1908 United States presidential election in Georgia

Summary

The 1908 United States presidential election in Georgia took place on November 3, 1908, as part of the wider United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1908 United States presidential election in Georgia

← 1904 November 3, 1908 (1908-11-03) 1912 →
 
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William Howard Taft Thomas E. Watson
Party Democratic Republican Populist
Home state Nebraska Ohio Georgia
Running mate John W. Kern James S. Sherman Samuel Williams
Electoral vote 13 0 0
Popular vote 72,350 41,355 16,687
Percentage 54.60% 31.21% 12.59%

County Results

President before election

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican

Elected President

William Howard Taft
Republican

Following Reconstruction, Georgia would be the first former Confederate state to substantially disenfranchise its newly enfranchised freedmen, doing so in the early 1870s.[1] This largely limited the Republican Party to a few North Georgia counties with substantial Civil War Unionist sentiment – chiefly Fannin but also to a lesser extent Pickens, Gilmer and Towns.[2] The Democratic Party served as the guardian of white supremacy against a Republican Party historically associated with memories of Reconstruction, and the main competition became Democratic primaries, which state laws restricted to whites on the grounds of the Democratic Party being legally a private club.[3]

However, politics after the first demobilization by a cumulative poll tax was chaotic. Third-party movements, chiefly the Populist Party, gained support amongst poor whites and the remaining black voters in opposition to the planter elite.[4] The fact that Georgia had already substantially reduced its poor white and black electorate two decades ago, alongside pressure from urban elites in Atlanta,[4] meant the Populist movement substantially faded in the late 1890s.[5] Nevertheless, this did not prevent demands for more complete disenfranchisement after the state's politics again turned chaotic as former vice-presidential candidate Thomas E. Watson attempted to revive the Populist Party in 1904, whilst Hoke Smith ran for Governor as a radical reformist in 1906.[6]

Georgia was won by the Democratic nominees, former Nebraska Congressman and two-time prior Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan and his running mate John W. Kern of Indiana. They defeated the Republican candidates, United States Secretary of War William Howard Taft of Ohio and his running mate James S. Sherman of New York. Bryan won the state by a margin of 23.39%.

The aim of co-opting the Populists led Georgia to become the last former Confederate state to initiate a full-scale disenfranchisement plan to largely eliminate the seventy thousand or so blacks who remained on the rolls.[7] The process, involving a literacy test and a grandfather clause in addition to the poll tax, alongside statewide white primaries, was achieved in the next presidential election year, when a transformed Watson ran for the Populist Party on a white supremacist campaign. At the same time the Republican Party aimed to make gains in the South because of opposition by developing manufacturers to William Jennings Bryan’s populism,[8] and by nominee William Howard Taft’s willingness to accept black disfranchisement.[9]

At the beginning of September, Taft spoke of carrying Georgia and other southern states, though this idea was dismissed by Democratic committee members.[10] Polls, when taken in October, always suggested Bryan would win the state, though by a smaller margin than usual.[11] This was indeed the observed result, although anti-populist sentiment[8] resulted in the GOP carrying twelve secessionist upcountry counties that had never gone Republican before.[12] Watson fell substantially from his 1904 performance, and would disband the Populist Party after the election.

Bryan had previously won Georgia against William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900.

Results edit

1908 United States presidential election in Georgia[13]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 72,350 54.60% 13
Republican William Howard Taft 41,355 31.21% 0
People's Thomas E. Watson 16,687 12.59% 0
Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 1,452 1.10% 0
Socialist Eugene V. Debs 584 0.44% 0
Independence Thomas L. Hisgen 76 0.06% 0

