sorts of extreme social and economic doctrines. It was
not strange, therefore, that the new party was at once connected, in the
public mind, with all the erratic vagaries of these Apostles of Change.
It was called the "Fanny Wright ticket" and the "Infidel Ticket." Every
one forgot that it aimed to be the workingman's ticket. The movement,
however, was supported by "The Working Man's Advocate," a new journal
that soon reached a wide influence.

There now appeared an eccentric Quaker, Russell Comstock by name, to
center public attention still more upon the new party. As a candidate
for the legislature, he professed an alarmingly advanced position,
for he believed that the State ought to establish free schools where
handicrafts and morals, but not religion, should be taught; that husband
and wife should be equals before the law; that a mechanics' lien and
bankruptcy law should be passed; and that by wise graduations all laws
for the collection of debts should be repealed. At a meeting held at the
City Hall, for the further elucidation of his "pure Republicanism," he
was greeted by a great throng but was arrested for disturbing the peace.
He received less than one hundred and fifty votes, but his words went
far to excite, on the one hand, the interest of the laboring classes in
reform, and, on the other hand, the determination of the conservative
classes to defeat "a ticket got up openly and avowedly," as one
newspaper said, "in opposition to all banks, in opposition to social
order, in opposition to rights of property."

Elections at this time lasted three days. On the first day there was
genuine alarm at the large vote cast for "the Infidels." Thoughtful
citizens were importuned to go to the polls, and on the second and third
days they responded in sufficient numbers to compass the defeat of the
entire ticket, excepting only one candidate for the legislature.

The Workingman's party contained too many zealots to hold together.
After the election of 1829 a meeting was called to revise the party
platform. The more conservative element prevailed and omitted the
agrarian portions of the platform. Skidmore, who was present, attempted
to protest, but his voice was drowned by the clamor of the audience.
He then started a party of his own, which he called the Original
Workingman's party but which became known as the Agrarian party. The
majority endeavored to rectify their position in the community by an
address to the people.