In 1876 Morton was a contender for the Republican nomination for president at the party 's National Convention in Cincinnati , Ohio . Richard W. Thompson offered Morton 's name to the delegation at a nominee , but Morton 's position on issuing paper money to inflate the currency , combined with his failing health , hurt his bid for the nomination among the convention delegates . However , neither of these issues made as much difference as Morton 's association with the deeply discredited and scandal-ridden Grant administration . Morton 's nomination would have made the Republicans vulnerable on both the Reconstruction and corruption issues . In addition , Grant 's supporters had an alternative choice in U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York . Between the two nominees , the " stalwart " Republican bloc was divided , with no prospect of coming together because Conkling and Morton detested one another . When the balloting began , Morton 's vote total placed him second to James G. Blaine , but Morton had slipped to fourth place by the sixth ballot . Blaine 's opponents could only stop Morton 's nomination by uniting behind a candidate acceptable to reform-minded delegates and the stalwart bloc . On the seventh ballot nearly all the anti-Blaine delegates , including Morton 's , united to give Rutherford B. Hayes the Republican nomination
National Convention
1876 Republican National Convention
Oliver P. Morton