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The Fusionist movement were a shortly lived political movement in Louisville, Kentucky in the early 20th century. It was composed of reform-minded Republicans and Progressive Democrats who fought the political machine of local Democratic Party boss John Whallen in the 1905 Mayoral election, as well as the strong-arm tactics of local police.

Background
The movement grew out of 20 years of frustration with the machine system, which was thought to have thrown five consecutive elections in favor of Democratic candidates approved by party insiders, especially Whallen and Charles F. Grainger. The Democratic Party had broad support from lower-income groups, as well as police and firemen, and other city officials through control of the patronage system. It also had the financial backing of the powerful Louisville & Nashville Railroad.

The Fusionists had support from community leaders, including the prominent Belknap and Bullitt families, Augustus E. Willson, Basil W. Duke and newspaper editor Richard Knott. There was support amongst the religious community as well, including Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president E.Y. Mullins.

Buildup to the election
The Fusionists formed the City Club to clean up politics in the city and county. Prior to the election, the Fusionists were actively involved in trying to prevent the registration of nonexistant of fake voters who would be "repeaters" on election day. They fielded attorney Joseph T. O'Neil in the Mayoral race.

On November 5 1905, two days before election day, a crowd of between two and ten thousand Fusionists gathered outside of Louisville City Hall to hear speeches from leaders of the movement at a rally organized by Duke. The Democratic Party bosses arranged for several disruptions, including a multitude of trolley cars and horse-drawn fire cars ringing bells and trying to pass through the crowd, and many policemen wandering through the crowd, making a big show of writing down the names of people in attendance.

Election
The 1905 election November 7 was described as the most fraudulent in city history. Ballot boxes were stolen, one at gunpoint, and police assaulted and even arrested Fusionists who were trying to vote. Some of Whallen's wild tactics were used to prevent most people in Republican-heavy precincts from voting, including an "alphabetical voting" method which prevented many names from being called before polling closed.

The Fusionists managed to elect only three candidates to minor offices and O'Neal lost the mayoral race by 4,800 votes to Paul C. Barth.