Instead of supporting the reform-minded incumbent, Andrew Ryan McGill, a majority of party stalwarts rallied behind William Merriam, an ambitious St. Paul banker and speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

This third party of disaffected Republicans and Democrats was dedicated to promoting the commercial and social interests of agrarian America.

The most notable legacy of his administration was the adoption of the Australian ballot, which allowed citizens to vote in comparative privacy.

In his private life, the sociable Merriam was keen on sports, owned horses, and was said to possess "good nature, gracious manners, and an attractive personality."

Merriam never returned to Minnesota, but retired instead to Florida, where he died in Port Sewall[1] at age 81.