1892–93 United States Senate elections

The 1892–93 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with former Democratic President Grover Cleveland's return to power. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1892 and 1893, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.

1892–93 United States Senate elections

← 1890 & 1891 Dates vary by state 1894 & 1895 →

29 of the 88 seats in the United States Senate (as well as special elections)
45 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Arthur Pue Gorman[a] John Sherman[b]
Party Democratic Republican
Leader since March 4, 1889 March 4, 1891
Leader's seat Maryland Ohio
Seats before 39 47
Seats won 14 9
Seats after 43 37
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 10
Seats up 11 18

  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Populist Silver Republican
Seats before 2 New party
Seats won 1 1
Seats after 3 1
Seat change Increase 1 Increase 1
Seats up 0 Steady

Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Democratic hold
     Republican hold      Silver Republican gain
     Populist gain      Legislature failed to elect

Majority Party before election


Republican

Elected Majority Party


Democratic

The Republican Party lost nine seats, losing its majority to the Democratic Party. The Democratic majority, however, was minimal and did not last past the next Congress.

Results summary

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Senate party division, 53rd Congress (1893–1895)

  • Majority party: Democratic (43)
  • Minority party: Republican (37)
  • Other parties: Populist (3); Silver (1)
  • Vacant: 4
  • Total seats: 88

Change in Senate composition

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Before the elections

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D1 D2 D3 D4
D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6 D5
D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24
D34
Ran
D33
Ran
D32
Ran
D31
Ran
D30
Ran
D29 D28 D27 D26 D25
D35
Ran
D36
Ran
D37
Ran
D38
Ran
D39
Unknown
D40
Retired
P1 P2 R46
Wis.
Retired
R45
Retired
Majority → R44
Retired
R35
Ran
R36
Ran
R37
Ran
R38
Ran
R39
Ran
R40
Ran
R41
Unknown
R42
Unknown
R43
Retired
R34
Ran
R33
Ran
R32
Ran
R31
Ran
R30
Ran
R29
Ran
R28 R27 R26 R25
R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24
R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5
R1 R2 R3 R4

Result of the elections

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D1 D2 D3 D4
D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6 D5
D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24
D34
Re-elected
D33
Re-elected
D32
Re-elected
D31
Re-elected
D30
Re-elected
D29 D28 D27 D26 D25
D35
Re-elected
D36
Re-elected
D37
Re-elected
D38
Hold
D39
Hold
D30
Gain
D41
Gain
D42
Gain
D43
Wis.
Gain
V4
D loss
Majority with vacancies ↑ V3
R loss
R35
Re-elected
R36
Re-elected
R37
Hold
SR1
Gain
P1 P2 P3
Gain
V1
R loss
V2
R loss
R34
Re-elected
R33
Re-elected
R32
Re-elected
R31
Re-elected
R30
Re-elected
R29
Re-elected
R28 R27 R26 R25
R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24
R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5
R1 R2 R3 R4

Beginning of the next Congress

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D1 D2 D3 D4
D14 D13 D12 D11 D10 D9 D8 D7 D6 D5
D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24
D34 D33 D32 D31 D30 D29 D28 D27 D26 D25
D35 D36 D37 D38 D39 D40 D41 D42 D43 D44
Appointed
Majority with vacancies →
R35 R36 R37 SR1 P1 P2 P3 V1 V2 V3
R34 R33 R32 R31 R30 R29 R28 R27 R26 R25
R15 R16 R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R23 R24
R14 R13 R12 R11 R10 R9 R8 R7 R6 R5
R1 R2 R3 R4
Key:
D# Democratic
P# Populist
R# Republican
SR# Silver Republican
V# Vacant

Race summaries

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Elections during the 52nd Congress

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In these special elections the winners were seated during the 52nd Congress in 1892 or in 1893 before March 4; ordered by election date.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Maryland
(Class 3)
Charles H. Gibson Democratic 1891 (appointed) Interim appointee elected January 21, 1892.[2]
Texas
(Class 1)
Horace Chilton Democratic 1891 (appointed) Interim appointee lost election.
New senator elected March 22, 1892.[4]
Democratic hold.
Vermont
(Class 1)
Redfield Proctor Republican 1891 (appointed) Interim appointee elected October 18, 1892.[5][4]
Winner was also elected to the next term.
West Virginia
(Class 2)
John E. Kenna Democratic 1883
1889
Incumbent died January 11, 1893.
New senator elected January 24, 1893.
Democratic hold.
Kentucky
(Class 2)
John G. Carlisle Democratic 1890 (special) Incumbent resigned February 4, 1893.
New senator elected February 15, 1893.[7][8]
Democratic hold.

