Half-Breeds " were a political faction of the United States Republican Party in the late 19th century . The Half-Breeds were a moderate group , and were the opponents of the Stalwarts , the other main faction of the Republican Party . The main issue that divided the Stalwarts and the Half-Breeds was political patronage . The Stalwarts were in favor of political machines and spoils system-style patronage , while the Half-Breeds , led by Maine senator James G. Blaine , were in favor of civil service reform and a merit system . The epithet " Half-Breed " was invented in derision by the Stalwarts to denote those whom they perceived as being only half Republican . The term was not used at the time . However , " Stalwart " was used at the time . In the 1880 Republican National Convention , the Stalwart candidate , former president Ulysses S. Grant , was pitted against Half-Breed James G. Blaine for the party nomination . Grant 's campaign was led by Stalwart leader Roscoe Conkling of New York , the state with the deepest split between Stalwarts and Half-Breeds . Despite Conkling 's attempts at imposing a unit-rule in the Republican National Convention by which a state 's votes would be grouped together for only one candidate , a number of Stalwarts went against him by vocalizing their support for the Half-Breed Blaine . The Half-Breeds united to defeat the unit-rule in a vote , and elected Half-Breed George Frisbie Hoar to the position as temporary chairman of the convention
1880 Republican National Convention
1880 Republican National Convention
Half-Breeds (politics)