Results by county edit

County William Jennings Bryan[14]
Democratic
William Howard Taft[14]
Republican
Thomas Edward Watson[14]
Populist
Eugene Wilder Chafin[14]
Prohibition
Various candidates[14]
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Appling 249 33.51% 250 33.65% 244 32.84% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -1 -0.13% 743
Baker 149 69.63% 36 16.82% 29 13.55% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 113 52.80% 214
Baldwin 417 59.57% 201 28.71% 74 10.57% 8 1.14% 0 0.00% 216 30.86% 700
Banks 211 36.38% 221 38.10% 147 25.34% 1 0.17% 0 0.00% -10 -1.72% 580
Bartow 726 45.60% 780 48.99% 73 4.59% 11 0.69% 2 0.13% -54 -3.39% 1,592
Ben Hill 407 41.87% 412 42.39% 49 5.04% 104 10.70% 0 0.00% -5 -0.51% 972
Berrien 595 66.70% 212 23.77% 64 7.17% 19 2.13% 2 0.22% 383 42.94% 892
Bibb 1,946 75.46% 565 21.91% 51 1.98% 14 0.54% 3 0.12% 1,381 53.55% 2,579
Brooks 472 49.89% 362 38.27% 103 10.89% 4 0.42% 5 0.53% 110 11.63% 946
Bulloch 756 69.36% 116 10.64% 218 20.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 538[a] 49.36% 1,090
Burke 519 66.37% 193 24.68% 70 8.95% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 326 41.69% 782
Butts 348 53.46% 167 25.65% 131 20.12% 5 0.77% 0 0.00% 181 27.80% 651
Calhoun 272 65.70% 106 25.60% 33 7.97% 0 0.00% 3 0.72% 166 40.10% 414
Camden 181 43.20% 233 55.61% 1 0.24% 4 0.95% 0 0.00% -52 -12.41% 419
Campbell 210 45.06% 140 30.04% 116 24.89% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 70 15.02% 466
Carroll 917 51.32% 505 28.26% 356 19.92% 4 0.22% 5 0.28% 412 23.06% 1,787
Catoosa 317 59.03% 213 39.66% 4 0.74% 3 0.56% 0 0.00% 104 19.37% 537
Charlton 124 67.03% 53 28.65% 2 1.08% 6 3.24% 0 0.00% 71 38.38% 185
Chatham 3,305 72.54% 1,209 26.54% 17 0.37% 18 0.40% 7 0.15% 2,096 46.01% 4,556
Chattahoochee 111 45.12% 118 47.97% 17 6.91% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -7 -2.85% 246
Chattooga 437 36.39% 716 59.62% 28 2.33% 9 0.75% 11 0.92% -279 -23.23% 1,201
Cherokee 326 29.32% 665 59.80% 100 8.99% 6 0.54% 15 1.35% -339 -30.49% 1,112
Clarke 720 70.24% 207 20.20% 96 9.37% 2 0.20% 0 0.00% 513 50.05% 1,025
Clay 242 54.14% 161 36.02% 42 9.40% 2 0.45% 0 0.00% 81 18.12% 447
Clayton 248 42.61% 223 38.32% 99 17.01% 11 1.89% 1 0.17% 25 4.30% 582
Clinch 202 54.45% 157 42.32% 11 2.96% 1 0.27% 0 0.00% 45 12.13% 371
Cobb 889 54.54% 548 33.62% 174 10.67% 18 1.10% 1 0.06% 341 20.92% 1,630
Coffee 534 54.60% 382 39.06% 54 5.52% 2 0.20% 6 0.61% 152 15.54% 978
Colquitt 390 46.10% 125 14.78% 327 38.65% 0 0.00% 4 0.47% 63[a] 7.45% 846
Columbia 144 42.11% 12 3.51% 185 54.09% 1 0.29% 0 0.00% -41[a] -11.99% 342
Coweta 1,032 81.13% 220 17.30% 19 1.49% 1 0.08% 0 0.00% 812 63.84% 1,272
Crawford 285 83.58% 24 7.04% 32 9.38% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 253[a] 74.19% 341
Crisp 452 65.04% 206 29.64% 36 5.18% 0 0.00% 1 0.14% 246 35.40% 695
Dade 228 71.47% 72 22.57% 7 2.19% 0 0.00% 12 3.76% 156 48.90% 319
Dawson 125 35.31% 219 61.86% 5 1.41% 5 1.41% 0 0.00% -94 -26.55% 354
De Kalb 740 54.37% 356 26.16% 218 16.02% 43 3.16% 4 0.29% 384 28.21% 1,361