In this special election, the winner was seated in the 53rd Congress, starting March 4, 1893.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Kansas
(Class 2)
Bishop W. Perkins Republican 1892 (appointed) Interim appointee retired.
New senator elected on January 25, 1893, but didn't qualify until the next Congress on March 4, 1893.
Democratic gain.
Immediately thereafter, another joint convention elected J. W. Ady, but that contest of Martin's election was "soon abandoned."[9]

In this early regular election, the winner was seated in the 54th Congress, starting March 4, 1895.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Mississippi Edward C. Walthall Democratic 1885 (appointed)
1886 (special)
1889
Incumbent re-elected early on January 19, 1892, for the term beginning 1895.[10]
Walthall, however, had already been re-elected to next term.[11]

Races leading to the 53rd Congress

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In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1893; ordered by state.

All of the elections involved the Class 1 seats.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
California Charles N. Felton Republican 1891 (special) Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 18, 1893.
Democratic gain.
Connecticut Joseph R. Hawley Republican 1881
1887
Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1893.[12]
Delaware George Gray Democratic 1885 (special)
1887
Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1893.
Florida Samuel Pasco Democratic 1887 Legislature failed to elect.
Democratic loss.
Incumbent was later appointed, then elected; see below.
[data missing]
Indiana David Turpie Democratic 1863 (special)
1863 (retired)
1887
Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1893.
Maine Eugene Hale Republican 1881
1887
Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1893.
Maryland Arthur P. Gorman Democratic 1880
1886
Incumbent re-elected January 19, 1892.[10]
Massachusetts Henry L. Dawes Republican 1875
1881
1887
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 17, 1893.
Republican hold.
Michigan Francis B. Stockbridge Republican 1887 Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1893.
Minnesota Cushman Davis Republican 1886 Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1893, on the second ballot.[9]
Mississippi James Z. George Democratic 1880
1886
Incumbent re-elected January 19, 1892.[10][11]
Missouri Francis Cockrell Democratic 1874
1881
1887
Incumbent re-elected January 18, 1893.[15]
Montana Wilbur F. Sanders Republican 1890 Legislature failed to elect.[16]
Republican loss.
Nebraska Algernon Paddock Republican 1875
1880 (lost)
1886
Incumbent retired.
New senator elected February 7, 1893, on the seventh ballot.[17]
Populist gain.
Nevada William M. Stewart Republican 1887 Incumbent re-elected as a Silver Republican January 24, 1893.[17]
Silver Republican gain.
New Jersey Rufus Blodgett Democratic 1886 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 24, 1893.[18]
Democratic hold.
New York Frank Hiscock Republican 1887 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 17, 1893.
Democratic gain.
North Dakota Lyman R. Casey Republican 1889 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected February 20, 1893, on the sixty-first ballot.[19][20]
Democratic gain.
Ohio John Sherman Republican 1861 (special)
1866
1872
1877 (resigned)
1881
1886
Incumbent re-elected January 12, 1892.[10]
Pennsylvania Matthew Quay Republican 1887 Incumbent re-elected January 17, 1893.
Rhode Island Nelson W. Aldrich Republican 1881 (special)
1886
Incumbent re-elected June 14, 1892.
Tennessee Washington C. Whitthorne Democratic 1887 Incumbent retired or lost renomination.
New senator elected January 17, 1893.
Democratic hold.
Texas Roger Q. Mills Democratic 1892 (special) Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1893.
Vermont Redfield Proctor Republican 1891 (appointed) Interim appointee elected October 18, 1892.
Winner was also elected to finish the current term; see above.
Virginia John W. Daniel Democratic 1887 Incumbent had already been re-elected early December 16, 1891.
Washington John B. Allen Republican 1889 Legislature failed to elect after 101 ballots on March 9, 1893.[23]
Republican loss.
West Virginia Charles J. Faulkner Democratic 1887 Incumbent re-elected January 24, 1893.
Wisconsin Philetus Sawyer Republican 1887 Incumbent retired.
New senator elected January 27, 1893.
Democratic gain.
Wyoming Francis E. Warren Republican 1890 Legislature failed to elect.[6]
Republican loss.

Elections during the 53rd Congress

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In these elections, the winners were elected in 1893 after March 4, and seated in the 53rd Congress.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Florida
(Class 1)
Samuel Pasco Democratic 1887
1893 (failed to elect)
1893 (appointed)
Interim appointee elected April 20, 1893.
Virginia
(Class 2)
Eppa Hunton Democratic 1892 (appointed) Interim appointee elected December 19, 1893.[24][25]

In this election, the winner was seated in the 54th Congress, starting March 4, 1895.

