Mayor Thacher Embroiled in Scandal

September 21, 1896, marked a tumultuous day in Albany, New York, as Mayor John Boyd Thacher found himself at the center of a brewing storm. The local Democratic Party had nominated Thacher as its candidate for the high office of Governor, but the mayor’s actions would soon raise eyebrows among his constituents. Speaking to the press on September 20, 1896, Thacher issued a statement regarding his nomination, in which he expressed gratitude to the Democratic Party for the honor bestowed upon him.