AS A POLITICAL FORCE 99 



Democrats and Reformers or Anti-Monopolists was tried again 

 in 1875, and with some success in Wisconsin, where the fusion 

 candidates for state officers, with the exception of governor, 

 were elected, though by very small majorities. The Republicans 

 regained complete control of the legislature, however, in both 

 states and repealed the Granger railroad law of Wisconsin in 

 1876, the Iowa Granger law meeting the same fate two years 

 later. The presidential campaign of 1876 put an end to the 

 Independent movement in both of these states. 1 In Minnesota 

 a " Reform" party, which seems to have had no direct connection 

 with the Anti-Monopoly party of 1873, although probably 

 composed of about the same men, put a ticket in the field in 

 1875 against both Republicans and Democrats, but secured 

 less than two thousand votes, and did not appear again. 2 



There was an election for congressman in Oregon in 1875 

 and the Independent party again had a candidate in the field, 

 but he received only about eight hundred votes. In the legis- 

 lature which was elected in June, 1876, there were also a few 

 Independents in both houses, but the presidential election 

 in the fall probably put an end to the movement there also. 3 

 Nor does the People's Independent party of California appear to 

 have kept up its organization after 1875, although many of the 

 Grangers and others who belonged to it cast in their lot with 

 the " Workingmen's party," which was organized by the followers 

 of Dennis Kearney in 1877 and played a considerable part in 

 California politics until i88o. 4 



this time necessitated the choice of another. If the Independents had not held 

 the balance of power in this Illinois legislature, it is probable that Tilden instead 

 of Hayes would have become president of the United States. See John T. Camp- 

 bell, The Hayes-Tilden Contest, in Illinois State Historical Society, Transactions, 

 1909, pp. 184-189 for an account of the election of Davis and its connection with 

 the presidential controversy. 



1 Wisconsin Statesman (Madison), 1875, September 18, p. 3, November 13, p. 2, 

 1876, March n, p. i, March 25, p. i; Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia, 1875, pp. 402, 

 763, 1876, pp. 413-415, 806-808. 



2 Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia, 1875, PP- 500-511. 



3 Ibid. 609; Wisconsin Statesman, July 10, 1875, P- 3- 



4 Bryce, American Commonwealth, ii. ch. xc; E. Benjamin Andrews, The Last 

 Quarter Century, i. ch. xiii; Bancroft, California, vii. 335-412; Lucile Eaves, 

 History of California Labor Legislation (Berkeley, 1910). 