Decatur 782 53.75% 537 36.91% 131 9.00% 4 0.27% 1 0.07% 245 16.84% 1,455
Dodge 544 69.57% 177 22.63% 44 5.63% 1 0.13% 16 2.05% 367 46.93% 782
Dooly 507 58.48% 271 31.26% 87 10.03% 2 0.23% 0 0.00% 236 27.22% 867
Dougherty 583 78.05% 158 21.15% 6 0.80% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 425 56.89% 747
Douglas 152 28.95% 181 34.48% 187 35.62% 4 0.76% 1 0.19% -6[b] -1.14% 525
Early 375 53.65% 173 24.75% 136 19.46% 3 0.43% 12 1.72% 202 28.90% 699
Echols 140 90.32% 15 9.68% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 125 80.65% 155
Effingham 302 67.56% 89 19.91% 55 12.30% 1 0.22% 0 0.00% 213 47.65% 447
Elbert 714 62.63% 103 9.04% 305 26.75% 18 1.58% 0 0.00% 409[a] 35.88% 1,140
Emanuel 549 35.19% 530 33.97% 473 30.32% 8 0.51% 0 0.00% 19 1.22% 1,560
Fannin 420 38.15% 681 61.85% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -261 -23.71% 1,101
Fayette 338 51.76% 162 24.81% 151 23.12% 0 0.00% 2 0.31% 176 26.95% 653
Floyd 1,204 58.82% 677 33.07% 138 6.74% 25 1.22% 3 0.15% 527 25.74% 2,047
Forsyth 150 26.04% 345 59.90% 79 13.72% 1 0.17% 1 0.17% -195 -33.85% 576
Franklin 379 39.07% 253 26.08% 329 33.92% 9 0.93% 0 0.00% 50[a] 5.15% 970
Fulton 4,790 58.89% 2,906 35.73% 190 2.34% 165 2.03% 83 1.02% 1,884 23.16% 8,134
Gilmer 360 40.63% 519 58.58% 4 0.45% 3 0.34% 0 0.00% -159 -17.95% 886
Glascock 63 16.45% 52 13.58% 264 68.93% 4 1.04% 0 0.00% -201[a] -52.48% 383
Glynn 467 59.95% 298 38.25% 12 1.54% 2 0.26% 0 0.00% 169 21.69% 779
Gordon 476 40.00% 615 51.68% 97 8.15% 1 0.08% 1 0.08% -139 -11.68% 1,190
Grady 463 48.79% 238 25.08% 215 22.66% 33 3.48% 0 0.00% 225 23.71% 949
Greene 412 38.58% 428 40.07% 201 18.82% 25 2.34% 2 0.19% -16 -1.50% 1,068
Gwinnett 677 41.01% 541 32.77% 392 23.74% 38 2.30% 3 0.18% 136 8.24% 1,651
Habersham 364 52.45% 230 33.14% 77 11.10% 17 2.45% 6 0.86% 134 19.31% 694
Hall 707 47.74% 634 42.81% 94 6.35% 33 2.23% 13 0.88% 73 4.93% 1,481
Hancock 457 74.80% 80 13.09% 71 11.62% 2 0.33% 1 0.16% 377 61.70% 611
Haralson 252 28.03% 506 56.28% 106 11.79% 23 2.56% 12 1.33% -254 -28.25% 899
Harris 556 76.37% 94 12.91% 77 10.58% 1 0.14% 0 0.00% 462 63.46% 728
Hart 408 50.43% 192 23.73% 200 24.72% 5 0.62% 4 0.49% 208[a] 25.71% 809
Heard 203 83.88% 5 2.07% 34 14.05% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 169[a] 69.83% 242
Henry 369 57.57% 194 30.27% 27 4.21% 51 7.96% 0 0.00% 175 27.30% 641
Houston 855 81.58% 27 2.58% 0 0.00% 166 15.84% 0 0.00% 689[c] 65.74% 1,048
Irwin 388 65.54% 174 29.39% 30 5.07% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 214 36.15% 592
Jackson 735 49.70% 406 27.45% 323 21.84% 12 0.81% 3 0.20% 329 22.24% 1,479
Jasper 557 75.27% 155 20.95% 28 3.78% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 402 54.32% 740
Jeff Davis 172 50.74% 156 46.02% 11 3.24% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 16 4.72% 339
Jefferson 373 50.54% 361 48.92% 0 0.00% 4 0.54% 0 0.00% 12 1.63% 738
Jenkins 188 59.31% 53 16.72% 76 23.97% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 112[a] 35.33% 317
