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PALMER, ALEXANDER M. (1872–1936)

Appointed attorney general in 1919, Alexander Mitchell Palmer soon faced violence stirred up by the extreme left. After a series of bombings, Palmer campaigned against CIVIL LIBERTIES and unsuccessfully urged adoption of a new SEDITION law. His overreaction to alleged domestic radicals, particularly his "Red Raids" into private homes, mass arrests, and deportations of aliens, earned him widespread censure. Palmer also used the emergency WAR POWERS to attempt an end to the coal strike in 1919, exciting further criticism. These circumstances all contributed to his losing the 1920 Democratic presidential nomination for which he had been a leading contender. He nevertheless remained a party regular and helped write the 1932 party platform.