State Incumbent Results Candidates
Senator Party Electoral history
Virginia
(Class 2)
Eppa Hunton Democratic 1892 (appointed) Interim appointee retired.
New senator elected early December 19, 1893, for the term beginning in 1895.[25]
Democratic hold.

California

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Connecticut

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Delaware

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Florida

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Florida (regular)

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Florida (special)

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Indiana

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Kansas (special)

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Kentucky (special)

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Maine

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Maryland

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Maryland (regular)

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1892 United States Senate election in Maryland
← 1886 January 19, 1892 1898 →

80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
     
Candidate Arthur Pue Gorman Lloyd Lowndes Jr.
Party Democratic Republican
Legislative vote 80 6
Percentage 93.02% 6.98

Arthur Pue Gorman won re-election against Lloyd Lowndes Jr. by a margin of 86.05%, or 74 votes, for the Class 1 seat.[26]

Maryland (special)

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1892 United States Senate special election in Maryland
← 1890 January 1890 1896 →

80 members of the Maryland General Assembly
   
Candidate Charles Hopper Gibson William J. Vannort
Party Democratic Republican
Legislative vote 86 8
Percentage 76.11% 7.08%

Charles Hopper Gibson was elected to fill the seat vacated by Ephraim King Wilson II by a margin of 69.03%, or 78 votes, for the Class 3 seat.[27]

Massachusetts

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Michigan

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Minnesota

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Mississippi

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Mississippi (regular, class 1)

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Mississippi (regular, class 2)

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Early election for the term beginning in 1895.

Missouri

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Montana

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Nebraska

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Nevada

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New Jersey

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New York

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The New York election was held on January 18, 1893, by the New York State Legislature.

Incumbent Senator Frank Hiscock was elected to this seat in 1887, with his term to expire on March 3, 1893.

At the controversial State election in November 1891, 17 Democrats, 14 Republicans and 1 Independent were elected for a two-year term (1892-1893) in the State Senate. This was the only time a Democratic majority was seated in the State Senate between 1874 and 1910. At the State election in November 1892, 74 Democrats and 54 Republicans were elected for the session of 1893 to the Assembly. The 116th New York State Legislature met from January 3 to April 20, 1893, at Albany, New York.

The Democratic caucus met on January 10. 90 State legislators attended, only Assemblyman John Cooney, of Brooklyn, was absent due to illness. State Senator Amasa J. Parker Jr. presided. Edward Murphy Jr., a wealthy brewer of Troy, and Chairman of the Democratic State Committee, was nominated by a large majority. The New York Times had suggested earlier to nominate Carl Schurz, a former Republican U.S. Senator from Missouri and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who lived now in New York City,[28] but the political machines of upstate boss David B. Hill and Tammany Hall chose a loyal party machine man rather than an Ex-Republican advocate of civil service reform. Even President-elect Grover Cleveland had voiced his disapproval of Murphy, to no avail.[29]

1893 Democratic caucus
Candidate First ballot
 Y Edward Murphy Jr. 85
W. Bourke Cockran 5

The Republican caucus met on January 11. State Senator Thomas Hunter presided. They re-nominated the incumbent U.S. Senator Frank Hiscock by acclamation.

Edward Murphy, Jr., was the choice of both the Assembly and the State Senate, and was declared elected. State Senator James T. Edwards (32nd D.), of Randolph, voted for the defeated Republican vice presidential candidate of 1892, Whitelaw Reid.

1893 United States Senator election
House Democratic Republican Republican
State Senate
(32 members)
 Y Edward Murphy Jr. 17 Frank Hiscock 12 Whitelaw Reid 1
State Assembly
(128 members)
 Y Edward Murphy Jr. 73 Frank Hiscock 52

Note: The votes were cast on January 17, but both Houses met in a joint session on January 18 to compare nominations, and declare the result.

When Murphy took his seat, for the first time since 1849 New York was represented by two Democrats in the U.S. Senate. Murphy served a single term, remaining in the U.S. Senate until March 3, 1899. In January 1899, Murphy was defeated for re-election by Republican Chauncey M. Depew.