Johnson 135 20.61% 162 24.73% 355 54.20% 3 0.46% 0 0.00% -193[b] -29.47% 655
Jones 385 52.38% 322 43.81% 28 3.81% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 63 8.57% 735
Laurens 957 41.90% 730 31.96% 594 26.01% 0 0.00% 3 0.13% 227 9.94% 2,284
Lee 337 56.54% 252 42.28% 7 1.17% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 85 14.26% 596
Liberty 219 27.65% 412 52.02% 160 20.20% 1 0.13% 0 0.00% -193 -24.37% 792
Lincoln 157 38.11% 1 0.24% 249 60.44% 5 1.21% 0 0.00% -92[a] -22.33% 412
Lowndes 681 73.46% 154 16.61% 58 6.26% 31 3.34% 3 0.32% 527 56.85% 927
Lumpkin 261 54.49% 218 45.51% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 43 8.98% 479
Macon 350 51.47% 196 28.82% 131 19.26% 3 0.44% 0 0.00% 154 22.65% 680
Madison 560 68.29% 170 20.73% 89 10.85% 0 0.00% 1 0.12% 390 47.56% 820
Marion 217 47.07% 155 33.62% 89 19.31% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 62 13.45% 461
McDuffie 157 30.78% 25 4.90% 323 63.33% 5 0.98% 0 0.00% -166[a] -32.55% 510
McIntosh 147 47.73% 161 52.27% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -14 -4.55% 308
Meriwether 683 67.42% 211 20.83% 115 11.35% 4 0.39% 0 0.00% 472 46.59% 1,013
Miller 161 70.61% 23 10.09% 44 19.30% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 117[a] 51.32% 228
Milton 182 51.41% 120 33.90% 50 14.12% 2 0.56% 0 0.00% 62 17.51% 354
Mitchell 555 57.99% 196 20.48% 205 21.42% 1 0.10% 0 0.00% 350[a] 36.57% 957
Monroe 456 54.55% 162 19.38% 217 25.96% 0 0.00% 1 0.12% 239[a] 28.59% 836
Montgomery 414 46.99% 254 28.83% 213 24.18% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 160 18.16% 881
Morgan 462 64.44% 187 26.08% 66 9.21% 2 0.28% 0 0.00% 275 38.35% 717
Murray 312 34.32% 539 59.30% 20 2.20% 0 0.00% 38 4.18% -227 -24.97% 909
Muscogee 1,599 72.95% 459 20.94% 10 0.46% 0 0.00% 124 5.66% 1,140 52.01% 2,192
Newton 643 63.98% 303 30.15% 48 4.78% 11 1.09% 0 0.00% 340 33.83% 1,005
Oconee 136 31.85% 51 11.94% 240 56.21% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -104[a] -24.36% 427
Oglethorpe 495 73.44% 67 9.94% 112 16.62% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 383[a] 56.82% 674
Paulding 256 23.75% 630 58.44% 188 17.44% 3 0.28% 1 0.09% -374 -34.69% 1,078
Pickens 187 20.22% 731 79.03% 3 0.32% 4 0.43% 0 0.00% -544 -58.81% 925
Pierce 295 57.06% 150 29.01% 72 13.93% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 145 28.05% 517
Pike 727 67.44% 230 21.34% 121 11.22% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 497 46.10% 1,078
Polk 492 33.24% 901 60.88% 74 5.00% 10 0.68% 3 0.20% -409 -27.64% 1,480
Pulaski 651 79.20% 107 13.02% 64 7.79% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 544 66.18% 822
Putnam 410 91.93% 20 4.48% 16 3.59% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 390 87.44% 446
Quitman 87 47.03% 31 16.76% 66 35.68% 1 0.54% 0 0.00% 21[a] 11.35% 185
Rabun 233 55.88% 171 41.01% 13 3.12% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 62 14.87% 417
Randolph 522 53.65% 366 37.62% 83 8.53% 0 0.00% 2 0.21% 156 16.03% 973
Richmond 1,727 70.55% 267 10.91% 345 14.09% 0 0.00% 109 4.45% 1,382[a] 56.45% 2,448
