96 THE AGRARIAN CRUSADE 



After 1880 the Greenback party rapidly disin- 

 tegrated. There was no longer any hope of its be- 

 coming a major party, in the near future at least, 

 and the more conservative leaders began to drift 

 back into the old parties or to make plans for fusion 

 with one of them in coming elections. But fusion 

 could at best only defer the end. The congression- 

 al election of 1882 clearly demonstrated that the 

 party was moribund. Ten of the Congressmen 

 elected in 1880 had been classified as Nationals; 

 of these only one was reflected in 1882, and no new 

 names appear in the list. It is probable, however, 

 that a number of Congressmen classified as Demo- 

 crats owed their election in part to fusion between 

 the Democratic and Greenback parties. 



The last appearance of the Greenbackers in 

 national politics was in the presidential election of 

 1884. In May of that year a convention of "The 

 Anti-Monopoly Organization of the United States," 

 held in Chicago, adopted a platform voicing a de- 

 mand for legislative control of corporations and 

 monopolies in the interests of the people and nom- 

 inated General Benjamin F. Butler for President, 

 The convention of the Greenback or National 

 party met in Indianapolis, and selected Butler as 

 its candidate also. General Weaver presided over 



