Colonel William A. Phillips

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The 1904 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 8, 1904, as part of the 1904 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Following the state’s delayed readmission to the Union, Virginia was unique among ex-Confederate states in not having a period of Republican control during Reconstruction, due to the failure of the Underwood Constitution to pass in 1868[1] and the consequent support for the Conservative Party that fused prewar Democrats and Whigs in the first postwar elections and consistently controlled the state legislature after readmission. From 1879, however, a fusion with the “Readjuster” faction of the state Democratic Party would revitalize the Republicans[1] until 1883, although the state GOP would remain competitive in statewide elections — only narrowly failing to carry the state in 1888[1] — until the Cleveland Administration eliminated federal oversight while the Walton Act created the secret ballot and began large-scale black disenfranchisement.[2]

However, despite its dominant position, the Democratic Party was deeply divided between the conservative Gold Democrats of a state whose economy was already substantially influenced by the rapidly industrializing Northeast, and a Populist-influenced faction centered in the state’s rural areas.[2] Northern and Southwest Virginia were supportive of the Republican policies of the gold standard and high tariffs,[2] and trended towards William McKinley in 1896 and 1900 — ultimately becoming the mainstay of a “lily-white” Jim Crow state Republican Party for the ensuing half-century, allowing the party to remain more viable than in any other ex-Confederate state except North Carolina and Tennessee where extremely loyal Unionist Republicanism remained.[3]

Following the 1900 election, a new constitution was drafted with a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests that served to reduce voter turnout dramatically.[4] The new constitution was supposedly a response to persistent electoral fraud, common in the Black Belt as it was in other Southern states.[5] After much debate over how rigidly to disenfranchise black voters, alongside the question of whether poor whites should be disenfranchised,[4] the ultimately produced Constitution featured some of the most stringent poll tax and literacy requirements in the former Confederacy. These stringent suffrage requirements would mean Virginia’s 1900 turnout would not be equaled until 1952, by which time the state’s population had almost doubled.[a]

From the earliest polls, it was clear that Democratic candidate, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Alton B. Parker was always going to carry Virginia.[6] Neither candidate campaigned in the state during the fall. Virginia ultimately voted for Parker over the Republican candidate, incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt. Parker won the state by a margin of 24.90 percentage points.

Results

1904 United States presidential election in Virginia[7]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Alton B. Parker 80,649 61.84% 12
Republican Theodore Roosevelt (inc.) 48,180 36.95% 0
Prohibition Silas C. Swallow 1,379 1.06% 0
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 202 0.15% 0
Totals 130,410 100.0% 12

