On July 12, 1912, Eugene W. Chafin was once again nominated for President of the United States by the Prohibition Party at their national convention in Atlantic City. The moment marked the peak of his dogged crusade against alcohol.
His journey wasn’t just political — it was filled with bizarre episodes, including nearly drowning in Nebraska and being struck by a brick during a riot in Illinois. Far from deterred, Chafin threw himself into his campaign, logging over 36,000 miles across 30 states and gathering more than 200,000 votes. Despite his devotion, he led a party that rarely captured more than a sliver of the national vote, making his relentless campaigning all the more remarkable.
On the chaotic day he was struck by the heavy riot brick, he refused to stop his speech, calmly wiping the streaming blood from his forehead and continuing to lecture the startled crowd on the virtues of temperance.
Tragically, his death in late 1920 occurred just months after his lifelong dream was finally realized: national prohibition had just become law.
Photograph via Wikimedia Commons, no known restrictions.