Rockdale 352 57.52% 172 28.10% 87 14.22% 0 0.00% 1 0.16% 180 29.41% 612
Schley 219 47.82% 173 37.77% 64 13.97% 2 0.44% 0 0.00% 46 10.04% 458
Screven 355 30.90% 428 37.25% 357 31.07% 9 0.78% 0 0.00% 71[b] 6.18% 1,149
Spalding 725 73.08% 199 20.06% 29 2.92% 22 2.22% 17 1.71% 526 53.02% 992
Stephens 306 51.52% 261 43.94% 27 4.55% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 45 7.58% 594
Stewart 415 61.12% 241 35.49% 23 3.39% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 174 25.63% 679
Sumter 876 62.93% 476 34.20% 36 2.59% 4 0.29% 0 0.00% 400 28.74% 1,392
Talbot 408 69.39% 129 21.94% 44 7.48% 5 0.85% 2 0.34% 279 47.45% 588
Taliaferro 235 40.10% 216 36.86% 130 22.18% 0 0.00% 5 0.85% 19 3.24% 586
Tattnall 534 42.82% 263 21.09% 432 34.64% 18 1.44% 0 0.00% 102[a] 8.18% 1,247
Taylor 253 44.00% 159 27.65% 163 28.35% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 90[a] 15.65% 575
Telfair 613 70.54% 29 3.34% 0 0.00% 227 26.12% 0 0.00% 386[c] 44.42% 869
Terrell 528 73.03% 142 19.64% 53 7.33% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 386 53.39% 723
Thomas 765 42.43% 723 40.10% 308 17.08% 7 0.39% 0 0.00% 42 2.33% 1,803
Tift 450 68.70% 99 15.11% 104 15.88% 0 0.00% 2 0.31% 346[a] 52.82% 655
Toombs 282 48.37% 200 34.31% 98 16.81% 3 0.51% 0 0.00% 82 14.07% 583
Towns 196 40.08% 291 59.51% 2 0.41% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -95 -19.43% 489
Troup 714 68.13% 45 4.29% 287 27.39% 2 0.19% 0 0.00% 427[a] 40.74% 1,048
Turner 276 50.46% 105 19.20% 137 25.05% 22 4.02% 7 1.28% 139[a] 25.41% 547
Twiggs 301 76.20% 73 18.48% 21 5.32% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 228 57.72% 395
Union 344 44.85% 418 54.50% 5 0.65% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -74 -9.65% 767
Upson 369 48.36% 145 19.00% 249 32.63% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 120[a] 15.73% 763
Walker 754 43.61% 925 53.50% 32 1.85% 6 0.35% 12 0.69% -171 -9.89% 1,729
Walton 727 53.93% 389 28.86% 225 16.69% 6 0.45% 1 0.07% 338 25.07% 1,348
Ware 771 76.49% 190 18.85% 12 1.19% 16 1.59% 19 1.88% 581 57.64% 1,008
Warren 158 26.92% 166 28.28% 257 43.78% 4 0.68% 2 0.34% -91[b] -15.50% 587
Washington 630 45.78% 267 19.40% 479 34.81% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 151[a] 10.97% 1,376
Wayne 394 65.34% 144 23.88% 34 5.64% 30 4.98% 1 0.17% 250 41.46% 603
Webster 114 44.36% 117 45.53% 26 10.12% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -3 -1.17% 257
White 121 35.59% 183 53.82% 36 10.59% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -62 -18.24% 340
Whitfield 586 40.05% 775 52.97% 36 2.46% 6 0.41% 60 4.10% -189 -12.92% 1,463
Wilcox 380 72.66% 120 22.94% 22 4.21% 1 0.19% 0 0.00% 260 49.71% 523
Wilkes 557 65.53% 65 7.65% 216 25.41% 12 1.41% 0 0.00% 341[a] 40.12% 850
Wilkinson 280 71.61% 55 14.07% 55 14.07% 1 0.26% 0 0.00% 225 57.54% 391
Worth 457 48.36% 237 25.08% 251 26.56% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 206[a] 21.80% 945
Totals 72,350 54.60% 41,355 31.21% 16,687 12.59% 1,452 1.10% 660 0.50% 30,995 23.39% 132,504