North Dakota

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Ohio

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Pennsylvania

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The election in Pennsylvania was held January 17, 1893. Incumbent Matthew Quay was re-elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[30]

State Legislature Results[30][31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Matthew Quay (Incumbent) 165 64.96
Democratic George Ross 80 31.50
Republican John Dalzell 1 0.39
Democratic William F. Harrity 1 0.39
Democratic William Mutchler 1 0.39
N/A Not voting 6 2.36
Totals 254 100.00%

Rhode Island

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Tennessee

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Texas

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Texas (regular)

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Texas (special)

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Vermont

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Vermont (regular)

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Vermont (special)

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Virginia

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Virginia (regular, class 1)

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Incumbent Senator John W. Daniel (who had been first elected in 1887) was re-elected in 1893.

Virginia (special, class 2)

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Democratic incumbent John S. Barbour Jr. died May 14, 1892. Democrat Eppa Hunton was appointed May 28, 1892, to continue until a special election.

Hunton was elected December 20, 1893, to finish the term (ending March 1895).

Washington

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West Virginia

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West Virginia (regular)

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West Virginia (special)

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Wisconsin

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Senator John L. Mitchell

Two-term Republican Philetus Sawyer retired and two-term Democratic congressman John L. Mitchell was elected to the next term. In the Wisconsin Legislature, Democrats had a majority, but it took 31 ballots for Democrats to pick Mitchell over fellow Democrats John H. Knight and Edward S. Bragg.[32]

Vote of the Wisconsin Legislature, January 27, 1893[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John L. Mitchell 77 58.33
Republican John Coit Spooner 46 34.85
Democratic Edward S. Bragg 1 0.76
N/A No vote 8 6.06
Plurality 31 23.48
Total votes 132 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

Wyoming

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ as Democratic Caucus Chair
  2. ^ as Republican Conference Chair
  3. ^ a b Possibly Edward John Phelps
  4. ^ a b c d Full name unavailable

References

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  1. ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913)". National Archives and Records Administration. February 8, 2022.
  2. ^ Byrd, p. 121.
  3. ^ Tribune Almanac for 1894, p. 68.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Tribune Almanac for 1893, p. 69.
  5. ^ Byrd, p. 175.
  6. ^ a b c d Tribune Almanac for 1894, p. 91.
  7. ^ a b Kleber, John E. (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 558. ISBN 0813128838.
  8. ^ Byrd, p. 110.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tribune Almanac for 1894, p. 88.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Tribune Almanac for 1893, p. 68.
  11. ^ a b "George and Walthall Elected". The New York Times. January 20, 1892.
  12. ^ a b Tribune Almanac for 1894, p. 87.
  13. ^ Tribune Almanac for 1894, pp. 87–88.
  14. ^ Michigan House of Representatives (1893). Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Michigan. p. 167.
  15. ^ [sic]: "Willl Stil Represent Missouri. Francis M. Cockrell Elected on the First Ballot". The New York Times. January 18, 1893. p. 5.
  16. ^ Tribune Almanac for 1894, pp. 88–89.
  17. ^ a b c d e Tribune Almanac for 1894, p. 89.
  18. ^ "THE RESULT IN NEW-JERSEY.; ELECTION OF JAMES SMITH, JR., THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE". The New York Times. January 25, 1893. p. 5.
  19. ^ a b Tribune Almanac for 1894, pp. 89–90.
  20. ^ "Eriksmoen: N.D. Democrat slipped into Senate". The Bismarck Tribune. May 10, 2008.
  21. ^ Tribune Almanac for 1893, pp. 68–69.
  22. ^ a b Tribune Almanac for 1894, p. 90.
  23. ^ a b Tribune Almanac for 1894, pp. 90–91.
  24. ^ Byrd, p. 180.
  25. ^ a b "Two Virginia Senators Elected". The New York Times. December 20, 1893.
  26. ^ "MD US Senate Race - Jan 19, 1892". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  27. ^ "MD US Senate - Special Election Race - Jan 21, 1892". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  28. ^ "Mr. Schurz for Senator.; His Election Would Be a Great Gain to the State and the Nation" (PDF). The New York Times. November 27, 1892.
  29. ^ "Murphy Not a Fit Man; Mr. Cleveland's Views Upon the New-York Senatorship" (PDF). The New York Times. December 28, 1892.
  30. ^ a b "U.S. Senate Election - 17 January 1893" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  31. ^ "PA US Senate - 1893". OurCampaigns. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  32. ^ "Senator Mitchell!". Portage Daily Democrat. January 27, 1893. p. 1. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Casson, Henry, ed. (1895). "Biographical Sketches: Members of the Fifty-Fourth Congress". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). p. 657. Retrieved September 11, 2020.

Sources

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