The Opposition Party in Illinois was a political label used in 1874, when it was adopted by a coalition of all groups opposed to Republican Party rule in Chicago and Cook County. [1] The Opposition Party opposed temperance laws and the alleged corruption of the Republican machine [2] and incorporated both Democrats and more radical political elements. [1] Several members were elected to the 29th Illinois General Assembly on the Opposition Party ticket in the election of 1874; these included Moses J. Wentworth in the 1st district, William H. Stickney in the 6th district, and William H. Skelly in the 7th district. [3] The coalition was not successful at the local level, and did not appear in subsequent elections. [1]