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The Boston mayoral election of 1899 occurred on Tuesday, December 12, 1899. Republican candidate and former mayor of Boston Thomas N. Hart defeated Democratic candidate Patrick Collins, and two other contenders, to become mayor for the second time. Incumbent mayor Josiah Quincy had announced in July 1899 that he would not seek re-election.[1]
Hart benefitted from strife within the Democratic party, where John R. Murphy had lost the nomination to Collins.[2] Murphy subsequently announced his intent to cross party lines and vote for Hart.[3] The votes of Murphy and his followers in support of the Republican candidate contributed to Collins' defeat, and was referred to as a "knifing" in contemporary news reports.[4]
Hart was inaugurated on Monday, January 1, 1900.[5]
Party conventions
Democratic
The Democratic convention was held on November 20, 1899, at Bumstead Hall. Incumbent mayor Patrick Collins defeated former state senator and state representative John R. Murphy.[6]
| Democratic Mayoral Ballot[6] | ||
| Candidates | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Collins | 187 | 64.26% |
| John R. Murphy | 104 | 35.74% |
Republican
The Republican convention was held on November 21, 1899, at Association Hall. Former Mayor Thomas N. Hart defeated former common councilor, alderman, and state representative Alpheus Sanford.[7]
| Republican Mayoral Ballot[7] | ||
| Candidates | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas N. Hart | 239 | 69.08% |
| Alpheus Sanford | 107 | 30.92% |
General election
Candidates
- Patrick Collins (Democrat), former member of the United States House of Representatives (1883–1889), Massachusetts Senate (1870–1871), and Massachusetts House of Representatives (1868–1869)
- Thomas N. Hart (Republican), former Mayor of Boston (1889–1890), Postmaster of Boston (1891–1895), member of the Boston Board of Aldermen (1882–1886), and member of the Boston Common Council (1879–1881)
- John Weaver Sherman (Socialist)[8]
- James F. Stevens (Socialist Labor)[9]
Results
| Candidates | General Election[10][11] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ||
| R | Thomas N. Hart | 40,838 | 50.2% |
| D | Patrick Collins | 38,557 | 47.4% |
| SLP | James F. Stevens | 978 | 1.2% |
| S | John Weaver Sherman | 976 | 1.2% |
| all others | 1 | 0.0% | |
See also
References
- ^ "The Week's News – Tuesday, July 11". North Adams Transcript. North Adams, Massachusetts. July 13, 1899. p. 2. Retrieved March 24, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Democrats at Odds". The Washington Times. December 4, 1899. p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Murphy will Vote for Hart". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. December 6, 1899. p. 4. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hart wins in Boston". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. December 13, 1899. p. 1. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mayor Hart's Inaugural". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 4, 1900. p. 8. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Collins Named: Nominee of the Democratic Convention for Mayor". The Boston Daily Globe. November 21, 1899.
- ^ a b "Hart the Chosen: He Will Lead Republican Hosts Against the Democrats". The Boston Daily Globe. November 22, 1899.
- ^ "Debs Will Speak for Sherman". The Boston Globe. November 20, 1899. p. 6. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
- ^ "THREE NOMINEES". The Boston Globe. November 23, 1899. p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
- ^ "Boston Mayor Race – Dec 12, 1899". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ^ "Annual Report of the Board of Election Commissioners". City of Boston. 1899. p. 69. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via archive.org.
totals columns are obscured
Further reading
- "Republicans Carry Boston". The New York Times. December 13, 1899. p. 1. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
External links
- Boston Mayor Race - Dec 12, 1899 at ourcampaigns.com