the Republican success in the election of 1888 might not be as complete as it seemed. The Republican Party remained diverse, and tariff reform would hardly be enough either to satisfy all its members or to address a social and economic crisis that voters regarded as dire. Republicans controlled the presidency and both houses of Congress for the first time since 1874, but their narrow margins—seven in the House and two in the Senate—meant that the desertion of a few members on any vote could stalemate them.