Results by county

1904 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities[8][9]
County or Independent City Alton Brooks Parker
Democratic
Theodore Roosevelt
Republican
Silas Comfort Swallow
Prohibition
Eugene Victor Debs
Socialist
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Accomack County 1,517 82.67% 256 13.95% 62 3.38% 0 0.00% 1,261 68.72% 1,835
Albemarle County 1,069 76.74% 309 22.18% 15 1.08% 0 0.00% 760 54.56% 1,393
Alexandria County 157 61.09% 99 38.52% 1 0.39% 0 0.00% 58 22.57% 257
Alleghany County 782 52.52% 665 44.66% 42 2.82% 0 0.00% 117 7.86% 1,489
Amelia County 320 77.11% 76 18.31% 19 4.58% 0 0.00% 244 58.80% 415
Amherst County 878 82.91% 177 16.71% 4 0.38% 0 0.00% 701 66.19% 1,059
Appomattox County 684 87.80% 93 11.94% 2 0.26% 0 0.00% 591 75.87% 779
Augusta County 1,582 57.57% 1,096 39.88% 70 2.55% 0 0.00% 486 17.69% 2,748
Bath County 325 57.12% 239 42.00% 4 0.70% 1 0.18% 86 15.11% 569
Bedford County 1,301 66.82% 560 28.76% 86 4.42% 0 0.00% 741 38.06% 1,947
Bland County 339 45.02% 407 54.05% 7 0.93% 0 0.00% -68 -9.03% 753
Botetourt County 818 54.14% 664 43.94% 29 1.92% 0 0.00% 154 10.19% 1,511
Brunswick County 593 79.49% 149 19.97% 4 0.54% 0 0.00% 444 59.52% 746
Buchanan County 307 35.37% 561 64.63% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -254 -29.26% 868
Buckingham County 595 59.03% 405 40.18% 8 0.79% 0 0.00% 190 18.85% 1,008
Campbell County 674 79.20% 158 18.57% 14 1.65% 5 0.59% 516 60.63% 851
Caroline County 501 60.65% 317 38.38% 8 0.97% 0 0.00% 184 22.28% 826
Carroll County 874 40.78% 1,265 59.03% 4 0.19% 0 0.00% -391 -18.25% 2,143
Charles City County 129 62.02% 78 37.50% 1 0.48% 0 0.00% 51 24.52% 208
Charlotte County 517 69.96% 210 28.42% 12 1.62% 0 0.00% 307 41.54% 739
Chesterfield County 597 78.04% 151 19.74% 16 2.09% 1 0.13% 446 58.30% 765
Clarke County 444 82.99% 67 12.52% 23 4.30% 1 0.19% 377 70.47% 535
Craig County 335 65.30% 161 31.38% 17 3.31% 0 0.00% 174 33.92% 513
Culpeper County 798 79.01% 209 20.69% 3 0.30% 0 0.00% 589 58.32% 1,010
Cumberland County 334 85.42% 51 13.04% 6 1.53% 0 0.00% 283 72.38% 391
Dickenson County 577 45.61% 684 54.07% 4 0.32% 0 0.00% -107 -8.46% 1,265
Dinwiddie County 406 77.04% 119 22.58% 2 0.38% 0 0.00% 287 54.46% 527
Elizabeth City County 600 73.35% 211 25.79% 7 0.86% 0 0.00% 389 47.56% 818
Essex County 430 45.55% 513 54.34% 0 0.00% 1 0.11% -83 -8.79% 944
Fairfax County 774 63.91% 422 34.85% 12 0.99% 3 0.25% 352 29.07% 1,211
Fauquier County 1,216 77.16% 357 22.65% 3 0.19% 0 0.00% 859 54.51% 1,576
Floyd County 450 30.57% 1,012 68.75% 9 0.61% 1 0.07% -562 -38.18% 1,472
Fluvanna County 394 74.34% 135 25.47% 1 0.19% 0 0.00% 259 48.87% 530
Franklin County 1,166 56.03% 874 42.00% 41 1.97% 0 0.00% 292 14.03% 2,081
Frederick County 858 71.38% 316 26.29% 28 2.33% 0 0.00% 542 45.09% 1,202
Giles County 721 53.73% 588 43.82% 33 2.46% 0 0.00% 133 9.91% 1,342
Gloucester County 474 72.37% 173 26.41% 6 0.92% 2 0.31% 301 45.95% 655
Goochland County 298 52.19% 273 47.81% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 25 4.38% 571
Grayson County 867 45.04% 1,054 54.75% 4 0.21% 0 0.00% -187 -9.71% 1,925
Greene County 214 40.61% 311 59.01% 2 0.38% 0 0.00% -97 -18.41% 527
Greensville County 356 77.56% 100 21.79% 3 0.65% 0 0.00% 256 55.77% 459
Halifax County 1,198 65.75% 594 32.60% 30 1.65% 0 0.00% 604 33.15% 1,822
