. Grover Cleveland and his party did not seem to have the answers to the problems that many faced. West Virginia’s Republican organization built by Elkins was able to take full advantage of the national party campaigns. They did not simply convince West Virginians to vote for Republican candidates, but to trust the party to direct state affairs for the next generation. This dissertation helps to put West Virginia’s Republican Party experience into a national perspective while also explaining why the state shifted into the GOP column so strongly after 1896. Leadership, message, and the choices made by voters all play into this dramatic political shift. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A dissertation, like most worthwhile endeavors, is less of a work and more of a journey. Sometimes one breaks into open country and easily makes substantial progress. However, all too often the traveling becomes slow and difficult as obstacle after obstacle forms to block your path. Mountains form before your eyes and swamps extend beneath your feet. Some of this is related to the work. Much of the rest comes when you have to find the right balance between work and life. There are no rules, nor are their guidelines. None who make this journey, at least in the humanities, do so because there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Were we solely looking for that, most of us would have gone to law school. Instead, we put ourselves through this so you, the researcher or casual reader, have a convenient way to access the subject and (hopefully) a thought provoking point of view. Of course we are also looking for professional position and respect. Those of us who are lucky embark on the journey with excellent guides. In my first few years, I studied under Ronald Lewis, Mary Lou Lustig, Robert Blobaum, and Jason Parker. Though the fields varied tremendously, I could always see threads of thought in some that helped give perspective to others. I especially appreciate the advice from Professor Lewis when trying to think of where this dissertation would go. Additionally, my dissertation committee’s advice and guidance was vital to making this dissertation clear and concise. I appreciate the contributions of Kenneth and Elizabeth Fones-Wolf, Tyler Boulware, Kevin Barksdale, and Jack Hammersmith, especially the eternal patience of Professor Ken Fones-Wolf as he and I worked through revisions. iv I also could not have completed this journey without the love and support of my fellow travelers. Sometimes it shocks me that they elected to see it all through, but they shared the excitement and the anxiety of this whole process and I am forever grateful. My wife, Crystal, has always given me her complete love and support in this endeavor and my children, Jared and Emily, have had to come along for the ride. Jared is twelve and probably has no memory of my not working on this. My parents’ support, moral, financial, and otherwise, was also vital in making sure that we could continue our travels. West Virginia University’s Department of History took a chance on me in 2003. I am deeply thankful that they did. I received a top notch education and had the privilege of working with outstanding faculty and graduate students. Finally, I would also like to acknowledge two professors from Marshall University to whom I looked to as mentors, David Woodward and the late Robert Maddox. I borrowed most of my teaching style from their examples. They also are the reason that I decided to go into higher education rather than some other field. There are also too many friends to name here whose help and support have been tremendous. This journey has ended, but it only prepares me for the next. Thanks to all! v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction .........................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 Statehood and Party Decline .............................................................................12 Chapter 3 Nathan Goff and the Perils of Party Rule ..........................................................58 Chapter 4 The Republican Press ........................................................................................96 Chapter 5 The Election of 1888 .......................................................................................121 Chapter 6 Stephen B. Elkins and Management Style Leadership ...................................160 Chapter 7