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab In this county where Taft ran third behind Bryan and Watson, margin given is Bryan vote minus Watson vote and percentage margin Bryan percentage minus Watson percentage.
  2. ^ a b c d In this county where Bryan ran third behind both Taft and Watson, margin given is Taft vote minus Watson vote and percentage margin Taft percentage minsu Watson percentage.
  3. ^ a b In this county where Chafin ran second ahead of both Taft and Watson, margin given is Bryan vote minus Chafin vote and percentage margin Bryan percentage minus Chafin percentage.

References edit

  1. ^ Mickey, Robert W.; Paths Out of Dixie: The Democratization of Authoritarian Enclaves in America's Deep South, 1944-1972, p. 76 ISBN 1400838789
  2. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 208, 210 ISBN 9780691163246
  3. ^ Springer, Melanie Jean; How the States Shaped the Nation: American Electoral Institutions and Voter Turnout, 1920-2000, p. 155 ISBN 022611435X
  4. ^ a b Mickey, Robert W.; ‘The Beginning of the End for Authoritarian Rule in America: Smith v. Allwright and the Abolition of the White Primary in the Deep South, 1944-1948’; Studies in American Political Development, Vol. 22 (Fall 2008), pp. 143-182.
  5. ^ Perman, Michael; Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888-1908; p. 274 ISBN 0807860255
  6. ^ Perman; Struggle for Mastery, p. 283
  7. ^ Perman; Struggle for Mastery, p. 297
  8. ^ a b Tindall, George B.; ‘Southern Strategy: A Historical Perspective’; North Carolina Historical Review; vol. 48, no. 2 (April 1971), pp. 126-141
  9. ^ de Santis, Vincent P.; ‘Republican Efforts to “Crack” the Democratic South’; The Review of Politics, vol. 14, no. 2 (April 1952), pp. 244-264
  10. ^ ‘Just Nonsense, Says Howell: So Georgia Editor Styles Talk of Taft Carrying Georgia’; The Atlanta Constitution, September 8, 1908, p. 2
  11. ^ ‘Situation Complicated: In Georgia and Taft Men Talk Seriously of Carrying the State’; Cincinnati Enquirer; October 18, 1908, p. 27
  12. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 39 ISBN 0786422173
  13. ^ Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 1908 Presidential General Election Results – Georgia
  14. ^ a b c d e Géoelections; Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1908 (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)