James Haywood Southgate, July 12, 1859 (Norfolk, Va.) – September 29, 1916 (Eno, NC)
VP candidate for National Prohibition Party (aka Liberty Party aka Silver Prohibitionists aka Free Silver Prohibitionists aka National Party) (1896)
Running mate with nominee: Charles Eugene Bentley (1841–1905)
Popular vote: 13,968 (0.10%)
Electoral vote: 0/447
The campaign:
The Prohibition Party was not immune from the 1896 trend of relaignments and party splits. Their convention was divided by "narrow-gaugers" who wanted to focus primarly on anti-alcohol issues and "broad-gaugers" who felt the Party should also embrace many policies that echoed the Populists. In short, the "narrow-gaugers" won out ticket and the "broad-gaugers" bolted and formed their own splinter party, nominating Bentley and Southgate. They also absorbed the members of the embryonic National Reform Party.
The issues they added to their anti-alcohol platform included abolition of the Electoral College, women's suffrage, English as the only language to be used in schools, immigration laws to exclude paupers and criminals, bi-metalism, government control of railroads and telegraph, an income tax, and implementation of initiative and referendum systems.
They were on the ballot in 16 states, generally placing in at or near the bottom in the results. Their best tally was in New Jersey at 1.51%. The only state where they gained more votes than the regular Prohibition Party where they were both on the ballot was in Arkansas.
Election history: none.
Other occupations: banking, insurance, trustee for Trinity College (Duke University),
Buried: Maplewood Cemetery (Durham, NC)
Notes:
Family moved to NC in 1861.
Was a Democrat prior to joining the Prohibition Party in 1885.
In the same cemetery as actress Anita Morris (1943-1994) from the movie Ruthless People.
Methodist
Led the successful effort as a Trinity College trustee to protect the academic freedom of faculty John
Spencer Bassett when the teacher praised Booker T. Washington in 1903.
