Matthew Maguire, June 28, 1850 (some sources have 1855) (Manhattan, NY, or, Atlantic Ocean enroute to USA) - January 1, 1917 (Paterson, NJ)
VP candidate for Socialist Labor Party (1896)
Running mate with nominee: Charles H. Matchett (1843-1919)
Popular vote: 36,373 (0.26%)
Electoral vote: 0/447
The campaign:
The 1896 SLP slogan was: "Vote for the overthrow of Capitalism! Vote for Cooperative Commonwealth!" Their platform was against child labor, supported equal wages for equal work for men and women, and a progressive income tax.
Matchett, who has been the SLP VP nominee in 1892 ran a spirited campaign. They were on the ballot in 20 states but only cracked 1% in three: New York (1.24%), New Jersey (1.07%) and Rhode Island (1.02%). In all the races except New York where they placed 4th, they were outpolled by the other third parties and landed in 5th or 6th place.
Election history:
1880 - US House of Representatives (NY) (Greenback/Socialist Labor Fusion) - defeated
1894-1898 - Alderman (Paterson, NJ) (Socialist Labor Party)
1896 - Socialist Labor Party nomination for US President - defeated
1898 - Alderman (Paterson, NJ) (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1898 - Governor of New Jersey (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
Other occupations: machinist, newspaper publisher and editor, labor organizer
Buried: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery (Totowa, NJ)
Notes:
Left the Socialist Labor Party to join the Socialist Party of America.
Possible creator of Labor Day.
Catholic.
Was initially politically active with the Greenback Party.
If SLP had won, Maguire's alleged birth while enroute across the Atlantic to Irish parents might
have been a Constitutional issue for eligibility for office.