Hanover County 527 66.04% 261 32.71% 10 1.25% 0 0.00% 266 33.33% 798
Henrico County 890 76.26% 248 21.25% 16 1.37% 13 1.11% 642 55.01% 1,167
Henry County 718 62.22% 422 36.57% 14 1.21% 0 0.00% 296 25.65% 1,154
Highland County 304 45.58% 352 52.77% 11 1.65% 0 0.00% -48 -7.20% 667
Isle of Wight County 584 77.45% 168 22.28% 2 0.27% 0 0.00% 416 55.17% 754
James City County 98 71.01% 34 24.64% 6 4.35% 0 0.00% 64 46.38% 138
King and Queen County 390 74.43% 134 25.57% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 256 48.85% 524
King George County 279 59.49% 188 40.09% 2 0.43% 0 0.00% 91 19.40% 469
King William County 304 60.44% 195 38.77% 4 0.80% 0 0.00% 109 21.67% 503
Lancaster County 350 77.78% 93 20.67% 7 1.56% 0 0.00% 257 57.11% 450
Lee County 780 36.81% 1,329 62.72% 10 0.47% 0 0.00% -549 -25.91% 2,119
Loudoun County 1,558 75.19% 442 21.33% 72 3.47% 0 0.00% 1,116 53.86% 2,072
Louisa County 514 62.53% 296 36.01% 11 1.34% 1 0.12% 218 26.52% 822
Lunenburg County 433 80.04% 96 17.74% 6 1.11% 6 1.11% 337 62.29% 541
Madison County 538 64.82% 292 35.18% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 246 29.64% 830
Mathews County 467 76.94% 119 19.60% 21 3.46% 0 0.00% 348 57.33% 607
Mecklenburg County 1,021 76.25% 296 22.11% 22 1.64% 0 0.00% 725 54.14% 1,339
Middlesex County 416 72.85% 151 26.44% 4 0.70% 0 0.00% 265 46.41% 571
Montgomery County 650 45.84% 725 51.13% 42 2.96% 1 0.07% -75 -5.29% 1,418
Nansemond County 678 78.11% 186 21.43% 4 0.46% 0 0.00% 492 56.68% 868
Nelson County 847 75.16% 269 23.87% 10 0.89% 1 0.09% 578 51.29% 1,127
New Kent County 127 62.56% 75 36.95% 1 0.49% 0 0.00% 52 25.62% 203
Norfolk County 1,345 57.63% 977 41.86% 1 0.04% 11 0.47% 368 15.77% 2,334
Northampton County 592 73.00% 210 25.89% 9 1.11% 0 0.00% 382 47.10% 811
Northumberland County 532 70.00% 225 29.61% 3 0.39% 0 0.00% 307 40.39% 760
Nottoway County 470 84.08% 86 15.38% 3 0.54% 0 0.00% 384 68.69% 559
Orange County 568 72.91% 201 25.80% 10 1.28% 0 0.00% 367 47.11% 779
Page County 741 47.08% 804 51.08% 21 1.33% 8 0.51% -63 -4.00% 1,574
Patrick County 737 53.29% 616 44.54% 30 2.17% 0 0.00% 121 8.75% 1,383
Pittsylvania County 1,718 69.27% 650 26.21% 111 4.48% 1 0.04% 1,068 43.06% 2,480
Powhatan County 240 60.30% 156 39.20% 2 0.50% 0 0.00% 84 21.11% 398
Prince Edward County 576 84.46% 101 14.81% 5 0.73% 0 0.00% 475 69.65% 682
Prince George County 189 67.02% 92 32.62% 1 0.35% 0 0.00% 97 34.40% 282
Prince William County 724 75.57% 228 23.80% 6 0.63% 0 0.00% 496 51.77% 958
Princess Anne County 420 79.10% 109 20.53% 2 0.38% 0 0.00% 311 58.57% 531
Pulaski County 732 48.09% 764 50.20% 6 0.39% 20 1.31% -32 -2.10% 1,522
Rappahannock County 400 72.07% 151 27.21% 4 0.72% 0 0.00% 249 44.86% 555
Richmond County 377 66.73% 185 32.74% 3 0.53% 0 0.00% 192 33.98% 565
Roanoke County 630 56.96% 427 38.61% 48 4.34% 1 0.09% 203 18.35% 1,106
Rockbridge County 996 51.58% 911 47.18% 23 1.19% 1 0.05% 85 4.40% 1,931
Rockingham County 1,604 51.15% 1,441 45.95% 88 2.81% 3 0.10% 163 5.20% 3,136
Russell County 987 41.26% 1,396 58.36% 9 0.38% 0 0.00% -409 -17.10% 2,392
Scott County 1,164 39.38% 1,773 59.98% 17 0.58% 2 0.07% -609 -20.60% 2,956
Shenandoah County 1,098 47.39% 1,189 51.32% 30 1.29% 0 0.00% -91 -3.93% 2,317
Smyth County 848 39.02% 1,312 60.38% 12 0.55% 1 0.05% -464 -21.35% 2,173
Southampton County 924 76.94% 260 21.65% 16 1.33% 1 0.08% 664 55.29% 1,201
