Wharton Barker

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Wharton Barker

| image = Wharton Barker cph.3b20311.jpg

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1846|5|1}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1921|4|9|1846|5|1}}

| death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.

| resting_place= Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| party = Republican

| otherparty = Populist
Silver Republican

| father = Abraham Barker

| mother = Sarah Wharton

| spouse = Margaret Corlies

| children =

| relatives = Jacob Barker (grandfather)

| education = University of Pennsylvania

| signature = Signature of Wharton Barker (1846–1921).png

| rank =

| unit = {{army|United States}} (Union Army)

| serviceyears = 1861-1865

| battles = American Civil War

| mawards =

| awards = Order of Saint Stanislaus

}}

Wharton Barker (May 1, 1846 – April 9, 1921) was an American financier and publicist who held influence in the Republican presidential selection during the 1880s and was a rival Populist presidential candidate in 1900.

Life

Wharton Barker was born on May 1, 1846, to Abraham Barker and Sarah Wharton in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1867 he married Margaret Corlies and later had three children with her.

He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1866, but prior to this time had organized and commanded a company in the Civil War. As a member of the banking firm of Barker Bros. & Co., he was appointed in 1878 as special financial agent of the Russian government. During the Russo-Turkish War he helped the Russian Empire obtain warships and for it was given the Order of Saint Stanislaus. He became an acquaintance of Tsar Alexander II of Russia who helped him in the development of mining lands throughout Russian and Europe.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40458879/the_philadelphia_inquirer/ |title=Wharton Barker, Retired Banker, Dies In 75th Year |date=9 April 1921 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212101309/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40458879/the_philadelphia_inquirer/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} He also obtained valuable railroad, telegraph, and telephone concessions that were later withdrawn from China. As early as 1869 he founded the Penn Monthly, a weekly devoted to political, economic, and social questions, which in 1880-1900 was published under the name The American.

At the 1880 Republican convention he opposed Ulysses S. Grant's attempt to gain a third term and helped Representative James A. Garfield win the Republican nomination. After winning the presidency Garfield offered Barker the position of Secretary of the Interior, but he declined. At the 1888 convention he supported former Senator Benjamin Harrison. During the 1896 presidential election he left the Republican Party and joined the Populist Party due to his support of the free silver movement and supported William Jennings Bryan.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459050/the_morning_post/ |title=Wharton Barker |date=11 April 1921 |work=The Morning Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212102218/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459050/the_morning_post/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459204/the_times/ |title=Hoping Against Hope |date=5 November 1896 |work=The Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212104319/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459204/the_times/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459206/nashville_banner/ |title=Another Queer Boom |date=2 July 1896 |work=Nashville Banner |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212104504/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459206/nashville_banner/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} During the 1900 presidential election Populists opposed to William Jennings Bryan met in Cincinnati, Ohio to nominate an independent ticket rather than fuse with Bryan and narrowly selected Barker with 370 delegates for him to 336 delegates for Milford W. Howard.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459096/the_indianapolis_journal/ |title=Split Averted |date=11 May 1900 |work=The Indianapolis Journal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212103124/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459096/the_indianapolis_journal/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} During the 1912 presidential election the Republican Party was divided over William Taft and Theodore Roosevelt's presidential campaigns, but Barker opposed both of them and supported Senator Albert B. Cummins for the Republican nomination, but after Cummins lost the nomination Barker switched his support to Roosevelt and his Progressive Party.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459288/the_philadelphia_inquirer/ |title=Wharton Barker Scores Roosevelt |date=18 June 1912 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212105440/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459288/the_philadelphia_inquirer/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459319/the_indianapolis_star/ |title=Wharton Barker, Noted Economist, Out for T.R. |date=4 November 1912 |work=The Indianapolis Star |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212105916/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40459319/the_indianapolis_star/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}

In 1884, he was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society.{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?year=1884;smode=advanced;f1-date=1884;startDoc=1|access-date=2021-05-21|website=search.amphilsoc.org}}

On April 9, 1921 Barker died at age 74 in Philadelphia after suffering from an illness for one month.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40458898/newyork_tribune/ |title=Wharton Barker, Who Led Populist Party in 1900, Dies |date=10 April 1921 |work=New-York Tribune |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212101723/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40458898/newyork_tribune/ |archive-date=12 December 2019 |url-status=live |page=16 |via=Newspapers.com}} He was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.{{cite web |title=Wharton Barker |url=https://remembermyjourney.com/memorials/wharton-barker?id=pMEb7BAJ |website=remembermyjourney.com |publisher=webCemeteries |access-date=16 December 2024}}