Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Charles E. Cunningham





Charles E. Cunningham, July 1, 1823 (Frederick County, Md.) – April 21, 1895 (Little Rock, Ark.)

VP candidate for Union Labor Party (1888)

Running mate with nominee: Alson J. Streeter (1823-1901)
Popular vote: 146,602 (1.31%)   
Electoral vote: 0/401

The campaign:

The Union Labor Party was sort of a bridge in time between the Greenback Party of the past and the Populist Party of the future.

Their platform included: anti-monopoly policies, equal pay for equal work for men and women, anti-child labor, graduated income tax, direct vote for US senators, and exclusion of Chinese immigrants.

Election history:
1873-1877 - Little Rock School Board (Ark.)
1882 - US House of Representatives (Ark.) (Greenback Party) - defeated
1886 - Governor of Arkansas (Agricultural Wheel Party) - defeated

Other occupations: freighting and mining businessman, sawmill operator

Buried: Oakland and Fraternal Historic Cemetery Park (Little Rock, Ark.)

Notes:
Moved to California 1849 then to Johnson County, Mo. 1854, St. Louis, Mo. 1862, Little Rock, Ark. ca. 1865.
Formerly a Whig until moving to Little Rock, then a Democrat, joined the Greenback Party in 1876.
Became the Union Labor running mate after Samuel Evans of Texas declined the nomination.
Later became active with the Populist Party.
Father was an immigrant from Scotland.