Spotsylvania County 330 56.80% 237 40.79% 13 2.24% 1 0.17% 93 16.01% 581
Stafford County 301 43.56% 384 55.57% 6 0.87% 0 0.00% -83 -12.01% 691
Surry County 323 66.19% 154 31.56% 11 2.25% 0 0.00% 169 34.63% 488
Sussex County 253 72.70% 93 26.72% 2 0.57% 0 0.00% 160 45.98% 348
Tazewell County 803 35.33% 1,462 64.32% 5 0.22% 3 0.13% -659 -28.99% 2,273
Warren County 540 76.49% 151 21.39% 13 1.84% 2 0.28% 389 55.10% 706
Warwick County 108 60.00% 71 39.44% 1 0.56% 0 0.00% 37 20.56% 180
Washington County 1,344 41.62% 1,872 57.97% 13 0.40% 0 0.00% -528 -16.35% 3,229
Westmoreland County 392 68.06% 181 31.42% 3 0.52% 0 0.00% 211 36.63% 576
Wise County 897 36.11% 1,572 63.29% 9 0.36% 6 0.24% -675 -27.17% 2,484
Wythe County 1,065 43.33% 1,384 56.31% 8 0.33% 1 0.04% -319 -12.98% 2,458
York County 186 66.67% 69 24.73% 24 8.60% 0 0.00% 117 41.94% 279
Alexandria City 738 79.18% 187 20.06% 7 0.75% 0 0.00% 551 59.12% 932
Bristol City 297 67.04% 133 30.02% 12 2.71% 1 0.23% 164 37.02% 443
Buena Vista City 125 59.52% 79 37.62% 6 2.86% 0 0.00% 46 21.90% 210
Charlottesville City 391 83.55% 71 15.17% 6 1.28% 0 0.00% 320 68.38% 468
Danville City 836 85.39% 101 10.32% 41 4.19% 1 0.10% 735 75.08% 979
Fredericksburg City 352 73.33% 124 25.83% 4 0.83% 0 0.00% 228 47.50% 480
Lynchburg City 995 76.48% 292 22.44% 13 1.00% 1 0.08% 703 54.04% 1,301
Manchester City 285 79.17% 66 18.33% 7 1.94% 2 0.56% 219 60.83% 360
Newport News City 744 65.21% 335 29.36% 27 2.37% 35 3.07% 409 35.85% 1,141
Norfolk City 2,559 83.19% 457 14.86% 37 1.20% 23 0.75% 2,102 68.34% 3,076
Petersburg City 924 85.95% 144 13.40% 7 0.65% 0 0.00% 780 72.56% 1,075
Portsmouth City 1,151 80.66% 247 17.31% 21 1.47% 8 0.56% 904 63.35% 1,427
Radford City 184 63.01% 100 34.25% 6 2.05% 2 0.68% 84 28.77% 292
Richmond City 3,749 85.40% 569 12.96% 42 0.96% 30 0.68% 3,180 72.44% 4,390
Roanoke City 1,268 69.71% 506 27.82% 45 2.47% 0 0.00% 762 41.89% 1,819
Staunton City 458 70.46% 162 24.92% 30 4.62% 0 0.00% 296 45.54% 650
Williamsburg City 103 72.54% 37 26.06% 2 1.41% 0 0.00% 66 46.48% 142
Winchester City 394 71.25% 146 26.40% 13 2.35% 0 0.00% 248 44.85% 553
Totals 80,649 61.64% 48,180 36.82% 2,013 1.54% 202 0.15% 32,469 24.82% 130,842

See also

Notes

  1. ^ This takes into account the fact that the Nineteenth Amendment had doubled the electorate by enfranchising women.

References

  1. ^ a b c Heersink, Boris; Jenkins, Jeffrey A. Republican Party Politics and the American South, 1865–1968. pp. 217–221. ISBN 1107158435.
  2. ^ a b c Moger, Allen. "The Rift in Virginia Democracy in 1896". The Journal of Southern History. 4 (3): 295–317.
  3. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  4. ^ a b Kousser, J. Morgan. The Shaping of Southern Politics Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910. Yale University Press. pp. 178–181. ISBN 0-300-01696-4.
  5. ^ Perman, Michael (2001). Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888-1908. pp. 195–196. ISBN 080784909X.
  6. ^ "A Conservative Estimate". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. July 20, 1904. p. 6.
  7. ^ "1904 Presidential General Election Results — Virginia". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  8. ^ Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361 ISBN 9780804716963
  9. ^ "Popular Vote for Eugene V. Debs (1904)". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €15)